Hollywood celebrated the best in motion picture marketing at the 15th annual Golden Trailer Awards Friday night in Beverly Hills. More than 1,100 studio marketing executives, movie fans, celebrities and trailer editors were on hand as Warner Bros.’ work for “Gravity” won the Best of Show Prize and the top honor for Best Thriller.
While the Golden Trailer Awards bestows trophies in 75 different categories (full list below), only 17 were handed out live before a sold out crowd at the Saban Theater. To view a selection of the winning trailers, please click here.
Warner Bros. was the big winner of the night taking home 15 Golden Trailer Awards overall. Universal (along with Focus) won a total of nine statues while Lionsgate earned 8 wins. Top trailer and creative vendors in the 2014 race included Ignition, whose work was honored in 14 different categories. Buddha Jones earned 7 awards, while Trailer Park scored 6 trophies.
Comedian, actor, author and radio personality Jay Mohr served as host and master of ceremonies of the show, while celebrity presenters included Neal McDonough, Zach McGowan, Tito Ortiz, Karina Smirnoff and Los Angeles Laker Nick Young. Celebrity judges included “Frozen” co-director Chris Buck, “Girls” star Adam Driver, “Entourage” creator Doug Ellin and star Debi Mazar, “Raising Hope” star Garret Dillahunt, “Divergent” director Neil Burger and “Snow White and the Huntsman” writer Evan Daugherty.
The Golden Trailer Awards were launched in 1999 by Evelyn Brady-Watters and Monica Brady as a way to recognize the best of the best in worldwide motion picture marketing.
“The Golden Trailer Awards represent the absolute best in marketing innovation and creativity. The show is always a really fun night of celebration and we couldn’t be more proud of the nominees and winners,” said Brady-Watters.
“We had more contest submissions this year than any year in our 15 year history and we keep growing in stature and size. The best is yet to come for the Golden Trailer Awards,” added Brady.
Winners of the 2014 contest include:
BEST ACTION – THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE “World Event” (Lionsgate/Trailer Park)
BEST ANIMATION/FAMILY – FROZEN “Forces First Ped” (Disney/Trailer Park)
BEST COMEDY BAD WORDS “Red Band Trailer” (Focus Features/Mark Woolen & Associates)
BEST DOCUMENTARY BLACKFISH (Magnolia/Zealot)
BEST DRAMA LEE DANIELS‘ THE BUTLER (The Weinstein Company/AV Squad)
BEST FANTASY ADVENTURE MALEFICENT “Dream” (The Walt Disney Studios/Open Road Entertainment)
BEST HORROR THE CONJURING “Case” (Warner Bros./Buddha Jones)
BEST INDEPENDENT TRAILER DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (Focus Features/Mark Woolen & Associates)
BEST MUSIC THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY “Go/Cloud” (20th Century Fox/Transit)
BEST ROMANCE THE FAULT IN OUR STARS “A Good Life/Story” (20th Century Fox/Motive Creative)
BEST THRILLER GRAVITY “Detached” (Warner Bros./mOcean)
BEST VIDEO GAME TRAILER ASSASSIN’S CREED BLACK FLAG FREEDOM CRY “Reveal Trailer” (Ubisoft/Sunny Side Up Creative)
THE DON LaFONTAINE AWARD FOR BEST VOICE OVER THE HEAT “Can You Dig It?” (20th Century Fox/Big Picture Entertainment)
GOLDEN FLEECE THE FIFTH ESTATE “The Future” (Dreamworks/InSync + BemisBalkind)
MOST ORIGINAL TRAILER THIS IS THE END “April Fools Trailer” (Columbia Pictures/Vibe Creative, Inc.)
BEST SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER TRAILER GODZILLA “Ravaged/Event” (Warner Bros./Trailer Park)
TRASHIEST TRAILER – BAD MILO! (Magnet Releasing/Jump Cut)
BEST OF SHOW GRAVITY “Detached” (Warner Bros/mOcean)
TECHNICAL AND NON SHOW CATEGORIES
Best Motion/Title Graphics – Transcendence “Singularity”, Warner Bros., Buddha Jones
Best Original Score – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire “Trailer 4A”, Lionsgate, CARVE
Best Sound Editing – Into the Storm “Listen Plane”, Warner Bros. Buddha Jones
Best Trailer – No Movie – SHERPA: In the Shadow of the Mountain, Felix Media, The Solid State
FOREIGN TRAILERS
Best Foreign Action Trailer – Protector 2 “Revenge”, Magnet Releasing, AV Squad
Best Foreign Animation Trailer – Ernest & Celestine, GKIDS, Zealot Productions Inc.
Best Foreign Comedy Trailer – Hector and the Search for Happiness “International”, Bankside Films, Zealot Productions Inc.
Best Foreign Documentary Trailer – Hawking “Trailer”, Vertigo Films, Intermission Film
Best Foreign Drama – Ida, Music Box Films, Zealot Productions Inc.
