Will Smith a “hit” at 94th Annual Academy Awards

Will Smith received his first Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of boxer Muhammad Ali in the film “Ali.”  At last nights presentation of the 94th Annual Academy Awards, Smith seemed to channel the boxer when he slapped presenter Chris Rock, who had make a joke about the bald head of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith.  This incident added a pall to an already uneven show, taking some of the pomp away from the annual celebration of the best films and performances of 2021.

 

“CODA” took home three awards, including the big one, Best Picture.  It also received Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur, the second deaf actor to win an Oscar, following Marlee Matlin’s win as Best Actress in 1987 for “Children of a Lesser God.”

 

 

After largely ignoring such female film directors as Lina Wertmuller, Penny Marshall, Barbra Streisand and others for 81 years, the Academy awarded the Best Director prize to Jane Campion for “The Power of the Dog.”  Campion becomes the thirds woman to win the Best Director award in the past 13 years.  A female director has taken home the Oscar in this category for two years in a row.

 

An apologetic Will Smith took home the Best Actor award for his role as Richard Williams in “King Richard,” while Jessica Chastain was named Best Actress for her portrayal of Tammy Faye Baker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”   These wins make a total of 79 acting awards that have been given for portrayals of real-life characters.

 

Ariana DeBose was named Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s reimagining of “West Side Story.”   She joins Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro (Vito Corleone) and Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix (the Joker) for winning an Oscar in a role in which another actor also won an Oscar, joining Rita Moreno, who won for portraying Anita in the original “West Side Story.”

“Dune” took home the most awards, winning a total of (6) Oscars, including Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects.

 

Below is a complete list of winners:

 

BEST PICTURE

“CODA”

 

 

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

 

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

 

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

“Drive My Car” *WINNER

 

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

“The Queen of Basketball”

 

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“Summer of Soul”

ORIGINAL SONG

“No Time to Die”

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“Encanto”

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“CODA”

 

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Belfast”

 

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Will Smith, “King Richard”

 

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

 

DIRECTOR

Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”

 

PRODUCTION DESIGN

“Dune”

 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Dune”

 

COSTUME DESIGN

“Cruella”

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

“Dune”

 

ANIMATED SHORT FILE

“The Windshield Wiper”

 

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

“The Long Goodbye”

 

ORIGINAL SCORE

“Dune”

 

VISUAL EFFECTS

“Dune”

 

FILM EDITING

“Dune”

 

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

“Power of the Dog” leads the 94th Academy Awards Pack

 

“Power of the Dog” lead the pack when the nominations for the 94th Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning.

 

Among the films nods:  Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay – both for Jane Campion, and acting nominations for Benedict  Cumberbatch (Actor) and supporting performances for Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Other films earning multi-nominations include “Dune” with 10 and “Belfast” and “West Side Story”, which each received 7 nominations, including Best Picture.  Other Best Picture nominees:  “CODA,:” “Don’t Look Up,’ “Drive My Car,” “Licorice Pizza” and “Nightmare Alley.” 

Though it received 10 nominations, “Dune” failed to earn a nomination for director Denis Villeneuve.  First time nominee Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car) joins previous directing nominees Kenneth Branagh (Belfast), Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza) Jane Campion (Power of the Dog), and Steven Spielberg (West Side Story) in that category.  Of the nominees, only Spielberg has won the award – twice – for “Schindler’s List” and “saving Private Ryan.”

 

Unlike last year, many of this year’s nominees were from more mainstream, studio pictures, including “West Side Story” that, while it didn’t do the box office predicted, was a return to the glory days of the big Hollywood musical.

 

Here is a complete list of this year’s nominees:

 

Best Picture

 

  • “Belfast,” Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, producers 
  • “CODA,” Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, producers
  • “Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, producers 
  • “Drive My Car,” Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer 
  • “Dune,” Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, producers
  • “King Richard,” Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, producers 
  • “Licorice Pizza,” Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, producers 
  • “Nightmare Alley,” Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, producers 
  • “The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, producers
  • “West Side Story,” Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers.

