Comedian Owen Benjamin will host the 19th annual Art Directors Guild (ADG) Excellence in Production Design Awards (#ADGAwards) for the second time, Saturday, January 31, 2015, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The announcement came today by ADG Council Chairman John Shaffner and Awards Co-Producers Dave Blass and James Pearse Connelly.
Owen Benjamin is a regular on the TBS hit comedy series Sullivan and Son and has been featured on many popular television programs such as Chelsea Lately, Live at Gotham, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Punk’d and The Jay Leno Show. Owen recently appeared on episodes of Inside Amy Schumer and The Soul Man. Owen’s standup comedy specials include High Five ‘til It Hurts and Comedy Central Presents Owen Benjamin. Feature credits include All’s Faire in Love (2009) co-starring Christina Ricci and The House Bunny (2008).
Benjamin’s numerous talents range from writing, directing and producing television shows including Gaytown, Owen Benjamin Presents and That’s My Daughter. Additional writing credits include Splitting Hairs (2012), Couldn’t Be Better (2012), Comedy Central Presents (2010) and All-Stars (2009).
Benjamin has performed stand up at the Aspen, Montreal, and Chicago Comedy Festivals, alongside comedians Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, as well as performances at countless clubs and universities. He currently can be seen live at the Mad House Comedy Club in San Diego and IMPROV Comedy Clubs across the country.
Check out Benjamin's monologue, song and greenroom interview from last year’s ADG 18th Annual Awards.
Nominations for this year’s ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards will be announced on January 5, 2015. The ADG will present winners in 11 competitive categories for theatrical films, television productions, commercials and music videos on January 31, 2015. A recipient of the Guild’s Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award and three new inductees into its Hall of Fame will be announced in the upcoming months.
The ADG Council recently announced expansion of its honorary Lifetime Achievement Awards to annually include members selected from all four of its crafts. Also announced, Emmy®-winning and Oscar®-nominated Production Designer Jim Bissell has been voted this year’s recipient of the ADG Council’s Lifetime Achievement honor. The additional Lifetime Achievement Awards honorees from the other crafts – Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists; Illustrators and Matte Artists; Set Designers and Model Makers; and Previs Artists – will be announced in the near future.
ADG Awards are open only to productions, when made within the US, by producers signatory to the IATSE agreement. Foreign entries are acceptable without restrictions.
Media sponsors for the ADG Awards are The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and SHOOTonline.
For a complete list of the ADG Award Rules, Click Here
About the Art Directors Guild:
The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) represents 2,300 members who work throughout the United States, Canada and the rest of the world in film, television and theater as Production Designers, Art Directors, Assistant Art Directors; Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists; Illustrators and Matte Artists; Set Designers and Model Makers; and Previs Artists. Established in 1937, the ADG's ongoing activities include a Film Society, an annual Awards Banquet, a creative/technology community (5D: The Future of Immersive Design), a bimonthly craft magazine (Perspective); and extensive technology-training programs, figure drawing and other creative workshops and year-round Gallery 800 art exhibitions. The Guild’s Online Directory/Website Resource is at www.adg.org Follow ADG on Facebook, Twitter: @ADG800 (#ADGAwards) and YouTube.