Best Foreign Graphics in a Trailer – Journey to the West “Demons”, China Film Group, AV Squad
Best Foreign Horror/Thriller Trailer – The Babadook, eOne Entertainment, The Solid State
Best Foreign Romance Trailer – Le Weekend, Music Box Films, Zealot Productions Inc.
Most Original Foreign Trailer – The Turning, Madman Entertainment, The Solid State
TV SPOTS
Best Action TV Spot – Captain America: The Winter Soldier “The World 60”, Disney, Trailer Park
Best Animation/Family TV Spot – The Lego Movie “Special Cast”, Warner Bros., TRANSIT
Best Comedy TV Spot – Neighbors “Mad Neighbors”, Universal Pictures, Workshop Creative
Best Drama TV Spot – Rush “Mark:60”, Universal Pictures, AV Squad
Best Documentary TV Spot – The Armstrong Lie “Ride 60”, Sony Pictures Classics, In Sync Advertising
Best Fantasy/Adventure TV Spot – Star Trek Into Darkness “Go :30”, Paramount Pictures, AV Squad
Best Foreign TV Spot – The Wind Rises “Visionary 30”, Disney/Studio Ghibli, Trailer Park
Best Graphics in a TV Spot – The Grand Budapest Hotel “30TV Dynamite”, Fox Searchlight, Giaronomo Productions
Best Horror TV Spot – The Conjuring “Event Review”, Warner Bros., TRANSIT
Best Independent TV Spot – 12 Years a Slave “Fight Back”, Fox Searchlight, Ignition
Best Music TV Spot – Frozen “Let it Go Review” :60, Disney, Trailer Park
Best Romance TV Spot – The Great Gatsby “You and Me”, Warner Bros., Wild Card
Best Summer 2014 Blockbuster TV Spot – Godzilla “Fight”, Warner Bros., Aspect Ratio
Best Thriller TV Spot – Gravity “No Escape, Warner Bros., mOcean
Best Video Game TV Spot – Diablo III – Reaper of Souls “Face Off”, Blizzard Entertainment, CARVE
Best Voice Over TV Spot – Robocop “60 Infomercial”, Studio Canal, The Editpool
Most Original TV Spot – Muppets: Most Wanted “Across the Internet”, Disney, Buddha Jones
POSTERS
Best Action Poster – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate, Ignition
Best Animation/Family Poster – Despicable Me 2 “Side by Side Billboard”, Universal Pictures, Ignition
Best Comedy Poster – Neighbors “Teaser One-sheet”, Universal Pictures, Ignition
Best Documentary Poster – Muscle Shoals, Magnolia Pictures, Cold Open
Best Drama Poster – Gravity, Warner Bros., The Refinery
Best Foreign Poster – Roxanne, Good Hands/The Drum
Best Horror Poster – You’re Next, Lionsgate, Ignition
Best Independent Poster – 12 Years a Slave “One-sheet”, Fox Searchlight, Ignition
Best International Poster – Godzilla “International Spine One Sheet” Warner Bros., Ignition
Best Romance Poster – About Time, Universal Pictures/Working Title, The Refinery
Best Summer 2014 Blockbuster Poster – Godzilla “Main Campaign One Sheet,” Warner Bros., Ignition
Best Teaser Poster – The Purge: Anarchy, Universal, Ignition
Best Thriller Poster – You’re Next “Comic-Con Poster”, Lionsgate, Ignition
Best Video Game Poster – Need for Speed: Rivals “One-sheet”, Electronic Arts, Ignition
Best Wildposts – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire “Teaser Outdoor”, Lionsgate, Ignition
Most Original Poster – You’re Next “Graffiti Billboard”, Lionsgate, Ignition
Trashiest Poster – Lovelace, Lionsgate, Cold Open
Best Motion Poster – 2 Guns, eOne Entertainment, Greenhaus GFX
STANDEE
Best Standee for a Feature Film – Despicable Me 2 “Whack-a-Minion Standee”, Universal, Ignition
ADVERTISING IN THEATER & ON SCREEN
Best Pre-show Theatrical Advertising for a Brand – White House Down “NCM”, Sony (Mob Scene)
ORIGINAL/EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATIC/MOVIE ADVERTISING
Most Innovative Advertising for a Feature Film – The Wolf of Wall Street “Marty Party”, Paramount Pictures (Comedy Central)
Most Innovative Advertising for a Video Game – Ninja Gaiden Z “Load of Shit” (Buddha Jones)
Most Innovative Advertising for a Brand/Product – The Lego Movie “Behind the Bricks”, Warner Bros. (Aspect Ratio)
Best Vine – Sabotage, Open Road (Buddha Jones)
Best Viral Campaign – Muppets: Most Wanted “Watched the Commercials Extended Online”, Disney (Buddha Jones)
FILM FESTIVAL
Best Film Festival Trailer – New Directors New Films 2014, Film Society of Lincoln Center (Jump Cut Creative)
Best Film Festival Poster – Palm Springs Film Festival (Ignition)