POWER UP asked members to nominate women working on a regular basis in the trenches of entertainment - aptly titled, 10 Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz who you need to know. The response was overwhelming! From across the country, New York to LA, names poured in. With a final list compiled, a committee of POWER UP members reviewed and selected the 10 Gay Women whom we should all know and who we all want to know. From groundbreaking publishers to producers, actors, and writers, the list is almost as impressive as the women on it.

Not many lists have had the notoriety as that of POWER UP'S. It was the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and host Ellen DeGeneres that introduced POWER UP and the Top 10 Most Powerful Gay Women in Entertainment to the viewing public back in 2001. The list has been published in multiple magazines and Governor Howard Dean contacted those listed for support when he was running for the nomination of the Democratic Party.

This year we start the new list 10 AMAZING GAY WOMEN IN SHOWBIZ. These women exemplify excellence in their contribution to the media, entertainment and arts. So many women make a difference in our lives, from reaching out, to setting an example of excellence. In 2004 we honor those women who in their daily lives have set the standard for all of us to see.

And now, the first-ever 10 Amazing Women in Showbiz. Webster's Dictionary defines AMAZE or the verb AMAZING - 'to show or cause astonishment' and that's exactly what this year's list is, a group of women astonishing us day after day, year after year, with their talent. In alphabetical Order:

WENDY BATTLES - Writer, Co-Executive Producer on NBC's long-running cop/legal-drama LAW & ORDER. Wendy raises her two children in the Los Angeles area.

JANE BERLINER - Producer, Manager. Jane began her career as a talent agent to such big-wigs as Ellen DeGeneres, Liam Neeson, Madonna, and Viggo Mortensen. Jane is head of production at Handprint Entertainment.

ILENE CHAIKEN - Writer, Producer, Creator of THE L WORD. Ilene is a Golden Globe winner for her penning of DIRTY PICTURES for Showtime Original Pictures. Ilene has also written for the big screen with such projects as BARB WIRE starring Pamela Anderson.

NICOLE CONN - Writer, Producer, Director, Documentarian. Director of CLAIRE OF THE MOON. Nicole's personal involvement and work come together in a documentary, that chronicles her premature son's birth and five-month stay in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit.

MARIA LYNN - Executive. The Director and President of Wolfe the oldest and largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian feature films. Under Maria's watchful eye, Wolfe Films' revenue has grown over 100 times.

ANDREA MEYERSON - Events Producer, Documentarian. Andrea is the creative mind behind such live events as LA WOMAN'S FEST, DIVAS OF JAZZ, and the HOLLY NEAR & CHRIS WILLIAMSON CONCERT to name only a few. LAUGHING MATTERS, Meyerson's directorial debut is playing the festival circuit.

ANDREA SPERLING - Producer. Andrea has produced such powerhouse features as D.E.B.S., NOWHERE, and BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER to name a few. Andrea has been recognized for her superior work when she was nominated and won the Independent Feature Project West's Spirit Award and Producing Achievement.

ANNE STOCKWELL - Writer, Filmmaker, Editor. Anne's current assignment is Senior Arts and Entertainment Editor for the national gay and lesbian magazine THE ADVOCATE. Under the tutelage of Martin Scorsese, Anne has written and directed five short films. Her work has been recognized by Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science.

ROSE TROCHE - Writer, Director, Producer. Rose has written, directed, and produced many critically acclaimed movies such as GO FISH, BEDROOMS & HALLWAYS, and THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS. More recently, Rose finds herself behind the camera for the small screen working on the shows TOUCHING EVIL, THE L WORD, and SIX FEET UNDER.

GUINEVERE TURNER (photo above) - Actor, Writer, Director, Producer. Guinevere starred in the lesbian cult favorite GO FISH, a feature that she also co-wrote with Rose Troche, She is an accomplished writer in her own right. Currently she is the writing staff on THE L WORD. In 2001 and again in 2004 Guinevere turned her talent toward directing the shorts SPARE ME and HUMMER which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Regardless of their specialty, these women work every day to better our community in one form or another. We are proud to feature them in the list of 10 Amazing Women in Showbiz. They will be honored at the 4th Annual POWER UP Power Premiere on November 7th, 2004. www.power-up.net