Award-winning producer, writer and director J.J. Abrams has been selected by the Board of Directors of American Cinema Editors (ACE) to be honored with the organization’s prestigious ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award. The award will be presented at the 67th Annual ACE Eddie Awards black-tie ceremony on Friday, January 27, 2017 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Abrams joins a distinguished group of past ACE Golden Eddie honorees including Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Norman Jewison, Alexander Payne, James Cameron, Nancy Meyers, Clint Eastwood, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Kathleen Kennedy, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Saul Zaentz, Paul Greengrass and Stanley Donen.
A statement from the ACE Board of Directors read, “J.J. Abrams is a once-in-a-generation artist who has been making his mark in cinema and television for over twenty years. Through his production company, Bad Robot, J.J. has engaged and delighted audiences around the world with his innovative brand of storytelling. Whether he’s reinventing a beloved franchise or creating something entirely new and groundbreaking — be it Star Trek, Star Wars, Westworld, Lost, Alias and many others — his name is synonymous with nothing less than spectacular entertainment. He is one of the most exciting voices working in our industry, and we’re thrilled to celebrate his body of work thus far.”
ACE, the entertainment industry’s honorary society of film editors, is comprised of over 850 accomplished editors working in film and television. The ACE Eddie Awards recognize outstanding editing in ten categories of film, television and documentaries. Nominees for the 67th Annual ACE Eddie Awards will be announced on January 3, 2017.
J.J. Abrams
Abrams is the founder and president of Bad Robot Productions. Formed in 2001, Bad Robot is partnered with Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Studios, and has produced films and television series such as “Cloverfield,” “Star Trek,” “Super 8,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” ABC’s “Alias” and “Lost,” Fox’s “Fringe,” CBS’s “Person of Interest,” and HBO’s “Westworld.”
Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, Abrams attended Sarah Lawrence College. In 1998, Abrams co-created his first television series “Felicity” with collaborator and long-time friend Matt Reeves. Abrams served as executive producer for the series’ four-season run on The WB. Additionally, Abrams created and executive produced “Alias” for ABC, and co-created and executive produced ABC’s “Lost” with Damon Lindelof.
In 2005, Abrams received Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for the “Lost” pilot as well as Outstanding Drama Series for “Lost.” He also received Emmy nominations for his “Alias” and “Lost” pilot scripts. In addition, Abrams composed the theme music for “Alias,” “Fringe,” “Lost,” and “Person of Interest,” and he co-wrote the theme song for “Felicity.”
Abrams directed his first feature film, “Mission: Impossible 3,” in 2006. His second feature directorial effort “Star Trek” was released in May 2009. “Super 8,” written and directed by Abrams, and produced by Abrams and Steven Spielberg, was released in June 2011. Abrams also directed “Star Trek Into Darkness,” which was released in May 2013. Abrams most recently directed and produced “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which he also co-wrote with Lawrence Kasdan.
Abrams additionally produced “Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol,” with Tom Cruise and Bryan Burk, which was released in December 2011, and “Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation,” released in July 2015. Abrams also produced “10 Cloverfield Lane” and “Star Trek Beyond,” which were both released earlier this year.
In October 2013, Abrams’ first foray into publishing, “S.,” a novel conceived by Abrams and written by Doug Dorst, became a New York Times Best Seller.
Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, live in Los Angeles with their three children.