 

 

Best Director

 

  • Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)
  • Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”) 
  • Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”) 
  • Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)
  • Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)

 

Best Lead Actor

 

  • Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”) 
  • Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”) 
  • Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”) 
  • Will Smith (“King Richard”)
  • Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)

 

Best Lead Actress

 

  • Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) 
  • Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)
  • Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”)
  • Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”) 
  • Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)

 

Best Supporting Actor

 

  • Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”) 
  • Troy Kotsur (“CODA”) 
  • Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”) 
  • J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”)
  • Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)

 

 

 Best Supporting Actress

 

  • Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”) 
  • Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”) 
  • Judi Dench (“Belfast” 
  • Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”) 
  • Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)

 

 

Best Adapted Screenplay

 

  • “CODA,” screenplay by Siân Heder 
  • “Drive My Car,” screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe 
  • “Dune,” screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth 
  • “The Lost Daughter,” written by Maggie Gyllenhaal 
  • “The Power of the Dog,” written by Jane Campion

 

Best Original Screenplay

 

  • “Belfast,” written by Kenneth Branagh 
  • “Don’t Look Up,” screenplay by Adam McKay; story by Adam McKay and David Sirota“King Richard,” written by Zach Baylin 
  • “Licorice Pizza,” written by Paul Thomas Anderson 
  • “The Worst Person in the World,” written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier

 

Best Cinematography

 

  • “Dune,” Greig Fraser 
  • “Nightmare Alley,” Dan Laustsen 
  • “The Power of the Dog,” Ari Wegner 
  • “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Bruno Delbonnel 
  • “West Side Story,” Janusz Kaminski

 

Best Animated Feature Film

 

  • “Encanto,” Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer 
  • “Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie 
  • “Luca,” Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren
  • “The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht 
  • “Raya and the Last Dragon,” Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho

 

Best Animated Short Film

 

  • “Affairs of the Art,” Joanna Quinn and Les Mills 
  • “Bestia,” Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz 
  • “Boxballet,” Anton Dyakov 
  • “Robin Robin,” Dan Ojari and Mikey Please 
  • “The Windshield Wiper,” Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Best Costume Design

 

  • “Cruella,” Jenny Beavan 
  • “Cyrano,” Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran 
  • “Dune,” Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan 
  • “Nightmare Alley,” Luis Sequeira 
  • “West Side Story,” Paul Tazewell

 

Best Original Score

 

  • “Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell 
  • “Dune,” Hans Zimmer 
  • “Encanto,” Germaine Franco 
  • “Parallel Mothers,” Alberto Iglesias 
  • “The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood

 

Best Sound

 

  • “Belfast,” Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri 
  • “Dune,” Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett 
  • “No Time to Die,” Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor 
  • “The Power of the Dog,” Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb 
  • “West Side Story,” Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy

 

Best Original Song

 

  • “Be Alive” from “King Richard,” music and lyric by Dixson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter 
  • “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto,” music and lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda 
  • “Down To Joy” from “Belfast,” music and lyric by Van Morrison 
  • “No Time To Die” from “No Time to Die,” music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell 
  • “Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days,” music and lyric by Diane Warren

 

Best Documentary Feature

 

  • “Ascension,” Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell 
  • “Attica,” Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry 
  • “Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie 
  • “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein 
  • “Writing With Fire,” Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh

 

Best Documentary Short Subject

 

  • “Audible,” Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean 
  • “Lead Me Home,” Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk 
  • “The Queen of Basketball,” Ben Proudfoot 
  • “Three Songs for Benazir,” Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei 
  • “When We Were Bullies,” Jay Rosenblatt

Best Film Editing

 

  • “Don’t Look Up,” Hank Corwin 
  • “Dune,” Joe Walker 
  • “King Richard”, Pamela Martin 
  • “The Power of the Dog,” Peter Sciberras 
  • “Tick, Tick…Boom!” Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum

 

Best International Feature Film

 

  • “Drive My Car” (Japan) 
  • “Flee” (Denmark) 
  • “The Hand of God” (Italy) 
  • “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan) 
  • “The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)

 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

 

  • “Coming 2 America,” Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer 
  • “Cruella,” Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon 
  • “Dune,” Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr 
  • “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh 
  • “House of Gucci,” Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras

 

Best Production Design

 

  • “Dune,” production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos 
  • “Nightmare Alley,” production design: Tamara Deverell; set decoration: Shane Vieau 
  • “The Power of the Dog,” production design: Grant Major; set decoration: Amber Richards
  • “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” production design: Stefan Dechant; set decoration: Nancy Haigh
  • “West Side Story,” production design: Adam Stockhausen; set decoration: Rena DeAngelo

Best Visual Effects

 

  • “Dune,” Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer
  • “Free Guy,” Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and Dan Sudick 
  • “No Time to Die,” Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould 
  • “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Christopher Townsend, JoeFarrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver 
  • “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick

 

Best Live Action Short Film

 

  • “Ala Kachuu – Take and Run,” Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger 
  • “The Dress,” Tadeusz Łysiak and Maciej Ślesicki 
  • “The Long Goodbye,” Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed 
  • “On My Mind,” Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson 
  • “Please Hold,” K.D. Dávila and Levin Menekse

 

The 94th Academy Awards will be presented on March 27th.

