The stars were out as the 2008 CAMIE (Character and Morality In Entertainment) awards were presented in Hollywood on May 3.

The awards, which were first given in Salt Lake City in 2001, have found a permanent home in Los Angeles, and the trophies that exemplify clean and wholesome entertainment are gaining a reputation as coveted prizes to people in all segments of the entertainment industry.

This year's cast of luminaries included presenters Jon Voight, Jeff Hephner, Olivia Hussey, Ed Asner, Peter Jason Dale, Dale Midkiff, Georg Sanford Brown, and many previous recipients of CAMIE awards.

2007 CAMIE winners Ed Asner and Peter Jason introduced the
CAMIE-winning Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, The Note.

Each year, the CAMIES honor films that exemplify traditional family values. This year's winners included The Ultimate Gift , Love's Unending Legacy , Crossroads , Miss Potter , Nancy Drew , Saving Sarah Cain , Pictures of Hollis Woods , The Note , Amazing Grace , and Bridge to Terabithia .

For the third year Mark Steines (Entertainment Tonight) and his wife Leanza Cornett (television personality and former Miss America) were hosts for the evening.

A special guest of the CAMIE awards this year was a man for whom Hallmark Hall of Fame told his true story in the made-for-TV movie, Crossroads .

Jan Parkinson, vice-president of Hallmark Hall of Fame said, “God is still speaking. He is speaking through men like Bruce Murakami.”

Murakami lost his wife and adopted daughter in an automotive accident caused by a street racing teenager, Justin Cabezas. He spent three years trying to clear his wife's name (since she was originally cited following the accident) and bring justice to Cabezas.

Murakami then made a decision that would challenge all of us. He decided to forgive Cabezas and made a suggestion to the judge. He felt that the memory of his wife and daughter would be honored more by not having Cabezas put in prison but sent with him, Murakami, to high schools to tell his story.

The judge's decision to grant Murakami's request was the beginning of his “Safe Teen Driver Program.”

He and Cabezas have now spoken to more than 80,000 high school students in the past seven years. “With car accidents being the leading cause of death for teens aged 15 to 19, and more than 7,000 teens perishing every year on our roadways, we feel it is a critical message to get out to the public to raise awareness of the dangers of teenage drivers. To give you a bit of perspective, 4,000 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq since 2003. In that same time 43,000 teens have died on our roads,” said Murakami.

Murakami, whose personal story is told in the Hallmark Hall of Fame and CAMIE-awarded film Crossroads . Murakami's decision to forgive the street racing teenager that killed his wife and daughter led to the creation of his "Safe Teen Driver Program.”

An international flavor was brought to this years CAMIE awards by the presence of Lord John Taylor a member of London's House of Lords and one of five members and the vice-president of the U.K. Film Commission. No movie gets a film rating in London without going through Lord Taylor. His support of the principles of CAMIE awards was recognized by his invitation and acceptance to be a member of the board of CAMIE awards.

Another special guest and CAMIE recipient was the screenwriter of the movie “Bridge to Terabithia,” Dave Paterson. Dave's mother Kate wrote the original book for and about Dave. The story comes from his own experience as a youth. This has been an eight-year project for Paterson, and he was thrilled with the results.

Josh Flitter accepted his 2008 CAMIE for his role in Nancy Drew .
This is Josh's second CAMIE award in three years.

The CAMIE awards were produced and taped for broadcast by the Starfish Television network and Jeffery Goddard, TVA Productions .

Starfish is America's first broadcast medium to dedicate itself to telling the stories of America's great non-profit companies.

At the end of the evening Kent Norton, CEO of Starfish announced the first annual recipient of the Starfish “Make a Difference” award. The award was presented to Robert L. Steed, Chairman and CEO of Trivani International.

“Trivani International is the world's first purpose-driven direct sales company,” said Norton. “Everything they do is driven by their up-front commitment to accomplish certain objectives and provide specific benefits for the compelling charitable causes they support. They're not just making a difference — they're putting the cause first.”

Following the show, many of the presenters and recipients mingled with the crowd in the lobby for pictures and relishing in the events of the evening. Many recipients expressed their interest in obtaining parts in movies that would bring them back to the CAMIE awards again and again.

Clint Holmes, who has been recognized many times as Las Vegas' "Male Performer of the Year," enthralled the audience with several of his own songs.