[Photos by Andreas Branch for PMc] On Saturday, Teri Hatcher, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Kristen Bell, and the newly engaged Michael Vartan all turned up for the 24th Annual Genesis Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where they were recognized for their efforts of fighting animal cruelty.-

Whether by way of film, television, newspaper, or on the internet, the Genesis Awards praise the actors and actresses who set aside time to speak out on behalf of animal rights (kind of like PeTA, but without the whole splattering-animal-blood-on-your-fur-coat thing). Instead, advocates spread information on what really goes on inside puppy mills, how poorly animals can be treated on farms, the pain they endure when they're used for scientific testing, and exactly how an animal is stripped of its fur when a decadent winter coat is to be manufactured.

But the Genesis Awards also praise specific networks, programs, and films that find ways to encourage widespread behavioral change in terms of the way animals are treated. With the motto of "cruelty can't stand the spotlight," the following celebrities are seeing to it that all forms of animal cruelty are "blinded by the light" (so to speak).

Antonio Banderas                                  Amanda Righetti

Booboo Stewart, Firel Stewart                  Carlotte Ross

Debra Wilson                                       Emily Deschanel

Elaine Hendrix                                     Eric Stonestreet

Elizabeth TenHouten                             Tamar Geller

Maria Menounos                                   Michael Vartan

Moby                                                    Pauley Perrette

Nicole Lipin                                         Ginnifer Goodwin, Joey Kern

Kristen Bell                                          Jon Lovitz

Kelly Carlson                                       Jane Velez Mitchell

Teri Hatcher                                          Wendie Malick