Open Road’s independent biographical drama “Spotlight” has a few more prizes to place on its mantle next to the Best Picture Oscar it took home earlier this year. The Tom McCarthy film picked up two trophies at the Golden Trailer Awards on Wednesday evening, including the top prize for Best of Show.
The film, which is based on the true story of journalists at the Boston Globe uncovering widespread sexual abuse by Catholic priests, also won the Best Independent trailer category. Both awards went to InSync + BemisBalkind, the media marketing agency responsible for producing the trailer for “Spotlight”.
This year marked the seventeenth annual Golden Trailer Awards ceremony, an event originally founded by Monica Brady and Evelyn Watters as a way to honor the best movie previews of the year from all over the world. Since it began in 1999, the awards have expanded the categories for which they hand out trophies to include television spots, movie posters, film festival marketing, social media campaigns, video game ads and even marketing for Broadway productions.
This year’s GTA was held at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, and was on par with those in recent memory. Wayne Brady did a fine job of hosting the ceremony with support from a list of presenters that included actor David Koechner (“Anchorman”) and ended with actor Ed Asner handing out the final award of the evening, Best of Show. Over the course of two hours 16 of the more than 90 prizes were presented.
If you count all of the post-ceremony category trophies, Warner Bros. wound up taking home the most Golden Trailer Awards this year, earning 11 including two awards for New Line titles; “The Conjuring” winning Best Horror TV Spot and “Me Before You” tapped for Best Romance trailer. Warner Bros. also won awards for categories such as Best Trailer For a Book or Novel; “Magic in North America” produced by Elastic.
“The Jungle Book” strutted off with the most Golden Trailer Awards for a single film winning in Original Score, Best Animation/Family trailer, Best Animiation/Family TV Spot and Best Original Score TV Spot. Disney to collected ten trophies in all, including two for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”; Best Fantasy Adventure trailer and Best Action Poster. While studios mostly farm out the production of their movie trailers to a handful of reputable companies, Disney cut the trailer for the latest “Star Wars” with an in-house team. There are any number of reasons for this beyond creative input, such as the ability to control access to material from one of the most anticipated movies of the past decade.
Indeed, it is the many trailer houses and marketing agencies who are the real stars at the GTAs. The audience was packed with cheering representatives from creative vendors such as LA, who won 9 trophies, Creative Advertising Group and Mark Woolen & Associates each earning five, as well as Aspect, AV Squad, Buddha Jones, Trailer Park and Zealot, each taking four categories a piece.
The judges for the 2016 GTAs was made up of filmmakers, editors and actors along the lines of Tom Hooper, the Academy Award-winning director of “The King Speech”, Tim Miller (“Deadpool”), directors Seth Gordon (“Horrible Bosses”), Michael Miller (“Poverty Inc.”), editors Mary Jo Markey, Maryann Brandon (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), Woody Allen’s editor Alisa Lepselter , advertising executive Linda Kaplan Thaler, actresses Khandi Alexander (“The Newsroom”), and Molly Tarlov (MTV’s “Awkward”), as well as Victoria Alonso, Executive Vice President of Physical Production for Marvel Studios.
Best of Show
Spotlight “Answers”, Open Road Films, InSync + BemisBalkind
Best Action
Deadpool “DOM Trlr E: Power Red Online”, 20th Century Fox, mOcean
Best Animation/Family
Jungle Book “Jungle”, Disney, Vibe Creative
Best Comedy
Keanu “Take it”, Warner Bros., Create Advertising Group
Best Documentary
He Named Me Malala, Fox Searchlight, Mark Woollen & Associates
Best Drama
The Martian, 20th Century Fox, Giaronomo Productions
Best Fantasy Adventure
Star Wars: The Force Awakens “Lessons”, Disney, Disney In-house
Best Horror
The Witch “Family”, A24, AV Squad
Best Independent
Spotlight “Answers”, Open Road Films, InSync + BemisBalkind
Best Music
Deadpool “Trailer B – Power Red”, 20th Century Fox, Wild Card
Best Thriller
Black Mass “Just Sayin”, Warner Bros., Aspect
Best Summer 2016 Blockbuster
Captain America: Civil War “Vigilante”, Marvel, Trailer Park, Inc.
