Richard Branson Receives Celebration Honor from The Jim Henson Company

Company Announces 2007 Recipients for Third Annual 'Jim Henson Honors'

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The four honorees for the 2007
Jim Henson Honors were announced today by Brian Henson and Lisa Henson,
co-CEOs of The Jim Henson Company. The annual program, established in 2005,
acknowledges organizations, individuals or products that reflect the core
values and philosophy of Jim Henson and the company he founded.
The 2007 Jim Henson Honorees:
-- The Jim Henson Celebration Honor -- Richard Branson, British
Entrepreneur
-- The Jim Henson Community Honor -- Etsy, Online Marketplace for All
Things Handmade
-- The Jim Henson Creativity Honor -- Neil Gaiman, Writer
-- The Jim Henson Technology Honor -- REAL D 3D, 3D Experience Provider

The artists and staff at The Jim Henson Company nominate recipients who
are inspiring, maintain core values consistent with those of the Company, and
of course, reflect Jim Henson's commitment to excellence in creativity and
innovation.
Brian Henson said, "We have all been so inspired by the outstanding work
of this year's honorees. Etsy, Neil and Real D have given their respective
audiences unique and wonderful opportunities to share in their work. And
Richard Branson -- particularly with his participation in founding The Elders
-- continues to demonstrate the endless possibilities and hope that come with
embracing diversity and cooperation."
Lisa Henson said, "Each of this year's recipients embodies creativity in
an exciting way: uniting a community, exploring expression in a multitude of
media, providing an exciting way to experience entertainment, and providing
tools for real change in the world around us. This type of thinking is at the
core of the company my father founded and we are thrilled to celebrate these
like-minded honorees."
About the 2007 Honors and Recipients:
-- The Jim Henson Celebration Honor -- Richard Branson, British
Entrepreneur
The highest honor goes to an individual, organization or product that
makes the world a better place by inspiring people to celebrate life. Mr.
Branson has lived a life filled with bold undertakings like private space
travel, but we were most inspired by how he has applied this powerful
entrepreneurial thinking to making the world a better place through his
support of The Elders, a group of world leaders who contribute their wisdom,
independent leadership and integrity to tackling some of the world's toughest
problems.
-- The Jim Henson Community Honor -- Etsy, Online Marketplace for All
Things Handmade
The Community Honor acknowledges an individual, organization or product
who/which has increased goodwill or made a positive impact in a specific
community or around the world. Etsy provides a worldwide community that
enables people to make a living making things, celebrating and appreciating
the art of all things handmade and connecting these artists with buyers.
-- The Jim Henson Creativity Honor -- Neil Gaiman, Writer
The Creativity Honor acknowledges a new creative voice or unique
expression of an idea. Neil Gaiman's prolific career includes writing for all
audiences and in myriad forms including prose, poetry, film, journalism,
comics, song lyrics, and drama. His ongoing projects, often in collaboration
with other artists, continuously demonstrate that creativity can be expressed
and appreciated in a variety of media.
-- The Jim Henson Technology Honor -- REAL D 3D, Global 3D Experience
Provider
The Technology Honor acknowledges an individual, organization or product
who/which demonstrates ground-breaking technology in a creative way. REAL D 3D
is making 3D experiences part of everyday life by establishing its technology
in movie theatres, public places, businesses, and homes. The potential of
their work creates new opportunities for filmmakers to tell their stories in
unique and creative ways.
About The Jim Henson Company ...
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family
entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in
puppetry, animatronics and computer graphics. Best known as creators of the
world famous Muppets (the rights to which are now owned by The Walt Disney
Company), Henson is the recipient of over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy
Awards. Credits include the Saturn Award-winning "Farscape" and the features
"MirrorMask," "Five Children and It" and "Good Boy!". With additional
locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in
Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot complete with soundstage and
post-production facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult
children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson's
Creature Shop(TM), a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group
with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson
Recording Studios, one of the music industry's top recording facilities known
for its world-class blend of state of the art and vintage equipment. The
Company is currently in production on "Sid the Science Kid," a new science
readiness animated series for preschoolers scheduled to debut on PBS in
September 2008, and recently launched "Puppet Up! -- Uncensored," a live
puppet improvisational show that has played to sold out crowds around the
world and premiered as a special on TBS. The Company has also announced the
creation of Jim Henson Designs, a merchandise collection inspired by Jim
Henson's earliest sketches. http://www.henson.com
SOURCE The Jim Henson Company

Nicole Goldman of The Jim Henson Company, +1-323-802-1608,
ngoldman@henson.com