HuffPost College
1.15.16 | Kirby Dick / Amy Ziering
We are thrilled that "Til It Happens To You," The Hunting Ground's original song, has become the fifth song from a documentary ever to receive an Academy Award nomination.
We are grateful to Lady Gaga and Diane Warren for their inspiring and moving contribution to the film. Viewed more than 24 million times online, the song's video debut sparked a 34 percent increase in calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline and has become an anthem for survivors of sexual assault around the world. This recognition is about more than awards; it's about the long overdue change it will help bring.
So, too, is The Hunting Ground.
This past year marked a major turning point in the fight against campus sexual assault. Since The Hunting Ground premiered at Sundance last January, we've challenged powerful institutions that have covered up the problem on their campuses for decades. Together with our partner organizations and student activists, we have started a national conversation about the culture of campus sexual assault in America and how to stop it.
Almost a million people watched the film on CNN, while more than four million people have watched The Hunting Ground online. We've taken our message to diverse and influential audiences to spark change -- from Washington, D.C. to ESPN Headquarters and the most powerful corporate executives in the country. This outreach, along with the work of our partners, including the White House's It's On Us campaign with Generation Progress, has helped foster a rising tide of action to prevent sexual assault on college campuses nationwide. In 2016, Delta Airlines will continue to show It's On Us PSAs on all flights and 6,000 radio stations across the country will play PSAs featuring "Til it Happens to You." The Hunting Ground has also hosted events with governors and state legislatures, the Department of Education, Department of Justice and the Office of Violence Against Women.