BEHIND THE SCREEN: 93rd Annual Academy Awards – A Night to (NOT) Remember

Well, thank God that’s over. The final film award ceremony of 2021 is over, and not a minute too soon.

Viewers who tuned in to the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony (guilty, but I have a website. What’s your excuse?) were treated to un-enthusiastic presenters, amazingly long speeches (I’m guessing Questlove wasn’t told he could play people off) and an “In Memoriam” segment that looks like it was thrown together at the last minute. And can someone tell me how a show with no host, opening monologue and zero musical numbers – unless you count the embarrassing “Oscar Music Trivia” game that featured Glenn Close shaking her ass to E.U.’s “Da Butt” – ran almost 3 1/2 hours??

On a positive note, there were some great achievements rewarded. A woman of color (Chloe Zhao) was named Best Director, only the second time a woman has won that Award. Think about that. Out of 465 nominees only SEVEN women have been nominated: Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, Sophia Coppola, Kathryn Bigelow (who won), Greta Gerwig, Ms. Zhao and Emerald Fennell, who with Ms. Zhao was nominated this year. Which means such female directors, like Penny Marshall and Barbra Streisand, have been totally ignored, even though in the past they had directed films nominated for Best Picture!

Daniel Kaluuya and Youn Yuh-jing took home the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards, respectively, putting a slight dent into the #OscarSoWhite reputation.

Frances McDormand became the second actress to receive (3) Best Actress awards when her name was announced last night, putting her right behind the immortal Katherine Hepburn, who won (4). Meryl Streep does have (3) Oscars, but one was for Best Supporting Actress. Ms. McDormand picked up a 4th Oscar as one of the producers of the evening’s Best Picture, “Nomadland.” And whose idea was it to give the Best Picture award out early? Normally it’s the last award of the night, but on this night it was awarded before Best Actress and Actor were named. My hunch is that the producers assumed the late Chadwick Boseman, who was nominated for his final performance in the film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” would win, which would have made for a nice emotional way to end the evening. Instead, Joaquin Phoenix sheepishly announced Anthony Hopkins as the winner of the Best Actor award, and that was a wrap!

My beef with the “In Memoriam” segment was that, for some reason, the Academy figured if you were watching you knew who everyone was and what they did. An introduction that took u 1/3 of the segment, no film clips and, while known talents like Christopher Plummer, George Segal and Wilford Brimley got a few seconds of screen time each, others – among them Marge Champion (a great dancer), Shirley Knight (a fine actress), Kelly Preston (same) and Michael Chapman (an amazing cinematographer whose credits include “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” and “The Fugitive”) whizzed by in a blink.

The fact that only nominees and presenters were allowed to be in the venue also made for dull television. Smatterings of applause signaled that the guests in the theatre were apparently as bored as the ones at my house.

Blame it on COVID. Blame it on the fact that none of the films nominated were “NAME” films – no “Titanic,” “Avatar” or “Lord of the Rings” in the bunch. Blame it on bad television. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

For those of you who went to bed early, here is a list of the winners:

Best Picture – Nomadland 

Best Actor in a Leading Role– Anthony Hopkins (The Father)

Best Actress in a Leading Role – Frances McDormand (Nomadland)

Best Director – Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Adapted Screenplay – The Father, Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller

Best Original Screenplay – Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell

Best Animated Feature Film – Soul 

Best International Feature Film – Another Round (Denmark)

Best Sound – Sound of Metal, Phillip Bladh, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés, Carolina Santana

Best Costume Design – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Ann Roth

Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Matiki Anoff, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry

Best Live Action Short Film – Two Distant Strangers

Best Animated Short Film – If Anything Happens I Love You 

Best Documentary Feature – My Octopus Teacher 

Best Documentary Short Subject – Colette 

Best Original Song – ‘Fight for You,’ (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Visual Effects – Tenet, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley, Scott R. Fisher, Mike Chambers

Best Cinematography – Mank, Erik Messerschmidt

Best Production Design – Mank, Donald Graham Burt, Jan Pascale

Best Film Editing – Sound of Metal, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Best Original Score – Mank, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Media Mikes Awards in the Mail

Due to the current situation in the world it took some time for the 2019 Media Mikes award certificates to be printed but they are now on their way to the winners.