Golden Fleece
Pixels Trailer “Game On”, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Refinery AV
Most Original
Hail, Caesar! “So Simple”, Universal Pictures, Motive
Trashiest Trailer
Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland “Redband”, Lionsgate, Mob Scene Creative + Productions
Best Romance
Me Before You “Live”, Warner Bros/MGM/New Line Cinema, Aspect
Best Video Game Trailer
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate – Story Trailer, Ubisoft, Sunny Side Up Creative
The Don LaFontane Award for Best Voice Over
Anomalisa, Paramount Pictures, Mark Woollen & Associates
Best Motion/Title Graphics
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. “Timeline”, Warner Bros., Buddha Jones
Best Original Score
Jungle Book “Mowgli”, Disney, Vibe Creative
Best Sound Editing
The Revenant, 20th Century Fox, Mark Woollen & Associates
Best Teaser
Joy “Change”, 20th Century Fox, Industry Creative
Best Trailer – No Movie
What Happened to Monday “Cannes Sizzle”, Vendome Pictures, Open Road Entertainment
Best Trailer/Teaser for a TV Series or Mini-Series
Narcos “Lines”, Netflix, TRANSIT
Best Independent Trailer (For Film Shot Under $1 Million)
Grandma “Domestic Trailer”, Sony Pictures Classics, The Grossmyth Company
Best Foreign Action Trailer
Rise of the Legend “US Trailer” , Well Go USA , Red Circle, Inc.
Best Foreign Animation/Family Trailer
Oddball “Official Trailer”, Roadshow Films, The Trace House
Best Foreign Comedy
Rams ‘UK Theatrical’, Soda Pictures, Coffee & Cigarettes
Best Foreign Documentary
Amy, Altitude, Intermission Film
Best Foreign Drama
Phoenix, Sundance Selects, Jump Cut
Best Foreign Graphics in a Trailer
The Hallow ‘Trespass’, Entertainment One UK, Create Advertising London
Best Foreign Horror
Goodnight Mommy, RADiUS, Mark Woollen & Associates
Best Foreign Independent
Macbeth “UK Teaser”, StudioCanal, Zealot UK
Best Music (Foreign)
Zinzana, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Zealot UK
Best Foreign Romance
Brooklyn “Two Worlds”, Lionsgate UK, Create Advertising London
Best Foreign Teaser
High Rise “Teaser” , Studio Canal , Intermission Film
Best Foreign Thriller
The Wave, Magnolia Pictures, Zealot
Best Foreign Trashiest Trailer
Love, Alchemy, Mark Woollen & Associates
Golden Fleece Foreign
J. Kessels ‘Theatrical Trailer’, CTM Pictures, Spark Trailers
Most Original Foreign Trailer
Zinzana, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Zealot UK
Best Action TV Spot
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation “Fate Alt Rev.”, Paramount Pictures, Trailer Park, Inc.
Best Animation/Family TV Spot
The Jungle Book “legend”, The Walt Disney Company, Create Advertising Group
Best Comedy TV Spot
Spy “Identity”, 20th Century Fox, AV Squad
Best Documentary TV Spot
Making A Murderer “Target”, Netflix, Aspect
Best Drama TV Spot
Bridge of Spies “:60 INTL Standing Man”, 20th Century Fox, Wild Card
Best Fantasy Adventure TV Spot
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 2 “Epic Finale” , Lionsgate , Carve
Best Foreign TV Spot
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny “Teaser”, Netflix, InSync + BemisBalkind
Best Graphics in a TV Spot
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. “That Kind Of Review”, Warner Bros., Buddha Jones
Best Horror TV Spot
The Conjuring 2 “Close”, New Line Cinema, Buddha Jones
Best Independent TV Spot
The Hateful Eight “Last Shot”, The Weinstein Company, IGNITION
Best Music TV Spot
Straight Outta Compton “Compton/BET”, Universal Pictures, Motive
Best Original Score TV Spot
The Jungle Book “legend”, The Walt Disney Company, Create Advertising Group
Best Romance TV Spot
The Danish Girl “True Love”, Focus Features, Motive
Best Sound Editing in a TV Spot
The Witch “Paranoia”, A24, AV Squad
Best Summer Blockbuster TV Spot
Captain America: Civil War “Rivals”, Disney/Marvel, mOcean
Best Teaser TV Spot
Jessica Jones “It’s Time”, Netflix, Aspect
Best Thriller TV Spot
Sicario “Big Welcome”, Lionsgate, AV Squad
Best Video Game TV Spot
Fallout 4 “The Wanderer”, Bethesda Softworks, gnet
Best Voice Over TV Spot
Zoolander 2 “Perfect Fight Rev”, Paramount Pictures, Workshop Creative
Golden Fleece TV Spot
Fifty Shades of Black “Shadiest”, Open Road, Rogue Planet
Most Original TV Spot
Zootopia “Oscar Review”, Disney, Trailer Park, Inc.
