The 2021 Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Awards, the pre-eminent celebration of creative and technical accomplishments of the media and entertainment community from around the world, is returning to an in-person event this year. This year’s gala will take place November 18 at the Hollywood Legion Theater in Hollywood, California. Since 2006, the HPA Awards have honored the brilliance of the community that brings creative vision to life, recognizing artistry in color grading, editing, sound, and visual effects in addition to special awards for Creativity & Innovation, industry contribution, and Engineering Excellence.

Seth Hallen, HPA President, notes, “We look forward to the HPA Awards gala every year, but this year more than ever. This is where the industry comes together to celebrate our amazing work and spend an evening honoring our own. Over this past year, I have been continually inspired by the absolute dedication of our community. Artists and post facility professionals have maintained focus on delivering incredible work during a challenging time.  This year more than ever, it’s important that we spend an evening in recognition of this.”

The Hollywood Legion Theater, part of American Legion Post 43, has Hollywood history at its core. Founded in 1919 to serve the community and state and to help fellow veterans suffering badly from the effects of the Great War, the Legion was chartered by Los Angeles veterans who worked in the motion picture business. Veterans and non-veterans alike, including Hollywood luminaries of the day such as Cecil B. DeMille, Adolphe Menjou, Walter Long, and Mary Pickford to name a few, were instrumental in getting the post on its feet in the early days.

Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart downed cocktails and shot pool in what has been dubbed ‘The longest continuously operating speakeasy in Hollywood,’ and Charlton Heston, Mickey Rooney, Gene Autry, Ronald Reagan, Stan Lee were also Legion members. More recently, the post has been the scene of numerous industry events and premieres and this year, the HPA Awards.

A recently completed $6 million renovation that included top notch technology upgrades incorporating state-of-the-art digital projection, an acoustically optimized sound system and 35mm and 70mm film projection capabilities has made the stunning 90-year-old Egyptian Revival-style building in Hollywood one of the most sought-after venues in the region.

Hallen concludes, “To say that we are ready to get this party started is an understatement and we’re pulling out all the stops for this year’s HPA Awards.  We’re moving to a beautiful new venue, planning a great evening and, most importantly, we will be celebrating together. We can hardly wait to see you in November!”

The HPA Awards are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Awards Diamond Title Sponsor Blackmagic Design; Registration Sponsor Picture Shop; Awards Category Sponsors Blackmagic Design, DTS, Picture Shop, and Zeiss; and Event Sponsor Deluxe. For sponsorship or program advertising opportunities, contact Joyce Cataldo at jcataldo@hpaonline.com.

Information about HPA Awards is available at hpaonline.com, and ticket sales will open in early August. Complete rules, guidelines and entry information for the creative categories, which remain open until July 30, are available at hpaonline.com.