Last year the readers and staff of Media Mikes awarded certificates to such films as “1917,” “Joker,” “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” and “Parasite.”

Congratulations again to all of our winners!

Joker, 1917 and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood Lead Winners for the 9th Annual Media Mikes Awards

Now that the Oscars dust has settled, it’s time to take a look at how we here at Media Mikes, readers and writers alike, voted for our top cinematic achievements of 2019 in our 9th Annual Media Mikes Awards

“Joker,” Todd Phillips’s dark look at the origins of Batman’s greatest enemy, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” Quentin Tarantino’s fable about the summer of 1969 and Sam Mendes’s enthralling WWI drama, “1917”, topped our lists with two awards each.

“Hollywood” took home the big prize as the year’s Best Picture and also nabbed Best Supporting Actor award for Brad Pitt. “Joker” earned wins for Joaquin Phoenix as Best Actor as well as Best Original Score, written and composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir. “1917” earned the award for Best Director for Sam Mendes and was also recognized for its cinematography by the legendary Roger Deakins.

Additional winners included Reneé Zellwegger as Best Actress for her portrayal of Judy Garland in “Judy” and Scarlett Johansson as Best Supporting Actress for her work in “JoJo Rabbit.”

“Toy Story 4” was chosen as the year’s Best Animated Feature.

This year saw more than 3,000 readers submit their choices in the seven top categories, check out the complete list of our winners below

Reader Voted Awards Went to…

Best Picture – “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”
Best Director – Sam Mendes, “1917”
Best Actor – Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Best Actress – Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
Best Supporting Actress – Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Best Supporting Actor – “Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”
Best Animated Feature – “Toy Story 4”

Awards chosen by our Media Mikes writers went to…

Best Original Screenplay – Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, “Parasite”
Best Adapted Screenplay – Greta Gerwig, “Little Women”
Best Documentary Feature – “David Crosby: Remember my Name”
Best Cinematography – Roger Deakins, “1917”
Best Original Score – Hildur Guðnadóttir, “Joker”

Composer John Williams, who recently earned his 52nd Academy Award nomination, was name the recipient of this years Media Mikes Lifetime Achievement Award.

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who voted!

Time to Help Choose the Winners of the 2019 Media Mikes Awards

Award season is in full bloom and once again it’s time for the readers of Media Mikes to vote for their film favorites for the 2019 Media Mikes Awards.

Last year over 3,000 readers submitted their choices in the following categories:

  • BEST PICTURE
  • BEST DIRECTOR
  • BEST ACTOR
  • BEST ACTRESS
  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
  • BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Members of the Media Mikes staff will vote on the following categories:

  • BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
  • BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
  • BEST MUSICAL SCORE
  • BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Votes can be submitted either through our Facebook page or by email. Emails can be sent to MikeS@Mediamikes.com Votes can be submitted through February 5, 2020, with the winners announced on Friday, February 7th.

Random voters will be chosen to receive some great 2019 movie swag!

“The Favourite” and “Roma” lead the nominations for 91st Annual Academy Awards

“Roma,” director Alfonso Cuaron’s black and white reminiscence of his childhood, and the period film “The Favourite” led the way when the nominations for the 91st Annual Academy Awards were announced today. Each film earned a total of ten nominations, including Best Picture.  Cuaron himself received five nominations (Picture, Foreign Film, Director, Original /Screenplay and Cinematography}.  The film also received nods for Best Actress (Yalitza Aparicio), Supporting Actress (Marina de Tavira), Sound Mixing, Sound Editing and Production Design.

Besides Best Picture, “The Favourite” scored nods for Best Director (Yorgos Lanthimos), Best Actress (Olivia Colman), Supporting Actress (both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz), Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Costume Design, Production Design and Cinematography.

Another multiple nominee was Bradley Cooper, who was recognized for Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture for “A Star Is Born,” which also earned two nods for Lady Gaga (Best Actress and Best Original Song) and netted Sam Elliott his first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor.  In total, the film earned eight nominations.

The other nominees for Best Picture are a worthy and diverse group.  “Black Panther” becomes the first comic book film to earn a Best Picture nod.  Joining it, “A Star is Born,” “The Favourite”and “Roma” are “BlacKkKlansman,” Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Green Book” and “Vice.”  A total of ten films can be nominated in this category, though only eight made it this year.

