"Modern Family" might not be the most obvious choice to be showered with accolades by a religious organization, but the ABC comedy was honored by the Catholics in Media Associates over the weekend anyway.
"Modern Family" -- the show known for the gay marriage of Cameron Tucker and Mitchell Pritchett and, more recently, the foul-mouth tirade of child character Lily -- received the Television Award at the 2012 CIMA Awards, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunday.
"This remains far and away the best prime-time sitcom: crisp and farcical, but very kind," CIMA notes on its web site. "This fast-paced mockumentary perfectly captures the experience of parenthood."
Other honorees at the ceremony included Martin Scorsese's 3D film "Hugo," the Emilio Estevez/Martin Sheen movie "The Way" and the Tom Shadyac documentary "I Am."
According to the Catholics in Media Associates web site, the group "was formed by working professionals in the entertainment industry whose initial purpose was to share personal concerns of faith and spirituality as it is experienced in the workplace."
The purpose of the CIMA Awards is to recognize "those projects and people in the entertainment industry who, by their work, have made clearer the Word of God."
Past CIMA Television Award recipients include the CBS police drama "Blue Bloods," Fox's musical "Glee" and the ABC comedy "Ugly Betty."
In addition to the CIMA Award, "Modern Family" has also received a Golden Globe, several Emmys, a few Television Critics Association Awards, a number of Peabody Awards and a GLAAD Media Award, among others.
