Former NASA Astronaut Michael Massimino, Pro Football Hall of Fame Announcer Merrill Reese, Award-Winning Actress Jane Seymour Honored at 47th Annual Common Wealth Awards

WILMINGTON, Del., April 27, 2026 - The achievements of former NASA astronaut Michael Massimino, pro football hall of fame announcer Merrill Reese and award-winning actress Jane Seymour were the focus of celebration at the 47th annual Common Wealth Awards of Distinguished Service. These high achieving individuals were recognized in the categories of Mass Communications, Science and Dramatic Arts.

This year's honorees were celebrated during the Common Wealth Awards hosted by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Friday, April 24, at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington. The awards are bestowed to individuals who have enriched modern culture through their professional and personal endeavors.

"The three 2026 Common Wealth Award honorees exemplify excellence across distinctly different professions, yet share a common dedication to leadership, creativity, and, perhaps most importantly, service," said Joseph G. Meterchick, PNC regional president for Philadelphia, Delaware and Southern New Jersey. "Their careers have left a lasting impact on their fields, they have inspired fans and communities, and we are proud to recognize their achievements."

As a NASA astronaut and veteran of two Space Shuttle missions, Michael Massimino played a direct role in some of the most consequential moments in modern space exploration, including the final servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope. During his spaceflight career, he completed four spacewalks that helped extend Hubble's life and expand humanity's view of the universe. Since leaving NASA, Massimino has dedicated himself to educating and inspiring the public as a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University, a bestselling author, and a leading advocate for science and innovation.

The longtime radio play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Eagles, Merrill Reese, has been the soundtrack of game day for generations of fans. He has called Eagles football since 1977 and is recognized as the NFL's longest-tenured current play-by-play announcer. Honored for excellence in broadcasting, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2016 and named the recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2024 Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

Known for a long career distinguished by iconic roles and critical acclaim, Jane Seymour has made a lasting impact on American entertainment and popular culture. She achieved international recognition in the James Bond film Live and Let Die and became a household name as the star of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, earning a Golden Globe Award for her performance as Dr. Michaela Quinn. Over the course of her career, Seymour has earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe honors and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As she celebrates her 75th birthday this year, her work continues to inspire audiences across generations.

The Common Wealth Awards of Distinguished Service were first presented in 1979 by The Common Wealth Trust which was created under the will of Ralph Hayes, an influential business executive and philanthropist. The awards are made by The Common Wealth Trust. In the 46-year history of the Common Wealth Awards, more than $7 million has been awarded to more than honorees.

Ralph Hayes, creator of the Common Wealth Awards, served on the board of directors of one of PNC's predecessor banks in Delaware from 1935 to 1965. Through the awards, he sought to recognize outstanding achievement in eight disciplines: dramatic arts, literature, science, invention, mass communications, public service, government and sociology. The awards also are an incentive for individuals to make future contributions to the world community.

For more than four decades, the Common Wealth Awards have recognized heads of state, scientists and inventors, explorers, authors, performing artists and activists. Past winners include 11 Nobel laureates, among them, human rights leader Archbishop Desmond Tutu, statesman Henry Kissinger and authors Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Tan and John Updike. Other high achievers on the Common Wealth Awards roster include 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush; former Secretary of State Colin Powell; H.M. Queen Noor of Jordan; dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov; Hollywood icons Steve Martin and Martin Short; astronauts John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin; primatologist Jane Goodall; ocean explorer Robert Ballard; television journalists Walter Cronkite, Bob Schieffer and Anderson Cooper; and social activists Betty Ford and Christopher Reeves.

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