Other director nominations:  Spike Lee (“BlacKkKlansman), Paweł Pawlikowski (“Cold War”) and Adam McKay (“VICE”)

In the Best Actor race,Cooper is joined by Christian Bale (“VICE”), Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gates), Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”).  Along with Misses Aparicio, Colman and Lady Gaga, the Best Actress race includes Glenn Close (“The Wife”) and Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”).

Best Animated Feature nominations went to “Incredibles 2,” “Isle of Dogs,” “Mirai,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse.”

Below is a complete list of this year’s nominees.  The 91stAnnual Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 24th.

BEST PICTURE

Black Panther

BlacKkKlansman

Bohemian Rhapsody

The Favourite

Green Book

Roma

A Star is Born

VICE

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Christian Bale- VICE

Bradley Cooper – A Star is Born

Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate

Rami Malek – Bohemian RhapsodyBohemian Rhapsody

Viggo Mortensen – Green Book

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Yalitza Aparicio – Roma

Glenn Close – The Wife

Olivia Colman – The Favourite

Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born

Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mahershala Ali – Green Book

Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman

Sam Elliott – A Star Is Born

Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Sam Rockwell – Vice

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams – Vic

Marina de Tavira – Roma

Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk

Emma Stone- The Favourite

Rachel Weisz – The Favourite

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Incredibles 2

Isle of Dogs

Mirai

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Cold War

The Favourite

Never Look Away

Roma

A Star Is Born

COSTUME DESIGN

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Black Panther

The Favourite

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Queen of Scots

DIRECTING

Paweł Pawlikowski – Cold War

Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman

Yorgos Lanthimos – The Favourite

Alfonso Cuarón – Roma

Adam McKay – Vice

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

Free Solo

Hale County This Morning This Evening

Minding the Gap

Of Fathers and Sons

RBG

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Black Sheep

End Game

Lifeboat

A Night at the Garden

Period. End of Sentence.

FILM EDITING

BlacKkKlansman

Bohemian Rhapsody

The Favourite

Green Book

Vice

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Capernaum

Cold War

Never Look Away

Roma

Shoplifters

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Border

Mary Queen of Scots

Vice

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

Black Panther

BlacKkKlansman

If Beale Street Could Talk

Isle of Dogs

Mary Poppins Returns

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“All the Stars” from “Black Panther”

“I’ll Fight” from “RBG”

“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns”

“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born”

“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Black Panther

The Favourite

First Man

Mary Poppins Returns

Roma

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Animal Behaviour

Bao

Late Afternoon

One Small Step

Weekends

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Detainment

Fauve

Marguerite

Mother

Skin

SOUND EDITING

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

First Man

A Quiet Place

Roma

SOUND MIXING

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

First Man

Roma

A Star Is Born

VISUAL EFFECTS

Avengers: Infinity War

Christopher Robin

First Man

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

BlacKkKlansman

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

If Beale Street Could Talk

A Star Is Born

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

The Favourite

First Reformed

Green Book

Roma

Vice

 
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‘ASTRO’ wins 2 Awards at the 14th Annual Action on Film International Film Festival

“Astro,” the latest film from filmmaker Asif Akbar, took home two awards  at the 14th Annual Action on Film International Film Festival which was held this past weekend in Las Vegas.

Actor Gary Daniels was named the Best Male Action Performer of the Year while the film’s costume design was given the Best Costume award.  “Astro” had received a total of (5) nominations, including Best Action Sequence, Best Fight Choreography and Best Sci-Fi Feature Film.

“The competition at this year’s festival was tremendous and we are proud and excited of our five nominations and two awards,” said Akbar, the film’s director and co-writer.

For a look at an exclusive clip, click HERE

 

 

 

Pick the Winners of the 2017 Media Mikes Awards and Win Some Swag!

Hello 2018.  Which means it’s time to say goodbye to the films and performances we loved in 2017.  And once again, the readers of MediaMikes.com will have the opportunity to choose the winners of the 2017 Media Mikes Awards.

All you have to do is let us know your pick as the Best in each of the following categories:  Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Animated Feature.  You can leave your nominees in the comments below or send them HERE

All nominations will be totaled up and the winners announced on Monday, February 12th.  (5) random entries, either on this post or via email, will be selected and will receive a selection of 2017 movie swag.  Balloting runs through 6:00 pm CST on Sunday, February 11, 2017.  Thanks for voting!

