The ICG Publicists (The International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600) honored the winners of its 59th Annual ICG Publicists Awards, returning live to The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony Pictures Entertainment/Marvel Studios) won top honors, the Maxwell Weinberg Award for Motion Picture Publicity Campaign, presented by publicist Eileen Peterson (The Godfather: Part ll). Ted Lasso (Apple+) won the Maxwell Weinberg Award for Television Publicity Campaign, presented by actor Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary). This year’s luncheon was chaired by Tim Menke (publicist, International Theatrical, Paramount Pictures) and by Sheryl Main (unit publicist). More than 700 industry leaders attended, including guild members, Hollywood public relations and marketing executives, producers, studio and network executives, celebrities, and press.
Francis Ford Coppola received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his prolific career as an internationally acclaimed producer/director/writer and spotlighting The Godfather’s 50th Anniversary. The award was presented by Coppola’s close friend Sid Ganis, Emmy-winning producer and past president of the Motion Picture Academy. A comprehensive clip reel was shown spotlighting the spectrum of Coppola’s body of work including Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, The Godfather: Part ll, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, The Cotton Club, The Conversation, Peggy Sue Got Married and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Among his numerous additional accolades, Coppola has earned five Oscars, 48 awards and 55 nominations.
Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, whose stewardship of the iconic MGM studios has embraced a new direction of supporting filmmaker-driven materials, were honored with the prestigious Motion Picture Showpersons of the Year Award for their historic contributions to the art of cinema, presented by actress Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza). Their films have received eight Oscar® nominations, including Licorice Pizza for Best Picture, House of Gucci and No Time to Die, which has had a global box office gross of $774 million. Additional notable 2021 films include Candyman, The Addams Family 2, Respect, Wrath of Man and Flag Day.
Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, multi-award-winning co-creators and executive producers of the acclaimed TV series Reservation Dogs, were given the Television Showpersons of the Year Award, presented by actor Zahn McClarnon (Reservation Dogs). FX’s groundbreaking Reservation Dogs is the first TV series to feature an all-Indigenous team of writers, directors and series regulars.
The Les Mason Award, the highest honor the publicists can bestow on one of its own members, resulted in a tie and was presented to both Sheryl Main and David Waldman (EVP Domestic Publicity, Paramount Pictures) by Johnny Knoxville (Jackass Forever). The Publicist of the Year Award was bestowed upon Marshall Weinbaum (Studio Global Publicist, Walt Disney Studios), presented by David Alvarez (West Side Story). The Bob Yeager Award for Community Service was given to Chrissy Quesada Valentine, (VP Global Still Photography, Sony Pictures Entertainment) for her passionate efforts, energy, and talents to help advance the cause of animal rights and welfare, presented by Monica Guzman (sr. photo editor, Sony) and Holly Connors (VP Worldwide Photography, Paramount).
Honors for Excellence in Still Photography were awarded to Matt Kennedy (Motion Pictures) and Atsushi Nishijima (Television) respectively, presented by Gerald “Mac” McRaney (NCIS: Los Angeles). Adam Weissler from Extra TV was honored with the Press Award, presented by Michelle Hurd (Star Trek: Picard) The International Media Award was presented to Dean McCarthy (Hit.com.au, Australia) by actor Garret Dillahunt (Ambulance).
The winners at the 59th Annual ICG Publicists Awards:
MAXWELL WEINBERG MOTION PICTURE PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN:
The union publicists who worked on publicity campaigns on behalf of:
Spider-Man: No Way Home
(Sony Pictures Entertainment / Marvel Studios)
MAXWELL WEINBERG TELEVISION PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN
The union publicists who worked on publicity campaigns on behalf of:
“Ted Lasso” – Sarah Carragher, Apple TV+
LES MASON AWARD FOR CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLICITY ***TIE
Sheryl Main – Unit Publicist
and
David Waldman – EVP Domestic Publicity, Paramount Pictures
PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR AWARD
Marshall Weinbaum – Studio Global Publicist, Walt Disney Studios
BOB YEAGER AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
Chrissy Quesada Valentine, VP Still Photography,
Sony Pictures Entertainment
EXCELLENCE IN UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD – MOTION PICTURES
Matt Kennedy
EXCELLENCE IN UNIT STILL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD – TELEVISION
Atsushi Nishijima
PRESS AWARD
Adam Weissler – Extra TV
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AWARD
Dean McCarthy – Hit.com.au (Australia)
Also attending the ICG Publicist Awards were Rebecca Rhine, ICG Local 600, national executive director, Matt Loeb, IATSE International president; Mike Miller, IATSE International VP; and Thom Davis, IATSE 2nd International VP.
