LOS ANGELES -- (SPW) --

Academy® Award-nominated legendary actor Gary Oldman will receive this year's Distinguished Artisan Award at the 5th Annual Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) celebrating his prolific acting career and the plethora of characters he embraces. The black-tie awards gala, honoring both make-up artists and hair stylists outstanding achievements in motion pictures, television, commercials and live theater, returns to the NOVO in L.A. Live on Saturday, February 24, 2018. The announcement was made today by Susan Cabral-Ebert, President of IATSE Local 706.

Said Cabral-Ebert: "We are thrilled to present our Distinguished Artisan statue to one of the most creative and celebrated actors of his generation, Gary Oldman. Gary is known as a chameleon, an actor who changes his appearance, his voice, everything about himself from film to film. He has worked with the finest artisans in the world, he collaborates with the team and probably knows more about make-up and hair than any other actor. When you consider the hundreds and hundreds of hours he has spent allowing us to transform him, we are delighted to present him with our Distinguished Artisan Award to show our appreciation."

Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy-nominated actor Gary Oldman is the kind of thespian who disappears into his roles and completely alters his appearance with the talents of the make-up and hair teams. He boldly embodied the characters of Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour, Sex Pistol Sid Vicious in the biopic Sid and Nancy, and George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The later portrayal brought him accolades worldwide including BAFTA Award, British Independent Film Award, European Film Award, and Academy Award® nominations for Best Actor.

Oldman's diverse career encompasses theatre, film and television and has garnered over 30 awards and 44 nominations. He is well known for playing over-the-top antagonists such as Russian terrorist Egor Korshunov in the blockbuster Air Force One, Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK and the title character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He scored the coveted role of Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, giving him a key part in one of the highest-grossing franchises ever. He reprised that role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Oldman played on the iconic role of Detective James Gordon in Batman Begins, a role he played again in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Among his many other roles, Oldman played a main scientist in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Norton, the scientist in the remake of RoboCop.

The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild's Distinguished Artisan Award is given to those whose body of work in the film industry was richly enhanced by the consistent collaboration of make-up and hair styling artistry creating memorable characters throughout their career. Previous recipients include Johnny Depp, Ryan Murphy and Guillermo del Toro.

As previously announced, Oscar®-Winning Make-Up Artist Greg Cannom and Emmy®-Winning Hair Stylist Mary Guerrero will receive the Guild's Lifetime Achievement Awards. Additional awards will honor nominees for outstanding achievements in motion pictures, television, commercials and live theater. Nominations for this year's awards will be announced on January 5, 2018. Final ballot on-line voting at www.local706.org closes on February 16, 2018. Winners will be announced on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the Awards gala.

MUAHS Awards is proudly sponsored by Diamond Level: M.A.C. Cosmetics; Ruby Level: Hask and Ardell; Sapphire Level: Schwarzkopf Professional and Dermaflage; Silver Level: Cinema Makeup School, Japonesque, Kryolan, Make-up Designory; Media Sponsors: The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and SHOOT.

About Local 706
The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE, Local 706) was chartered in November 1937. Today, membership includes over 2,000 artisans in the entertainment industry worldwide. Local 706 members are make-up artists and hair stylists who have created the looks for Hollywood's most memorable characters and stars of stage, screen, television and now the Internet. The wide-ranging domains of these artists include feature films and television, commercials; "live" network television, all types of theatrical productions and Disneyland theme parks. Local 706 Members have created notable characters competing for Academy Awards®, Primetime Emmys®, Daytime Entertainment Emmys®, Saturn Awards®, BAFTA Awards®, and many other honors for make-up and hair styling artistry including their own Hollywood Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards. The Local 706 Guild publishes The Artisan, a glossy quarterly magazine, and provides panels, workshops and training both for members and others interested in the field to foster a spirit of innovation in the craft. For more information, visit www.local706.org or get #MUAHSawards updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.