GET OUT and CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Dominate the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

 

GET OUT, writer/director Jordan Peele’s darkly funny horror film and CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, the story of a young boy who meets a visiting American while on vacation with his family, took home the lion’s share of prizes as the Kansas City Film Critics Circle handed out their 52nd Annual James Loutzenhizer Awards for the best in film for 2017.  Media Mikes writers Mike Smith and Jeremy Werner are members of the group.
GET OUT took home the prize as the Best Film of 2017.  In addition, Jordan Peele won for his Original Screenplay and the film was also named the winner of the Vince Koehler Award as the year’s best Science Fiction/Horror/Fantasy film.
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME earned recognition for Timothée Chalamet, who was named Best Actor as well as for it’s Adapted Screenplay, written by James Ivory (based on the novel by Andre Aciman).  The film also received the groups Dr. Tom Poe Award as the year’s best LBGT film.  The film shared the Adapted Screenplay award with LOGAN, written by Scott Frank, Michael Green and James Mangold, based on the popular Marvel Comics character.
Guillermo del Toro was named winner of the Robert Altman Award as the year’s Best Director for THE SHAPE OF WATER,  which also won the Best Actress award for Sally Hawkins.
The Kansas City Film Critics Circle is the second oldest film critics group in the country, founded in 1967 by Dr. James Loutzenhizer.  The group’s annual awards were named for Dr. Loutzenhizer after his passing in November 2001.
Here is a complete list of winners:
BEST FILM –  GET OUT
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR – Guillermo det Toro, THE SHAPE OF WATER
BEST ACTOR –    Timothée Chalamet – CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR –  Willem Dafoe – THE FLORIDA PROJECT
BEST ACTRESS –  Sally Hawkins – THE SHAPE OF WATER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Laurie Metcalf – LADY BIRD
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY –  Jordan Peele – GET OUT
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY –  James Ivory – CALL ME BY YOUR NAME/Scott Frank, Michael Green and James Mangold – LOGAN
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE –  COCO
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM –  IN THE FADE (Germany)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE –  JANE
VINCE KOEHLER AWARD –  GET OUT
DR. TOM POE AWARD –  CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

The 4th Annual Journey’s Alternative Press Music Awards Announce Expansive Performance Line-Up.

The 4th Annual JOURNEYS ALTERNATIVE PRESS MUSIC AWARDS, FUELED BY MONSTER ENERGY

Announce Expansive Performance Line-Up, Including:
Against Me!, All Time Low, Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, Bone Thugs, Korn, Machine Gun Kelly, New Years Day, ONE OK ROCK, Pierce The Veil, The Pretty Reckless, Sleeping With Sirens & More TBA!

All Tickets & VIP On Sale Now: www.altpress.com/apmas
July 17, 2017 | Cleveland, Ohio | Quicken Loans Arena

“The GRAMMYs of Alternative Music” – TIME Magazine

CLEVELAND, OH – The Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, Fueled by Monster Energy are thrilled to reveal this year’s first wave of performing artists! In itself, the alternative genre is an amalgamation of different styles and influences, and with that in mind, the 2017 APMAs look beyond a single style of music to produce an entertaining evening for just about any music fan.

This year’s APMAs include something for everyone – featuring performances by groundbreaking critically-acclaimed rock band Against Me!, No. 1 charting platinum stars All Time Low, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (solo project of the Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin frontman spawning alt-rock charting singles “Cecilia and the Satellite” and “Fire Escape”), rap icons Bone Thugs, multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award winning hard rock/metal legends Korn, Cleveland native and award-winning actor/rapper Machine Gun Kelly, horror-rock favorites New Years Day, massive award-winning Japanese rock group ONE OK ROCK, acclaimed rock group Pierce The Veil, Billboard chart-topping rock radio darlings The Pretty Reckless and chart-dominating melodic rockers Sleeping With Sirens. More artists are set to be announced soon! This is a dream lineup for any alternative music fanatic with an expansive musical palate, showcasing leading artists and rising stars in rock, rap, metal, punk, pop and everything in between.

Korn’s Jonathan Davis states, “We’re really excited to perform at this year’s awards and are looking forward to seeing all our fans in Cleveland. I performed at the first ever APMAs back in 2014 with Asking Alexandria and it’s been awesome to watch how this show has grown over the years.”