Best Pre-Show Advertising for a Brand
Technically Speaking: Ford Edge, 40 Foot Solutions, Screenvision Media
Best Radio Spots
Ride Along 2 “Universal Claim Radio”, Universal, Universal Creative
Best Vine/Insta
Victor Frankenstein “Eyeball”, Twentieth Century Fox, Buddha Jones
Best Viral Campaign
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension “Haunted Open House”, Paramount Pictures, Grandesign
Most Innovative Advertising for a Brand/Product
Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice “Fly to Metropolis / Fly to Gotham”, Warner Bros., Jax Film / Crispin Porter & Bogusky / Elastic
Most Innovative Advertising for a Feature Film
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation “Live Obstacle Course”, Paramount Pictures, Grandesign
Most Innovative Advertising for a Video Game
Broforce “The Ballad of Rambro”, Devolver Digital, kertgartner.com
Best Trailer For a Book or Novel
Magic in North America, Warner Bros. / Pottermore, Jax Film / Elastic
Best Trailer for Legit Theater (Broadway Trailers)
Aladdin on Broadway “Tradition/Genie”, Disney, Trailer Park, Inc.
Best Action Poster
Star Wars: The Force Awakens “1-Sheet”, Walt Disney Studios, LA
Best Animation/Family Poster
The Secret Life of Pets “City”, Universal Pictures, LA
Best Billboard
Allegiant: The Divergent Series “Scaling Wall” Billboard, Lionsgate, LA
Best Comedy Poster
Dirty Grandpa “Graduate”, Lionsgate, LA
Best Documentary Poster
Making a Murderer, Netflix, The Refinery
Best Drama Poster
The Hateful Eight, The Weinstein Company, Leroy & Rose
Best Fantasy/Adventure Poster
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 “Katniss On Fire” Payoff, Lionsgate, LA
Best Foreign Poster
Downriver “Official Poster”, Happening Films, The Trace House
Best Horror Poster
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies “Thanksgiving” One-Sheet, Sony, IGNITION
Best Independent Poster
The End of the Tour, A24 Films, P+A
Best International Poster
Unfriended “1-Sheet”, Universal Pictures International, LA
Best Motion Poster
Sinister 2, Focus Features, Gravillis Inc.
Best Romance Poster
Me Before You “One-Sheet”, Warner Bros., WORKS ADV
Best Teaser Poster
Straight Outta Compton, Universal Pictures, Gravillis Inc.
Best Thriller Poster
THE MARTIAN “Bring Him Home” One-Sheet, Fox, IGNITION
Best Wildposts (Teaser Campaign)
Minions “Artist Series” Wildposts, Universal Pictures, LA
Most Original Poster
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice “Superman Tear Art Poster”, Warner Bros., WORKS ADV
Trashiest Poster
Dirty Grandpa “Armchair”, Lionsgate, LA
Best Video Game Poster
For Honor – Helmets, Ubisoft, Sunny Side Up Creative
Best Summer Blockbuster Poster
Suicide Squad “Teaser Poster”, Warner Bros., WORKS ADV
Best Film Festival Trailer
New York Film Festival 2015, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jump Cut
Best Film Festival Poster
Palm Springs Int’l ShortFest 2015, Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival, LA
- Tim Richards On Venturing Into Film Distribution with Vue Lumière - January 10, 2025
- Lotfi Achour’s “Red Path” Wins Golden Yusr at 2024 Red Sea Film Festival - December 13, 2024
- New Voices Shine at the 2024 Red Sea Souk with Awards and Cash Prizes - December 11, 2024