The industry awards season is coming fast upon us. While the Cannes International Advertising Festival and the AICP Show are among those that cast a large shadow, there are some smaller yet well-established specialty competitions that merit attention and have some pre-show coverage in this week’s issue: namely the Association of Independent Creative Editors (AICE) Awards, and the Association of Music Producers (AMP) Awards.
The fifth annual AICE Awards ceremony is scheduled for May 25 in Los Angeles. The competition raises awareness of the creative contributions made by editors to the art of commercialmaking.
Nominations for the AICE Awards were just announced in this week’s edition, with Chris Franklin of Big Sky Editorial, New York, topping the field with five noms. Next is Paul Martinez of bicoastal Lost Planet with four.
In the ’06 competition, there are a total of 56 finalists in 18 categories including, for the first time, eight “best of chapter” categories. The AICE chapters in New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Toronto each have “best of” nominees. These kudos help to gain recognition for the depth and scope of talent in each AICE regional chapter.
Meanwhile, after its first four years in Los Angeles, the annual AMP Awards ceremony will shift to New York in ’06. (See story in this week’s Music Series section.) The gala evening will also shift from the spring to the fall as AMP looks to broaden the scope of the awards while maintaining its core honors. The move to New York is to in part underscore the national reach of the competition, which is already firmly established on the West Coast.
The AMP Decibelle trophy for Mixer of the Year will continue to be bestowed, as will certificates for the two other finalists vying for the honor. Also returning is the Spotted Excellence Award, which enables the industry at large to log onto www.ampnow.com, watch and listen to three finalist commercials, and then decide which sounds the best.
And ’06 will also see the continuation of the annual Special Merit Award in recognition of the best newcomer to the audio mixing discipline.
AMP is considering the launch of other awards competition honors, including the best marriage of an artist or licensed piece of music with a brand.
What’s particularly refreshing about the AMP competition is that it’s not self congratulatory in nature. Instead of saluting composers and sound designers, the awards were born out of honoring audio post mixers.
In explaining the rationale for initially centering on mixers, several years ago Jan Horowitz, now AMP president, explained, “A lot of expertise goes into making a great television commercial, and the sound mix is the critical last step.”
Horowitz, who is VP/business manager at David Horowitz Music Associates, New York, continued, “Pulling all the audio elements–the music, dialogue, voiceover and sound effects–into perfect balance supports both the visual image and the advertiser’s message. That’s what the very best postproduction mixers do, and we think they deserve recognition.”
Nominees Unveiled For Cinema Audio Society’s 61st Annual Awards
The Cinema Audio Society has unveiled its nominees in seven categories for the 61st Annual CAS Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing 2024.
The 61st CAS Awards will be held on Saturday, February 22, at the Beverly Hilton.
Nominated in the live action motion picture category were the audio teams behind A Complete Unknown, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, Gladiator II and Wicked.
Animated motion picture nominees were the sound ensembles behind Inside Out 2, Moana 2, Mufasa: The Lion King, The Wild Robot and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
As previously announced, multi-award-winning sound mixer Tod A. Maitland CAS (A Complete Unknown, West Side Story, Joker), will be honored with the CAS Career Achievement Award. In addition, visionary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) will receive the Cinema Audio Society’s Filmmaker Award.
The CAS Award nominees highlight the outstanding contributions of sound mixers, recognizing excellence in the specialized craft of sound mixing for both film and television. Each year, accomplished CAS members—who possess extensive expertise in the art and science of sound—carefully review hundreds of projects to ensure the nominees truly reflect excellence in sound mixing in Motion Picture and Television entertainment.
“2024 was a year of remarkable achievements in the sound community, with exceptional talent on display across every category,” said CAS president Peter Kurland. “The innovation and artistry of these sound mixers continue to elevate the craft, and the upcoming awards will be a celebration of the outstanding contributions made this year. Congratulations to... Read More