Regular tickets are officially on sale now at http://www.altpress.com/apmasand start at just $40 to experience all the action the APMAs have to offer! In addition, VIP tickets are available – including Monster VIP Table, Ultimate VIP and Premium Seating packages – offering the best seat in the house. Visit www.altpress.com/apmas for more information on these packages, as well as more show details to be announced soon regardingnominees, honorees, red carpet appearances, surrounding events and more.

On July 17, 2017, the fourth annual Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, Fueled by Monster Energy will return to AP’s hometown and the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, Cleveland, OH. The main event will once again take place at Quicken Loans Arena, home of 2016 NBA Champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2017 APMAs will be hosted by alternative culture superstar Andy Biersack (of Andy Black, Black Veil Brides and star of the upcoming film American Satan) and showcase a refreshed, produced-for-television atmosphere to fully immerse fans in the action.

Last year’s APMAs trended worldwide on Twitter and Facebook for over 72 hours – before, during and after live streaming on Amazon Music’s official Twitch channel, reaching over half a million viewers. The APMAs were the most viewed stream on Twitch the day of show, in addition to being the No. 3 most viewed music stream in the platform’s history. Social media reaction and fan response spread fast and furious across the internet following the red carpet and awards ceremony, reaching 25 million people across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In addition, over 240,000 Twitter users tweeted the #APMAs hashtag during the show.

The APMAs have featured performances and appearances by today’s biggest rock stars- including Twenty One Pilots (watch “Car Radio” with Issues’ Michael Bohn here), Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams of Paramore- as well as musical legends such as Marilyn Manson, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Slash, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.

Additionally, the APMAs have presented extraordinary collaborative cover performances, combining the legendary talents of Joan Jett and Slash, Halestorm and Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor, Rob Halford of Judas Priest and BABYMETAL and many more (watch performance here).

If you missed out on the fun last year, check out the 2016 ultimate highlight reel here.

Keep your eyes on www.altpress.com/apmas over the coming weeks for new announcements and information on the 2017 Alternative Press Music Awards!

This Month in Alternative Press Magazine:

Alternative Press just announced the ultimate Panic! At The Disco fan issue, available now in stores such as Barnes & Noble, Hot Topic, Target and more (to find this issue in-store, visit www.altpress.com/wheretobuy). The issue includes an exclusive interview with Brendon Urie and details everything from his thoughts on his first AP cover 11 years ago to his nightly routine of selling out arenas, how he ended up doing Fall Out Boy’s drunk history, his time as a Vine superstar and the future of P!ATD. In case all this isn’t enough, it’s also filled with extra posters!

Kansas City Film Critics Name “Manchester by the Sea” the Best Film of 2016 During Presentation of 51st Annual James Loutzenhiser Awards

Manchester by the Sea was chosen as the Best Film of 2016 by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the second oldest critics group in the country. MediaMikes film critics Michael Smith and Jeremy Werner are members of the group. Smith also serves as the groups secretary and is a member of the governing board. The film was also recognized with the Robert Altman Award for Direction and the film’s star, Casey Affleck, was chosen as the year’s Best Actor. The winners were announced today during a ceremony for the 51st Annual James Loutzenhiser Awards at the Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet Theatre in Kansas City.

Manchester by the Sea led all films with three wins, while Arrival, Hell or High Water and Moonlight each received two awards. Natalie Portman was named Best Actress for her portrayal of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie while Jeff Bridges was awarded Best Supporting Actor for his work as a grizzled Texas Ranger in Hell or High Water. For the 13th time at least one category resulted in a tie when Viola Davis (Fences) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight) tied in the Best Supporting Actress category. Zootopia was named the year’s Best Animated Feature.

This year the group also awarded the inaugural Tom Poe Award for Best LGBT Film. A beloved associate professor of film and media arts in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Poe, who passed away in November at the age of 70, was a long-time member of the Critics Circle. His reviews were inevitably astute and well-informed yet just as naturally considered and kind, in keeping with his sympathies for both filmmaker and audience. It was Poe’s belief that “great film reviews give rise to thinking about films.” As such, he supported many members of KCFCC through encouragement and dialogue. Tom Poe was our colleague and friend, and it is our intention that this annual award honor his legacy as an advocate for LGBT rights and promote his desire for justice by way of accurate and beneficial representation. The inaugural recipient is Moonlight.

