Entertainers Earn Excellence

The awards season is upon us, and the recent Golden Globes awards were only a glimpse at the recognition of the best performers throughout the world. A cluster of award shows are going to be closing out the month of January. These shows include the 2015 Producers Guild Awards, the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the American Cinema Editors’ ACE Eddie Awards. The month of Feburary features popular awards shows such as the 2015 Writers Guild Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, and the 87th Academy Awards.

Held on Sunday, Jan. 24, the 2015 Producers Guild Awards or PGA Awards recognizes top of the line productions from the 2014 film season. Prestigious producers such as Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, and Walt Disney are all past winners of the various awards associated with the PGA Awards. This year, producers from movies and shows such as “American Sniper,” “Gone Girl,” “Boyhood,” “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” “Breaking Bad,” and “The Big Bang Theory” all stand a chance at being awarded a prestigious distinction.

The 21st annual Screen Actors Awards, held on Monday, Jan. 26 features theatrical motion picture awards such as Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a leading role, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress in a leading role, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, as well as similar awards going to nominees in television, drama, and stunt ensembles.

The American Cinema Editors ACE Eddie Awards or Annual Ace Eddie Awards will be held on Friday, Jan. 30. This award show features an award for the Best Edited Dramatic Feature Film. Nominees include, “American Sniper,” “Boyhood,” “Gone Girl,” “The Imitation Game,” “Nightcrawler,” and “Whiplash.” Another award featured is the Best Edited Comedic or Musical Feature Film, presenting nominees such as “Birdman,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Into the Woods,” “Inherent Vice,” and “Grand Budapest Hotel.” The Annual Ace Eddie Awards also features an award for the Best Edited Animated Feature Film, the Best Edited Feature Documentary, and The Best Edited Television Documentary. “Breaking Bad” has been nominated for a total of four out of the five nominations in the TV Drama category.

The 2015 Writers Guild Awards, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14 awards those who excel in film, television, and radio. A few of the nominees include, “Boyhood” for Best Original Screenplay, “Gone Girl” for Best Adapted Screenplay, and “Finding Vivian Maier” for Best Documentary Screenplay. “Boyhood” is considered to be a popular nominee, with Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” being a close competitor. The Writers Guild Awards also recognizes the compositions of those with the best children’s script, documentary script, TV news script, radio documentary, radio news script, and promotional writing.

On Saturday, Feb. 21, The Independent Spirit Awards celebrate independent filmmakers. Awards include but are not limited to, Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best Male Lead, and Best Female Lead. The Filmmakers Grant will also be presenting prizes on behalf of Piaget, LensCrafters, and Kiehls. The Piaget Producers Awards honors up-and-coming producers who are faced with limited resources, yet still demonstrate the ability to create quality, independent films. The LensCrafters Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director. Kiehl’s Someone To Watch Award honors a talented filmmaker of a singular production who has yet to receive distinguished recognition.