People's Choice Awards!

On January 7,

 the 41st annual 

People's Choice Awards 

were presented. 

The following DVDs in Merrick Library's collection 

were among the winners:

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" - Favorite Action Movie Actor (Chris Evans)

"Divergent" - Favorite Action Movie, Favorite Movie Duo (Shailene Woodley and Theo James)

"The Fault in Our Stars" - Favorite Dramatic Movie

"Gone Girl" - Favorite Thriller Movie, Favorite Dramatic Movie Actor (Ben Affleck)

 

"If I Stay" - Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress (Chloe Grace Moretz)

""Maleficent" - Favorite Movie, Favorite Family Movie

"Orange is the New Black" - Favorite TV Dramedy

"22 Jump Street" - Favorite Comedic Movie

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" - Favorite Movie Actress, Favorite Action Movie Actress (both Jennifer Lawrence)

In the music category, Merrick has the following 

People's Choice victors:

"1989" - Taylor Swift - Favorite Female Artist, Favorite Pop Artist, Favorite Song ("Shake It Off")

"X" - Ed Sheeran - Favorite Album, Favorite Male Artist

By far though the highlight of this year's Awards was the presentation of the Favorite Humanitarian Award to Ben Affleck. In 2010, Affleck founded the Eastern Congo Initiative aimed at dealing with the suffering caused by violence and disease in that part of Africa. In efforts not only financial but also hands on through repeated visits to the affected region the Initiative has sought to provide education for children and a voice for victims of various kinds of abuse.

The Humanitarian Award was presented to Ben Affleck by the actress Amy Adams, close friend and his costar in the upcoming movie "Batman vs. Superman." In receiving the honor, the 42-year old film veteran summed up the importance of the Eastern Congo Initiative for him this way: "I realized a life lived for yourself is not much of a life."

Merrick Library congratulates Ben Affleck and salutes him by listed the following films showcasing his talents in the Library's DVD collection:

Argo

The Company Men

Extract

Gone Baby Gone

Good Will Hunting (Affleck shared an Academy Award for Best Original Sceenplay with his longtime friend and co-star Matt Damon)

He's Just Not That Into You

Hollywoodland

Paycheck

Runner Runner

State of Play

The Town