The full list of winners is below:

BEST FILM

Manchester by the Sea

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR

Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea

BEST ACTOR

Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea

BEST ACTRESS

Natalie Portman – Jackie

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Viola Davis – Fences and Naomie Harris – Moonlight

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Taylor Sheridan – Hell or High Water

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Eric Heisserer – Arrival

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The Handmaiden – South Korea

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

OJ: Made in America

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Zootopia

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM

Arrival

TOM POE AWARD FOR BEST LGBT FILM

Moonlight

Get Your Vote in For The 2016 Media Mikes Awards and Win Some Great Swag

2016 is coming to a close and you know what that means. It’s time to vote for the 4th Annual Media Mikes Awards. Once again you, the readers, help choose our winners in six categories, with the staff of Media Mikes deciding on others. And, once again, (10) lucky entrants will be randomly chosen to win some great swag.

All you have to do is pick your favorites in the following categories: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Animated Feature. When you have your choices, just email them to MikeS@Mediamikes.com That’s all there is to it. Last year over 3,000 readers submitted their choices.

The voting period runs through Sunday, January 8th, with the winners being announced on January 15th.

Good luck!

The Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards Fueled by Monster Energy Announces 2016 Award Show Categories & Nominees

THE JOURNEYS ALTERNATIVE PRESS MUSIC AWARDS
FUELED BY MONSTER ENERGY

ANNOUNCES 2016 AWARD SHOW CATEGORIES & NOMINEES

EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE NOW – ALL TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 4th
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS NOW!

2016 APMAS * JULY 18, 2016 * COLUMBUS, OH
LIVE FROM SCHOTTENSTEIN CENTER

Honorees, Presenters, Performers and More Coming Soon:
WWW.ALTPRESS.COM/APMAS

As announced last month, the 2016 Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, Fueled by Monster Energy will air live on TV and social media on the evening of July 18th from Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH (555 Borror Dr., www.schottensteincenter.com). Displaced due to the Republican National Convention taking over its hometown of Cleveland, Alternative Press will stage their own Punk Rock Convention, hosted by Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat of eight-time AP cover stars All Time Low.

Although many of Alternative Press’ young readers may not be able to vote in the upcoming U.S. election, those same readers (in addition to music fans all around the globe) can let their voices be heard by voting for their favorite artists at the Alternative Press Music Awards! Voting is open now – in fact, during the past 16 hours, over 50,000 votes have been cast from 113 different countries around the world (including all 50 U.S. states). This is more than double the first round voting numbers within the first 24 hours from 2015.

See below for the official list of newly announced award categories and nominees, and visit the Vans Voting Site at www.altpress.com/apmas to cast your vote.

Best Vocalist:
1. Alex Gaskarth – All Time Low
2. Patrick Stump – Fall Out Boy
3. Kellin Quinn – Sleeping With Sirens
4. Lzzy Hale – Halestorm
5. Corey Taylor – Slipknot
6. Caleb Shomo – Beartooth

Best Drummer Presented By DW Drums:
1. Maxx Danziger – Set It Off
2. Loni Robinson – letlive.
3. Dani Washington – Neck Deep
4. Aaron Gillespie – Underoath
5. Jerod Boyd – Miss May I
6. Christian Coma – Black Veil Brides

Best Bassist Presented By Razor & Tie:
1. Skyler Acord – Issues
2. Ryan Neff – Miss May I
3. Matthew Taylor – Motion City Soundtrack
4. Ralph Sica – Being As An Ocean
5. Ahren Stringer – The Amity Affliction
6. Kelen Capener – The Story So Far

Best Guitarist:
1. Jack Fowler – Sleeping With Sirens
2. Kevin Skaff – A Day To Remember
3. Chad Gilbert – New Found Glory
4. Misha Mansoor – Periphery
5. JB Brubaker – August Burns Red
6. Kellen McGregor – Memphis May Fire

Artist Philanthropic Presented By Hopeless Records and Sub City:
1. Jake Luhrs – HeartSupport
2. Andrew McMahon – Dear Jack Foundation
3. The Used – Living the Dream
4. You Me At Six – Passport Back To The Bars, The Ghost Inside U.K. Fundraiser, PETA
5. The Wonder Years – Puppies Behind Bars, After School All-Stars, The Herren Project, Futures Without Violence
6. This Wild Life – National Breast Cancer Foundation

Most Dedicated Fanbase Presented By Fearless Records:
1. The Ghost Inside
2. New Years Day
3. