The Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA)–the organization serving the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content–has announced that ESPN has been named the recipient of the HPA Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation for its ESPN Digital Center 2.
The Creativity and Innovation Award was conceived to recognize companies and individuals who have demonstrated excellence, whether in the development of workflow and process to support creative storytelling or in technical innovation. A jury of peers and industry experts named ESPN’s Digital Center 2 the 2015 Creativity and Innovation Award winner during a recent judging session in Los Angeles. The coveted honor will be bestowed on November 12, 2015 at the 10th annual HPA Awards gala at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA.
Digital Center 2, at its launch, was widely considered to be the first large-scale, IP-based production facility of its kind in the world. The awards jury felt that ESPN’s entry represented technical innovation in the IP-based production, postproduction and broadcast space, noting that the entry showed vision and leadership by deploying a framework that others could, and likely will, follow.
Aaron LaBerge, executive VP and chief technology officer for ESPN, said, “ESPN is a content company at heart. But if content is our heart, technology is our mind. The two will always be inextricably linked. Our ability to use technology to create, enhance and distribute content has been, and continues to be, one of our key advantages. It enables us to fulfill our most basic mission: To Serve Sports Fans. Anytime. Anywhere. Digital Center 2 is the physical and philosophical embodiment of that premise, and a reflection of the many amazing people that made it a reality. We are honored to be named as this year’s recipient of the HPA Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation.”
Leon Silverman, HPA President, noted, “Our Creativity and Innovation Award recognizes companies and individuals who truly push the boundaries, using ingenuity and insight to advance the industry and to serve audiences in new and better ways. ESPN has done just that with its Digital Center 2, and our judges agreed that this is a remarkable accomplishment. Congratulations to ESPN, we are pleased to honor them with our Creativity and Innovation Award. This year’s field of entrants was truly outstanding, and I want to acknowledge all of those companies and individuals who submitted their outstanding ideas for consideration. It is impressive to see the vibrancy of innovative and creative thought in our industry, and the HPA itself is honored to help illuminate these significant accomplishments.”
In addition to the Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation, the HPA Awards will recognize excellence in 12 craft categories including color grading, editing, sound and visual effects. Other special awards will be presented to the recently announced winners of the Engineering Excellence Award, and to Leon Silverman, recipient of the 2015 HPA Lifetime Achievement Award.
