London, 23 March – On Thursday (20 March), global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS was awarded the prestigious People’s Choice Award at the Smiley Charity Film Awards. Voted for by the public, the award was for the charity’s impactful film Be Their Voice, narrated by Sir Stephen Fry and featuring Danielle Macdonald and Scott Evans, shines a light on the story of Sunny the lamb and student Jesse, as they fight to end the cruel practice of live lamb cutting (mulesing).

The Australian wool industry’s failure to fulfil its 20-year-old promise to end live lamb cutting prompted FOUR PAWS to launch the Be Their Voice campaign, calling for an end to this practice. To kick off the campaign, FOUR PAWS worked with Catsnake: The Story Agency to create an animated video with a star-studded cast. Narrated by Sir Stephen Fry and featuring Australian actress Danielle Macdonald recognised for her roles in Dumplin' (alongside Jennifer Aniston), and Bird Box (with Sandra Bullock) narrates the voice of lamb Sunny, while American actor Scott Evans, famed for Grace and Frankie and the blockbuster Barbie, voices. Together, they help give a voice to lambs through the power of AI.

Charity advocate Sir Stephen Fry, expressed his pride in supporting the cause: I am so proud to be part of a campaign that highlights such a grave injustice to animals. In a day and age when people are constantly seeking animal-friendly options it is incomprehensible that such cruelty is still practised, all for so-called fashion. Hopefully, Sunny’s story will lead to better protection of lambs in Australia and end the process of live lamb cutting once and for all.”

Live lamb cutting is a painful procedure performed to prevent flystrike, despite the availability of pain-free alternatives. As the world's largest wool producer, Australia contributes 70% of the apparel wool used in the global fashion industry and 81% of world’s superfine wool, making this an issue with global ramifications, driven by the worldwide demand for wool.

Background

The global movement of fashion brands against live lamb cutting is gaining momentum, with over 300 brands publicly committed to certified live lamb cut-free wool (mulesing-free) and over 100 international companies that have signed FOUR PAWS’ Brand Letter of Intent, including Hugo Boss, Adidas and most recently Mango. These brands are not just committed to a future free of live lamb cutting they also directly call on the Australian wool industry and government to end the practice by 2030.

Bio Danielle Macdonald & Scott Evans

Danielle Macdonald is an Australian actress known for her breakout lead role in “Patti Cake$” as well as starring as the title character opposite Jennifer Aniston in “Dumplin'”. She also appeared opposite Sandra Bullock in Netflix's hit “Bird Box” and in the Oscar-winning short film “Skin”. Currently, she can be seen in the thriller series “The Tourist”. Danielle lives with her rescue pets in Los Angeles and adopted a plant-based diet.

Scott Evans is an American actor and producer known for his roles in the Netflix hit show “Grace and Frankie” and Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking blockbuster “Barbie”. He will next be seen in Mindy Kaling’s forthcoming series “Running Point”. Scott lives with his rescue dog in Los Angeles, is an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and is the younger brother of actor Chris Evans.