Final Nominations Announced For The 57th Annual ICG Publicists Awards

Jan 14, 2020

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) has announced its final list of nominations for the 57th Annual ICG Publicists Awards, honoring active members working on motion pictures and in television, whose achievements in publicity and promotion are deemed outstanding. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony Friday, February 7, 2020 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. More than 800 industry leaders are expected to attend this year's luncheon, which traditionally occurs the week leading up to the Academy Awards®. The announcement was made by Tim Menke, ICG Publicist Awards Chair.

International Cinematographers Guild Publicists (ICG, IATSE Local 600)

THE NOMINEES FOR THE 57TH ANNUAL ICG PUBLICISTS AWARDS ARE:

LES MASON AWARD FOR CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLICITY

Gabriela Gutentag - Unit Publicist
Stephen Huvane - Slate PR
Maureen O'Malley - Warner Bros.
Peter J. Silbermann - Unit Publicist
David Waldman - Paramount Pictures

PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR AWARD

Rachel Aberly - 42 West
Michelle Alt - Paramount Pictures
Kira Feola - Walt Disney Studios
Alex Kang - Walt Disney Studios
Carol McConnaughey - Unit Publicist

PRESS AWARD

Clark Collis - Entertainment Weekly
Tom O'Neil - Gold Derby
Andy Reyes - Entertainment Tonight
Amanda Salas - Fox 11
Adam Weissler - Extra TV

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AWARD

Vera Anderson - Cine Premiere/HFPA (Mexico)
Nelson Aspen - Sunrise (Australia)
Janet Nepales - Manila Bulletin/HFPA (Philippines)
Gill Pringle - FilmInk.com (UK)
Adam Tanswell - Freelance/HFPA (UK)

EXCELLENCE IN UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD FOR MOTION PICTURES

Matt Kennedy
Justin Lubin
Daniel McFadden
Hopper Stone
Niko Tavernise

EXCELLENCE IN UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD FOR TELEVISION

Beth Dubber
Justin Lubin
Nicole Rivelli
JoJo Whilden
Nicole Wilder

In addition to unveiling the winners of the above categories, the ICG Publicists Awards will honor Anthony and Joe Russo, who helmed Marvel Studios' critically acclaimed Avengers: Endgame, with the Motion Picture Showman of the Year Award for their historic contributions to the art of cinema and television. Ava DuVernay, award-winning writer, director and producer, will be honored with the Television Showman of the Year Award for her visionary impact on television. Don Mischer, award-winning producer and director will be the recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award honoring his prolific career as an internationally acclaimed producer and director of television and live events. The recipient of the Henri Bollinger Award for Special Merit will be announced in the near future, and the Bob Yeager Award for Community Service will be announced at the ceremony. Awards chair this year is Tim Menke with Sheryl Main serving as co-chair.

ABOUT THE ICG PUBLICISTS: Entertainment publicists first formed a union in 1937 as the Screen Publicists Guild, later becoming the Publicists Guild. In 2002, the Publicists Guild merged with the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600). The first Publicists Awards Luncheon was held in 1964 and has since grown to an event attended annually by around 800 publicists, press, motion picture and television industry leaders, and other IATSE leaders. Motion Picture and Television Showmanship Awards and Lifetime Achievement Awards have been bestowed upon numerous esteemed actors, directors and executives. Additional awards include the Maxwell Weinberg Awards for a Television Publicity Campaign and for a Motion Picture Publicity Campaign, Les Mason Award for Career Achievement in Publicity, and the Bob Yeager Award for Community Service. The Guild also publishes the Annual ICG Publicists Directory. For more information about the ICG Publicists Awards, visit: www.icg600.com/ABOUT-US/Awards/Publicists-Awards #PublicistsAwards.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHERS GUILD (ICG) IATSE Local 600: The International Cinematographers Guild represents approximately 9,000 members who work in film, television and commercials as directors of photography, camera operators, digital imaging technicians, visual effects supervisors, still photographers, camera assistants, film loaders, all members of camera crews and publicists. The first cinematographers' union was established in New York in 1926, followed by unions in Los Angeles and Chicago, but it wasn't until 1996 that Local 600 was born as a national guild. ICG's ongoing activities include the Emerging Cinematographer Awards and the Publicists Awards Luncheon. The Guild also publishes the award-winning ICG Magazine.

SPONSORSHIP/ADVERTISING INFORMATION
Sponsorship Levels: bit.ly/2x64Suu
ICG Publicists Directory Advertising: bit.ly/2XUjEQN
Bill Moran O: 818.349.2171 · M: 818.421.3301 · [email protected]
Ken Harwood: 323.969.2745 · [email protected]

TICKET INFORMATION
Joanna Mousseau: 323.969.2741 · [email protected]
To order tickets: www.icg600.com/tickets

MEDIA CREDENTIALS
Apply for an ICG Publicists Awards press credential here: http://bit.ly/2BXHD9v

MEDIA INQUIRIES
Weissman/Markovitz Communications · Cheri Warner · Erick Yamagata
818.760.8995 · [email protected]

INFORMATION ABOUT LAST YEAR'S AWARDS
Winners: bit.ly/2Jp9LHj
Photos: bit.ly/30t4fc3

ICG EVENTS MANAGER
MaryAnne MacDougall: 323-969-2728 · [email protected]

CONNECT WITH THE ICG
Website: ICG600.com
Facebook: facebook.com/icglocal600
Twitter: twitter.com/ICGLocal600
Instagram: instagram.com/ICGlocal600
ICG Magazine: www.icgmagazine.com

SOURCE International Cinematographers Guild Publicists (ICG, IATSE Local 600)

WNBA offseason begins with search for first commissioner

UNCASVILLE, Connecticut — With Golden State the newly crowned WNBA champion, the league turns its attention to a pivotal offseason. Unlike last year when a new collective bargaining agreement dominated the offseason, the top priority is finding new leadership. Outgoing Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who has been in the position nearly seven years, announced last month that she was retiring at the end of the calendar with year. A search has begun and the next commissiner will inherit a host of issues, including officiating, the transgender debate scheduling and improving a strained relationship with players. Here's a look at some of the main topics that will be center stage over the next few months before the season tips off again next May with a 50-game schedule: Improving relationship with players The league thrived in many ways during Engelbert's tenure. Under her leadership, the WNBA enjoyed record growth and popularity, and signed a record-breaking broadcasting deal. Players surpassed million-dollar annual salaries. But despite her accomplishments, Engelbert's relationship with players cordial at best, confrontational at other times. Breanna Stewart may have summed it up best when said that players “respect” Engelbert. Building a stronger relationship with players will likely be one of the first things on the new commissioner's to-do list. Officiating improvements Complaints about officiating felt like it reached a crescendo this season. The WNBA is taking various steps to address the situation. The league is opening a the new officiating replay center. The WNBA, along with the NBA, completed a multi-million dollar renovation in New Jersey to the official replay center. It will be fully operational next season. The WNBA is working to upgrade techonology and video infrastructure at arenas to help the process. There were improvements this year after a rough start to the season where teams struggled to adjust to the emphasis on players' freedom of movement. The league put together a task force, which Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve is on, in the offseason to help clean up some of the physicality in the game. The main point of emphasis was to help players’ freedom of movement. Despite some hiccups early on, it has led to more offense as teams are averaging around 86 points a game — the highest ever. Scheduling challenges WNBA teams will play a record 50 games next season. It helps that there's no break for either the women's FIBA World Cup or the Olympics. Still the playoffs could once again go into the start of the NBA season. Nearly every team will be playing in an NBA arena next season with a few exceptions. To avoid a repeat of this year where Game 6 of the WNBA Finals was played at 12:30 p.m. EDT because of arena availability, the teams need to lock in potential playoff dates way ahead of time. Transgender debate The WNBA has criticized those trying to create a narrative about transgender women playing in the league. “There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others,” a league spokesperson said in August after an anti-hate task force met virtually and discussed a variety of topics, including social media vitriol and transgender athletes. The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but it does not include any more specific language about gender identity or sex assigned at birth. Two former NBA players, Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White, declared themselves eligible for the WNBA draft, saying they identify as women. The league has said they aren't eligible. Welcome back Houston Comets The Connecticut Sun will relocate to Houston as the Comets will return after folding in 2008. The Sun were bought by the Houston Rockets ownership group led by Tilman Fertitta for $300 million. The Comets will begin play next season and are tied with Toronto for the best chance to win the WNBA draft lottery that will be held on Nov. 15. While the Sun relocated to Houston, there will be no expansion teams entering the league next year. Cleveland will enter in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.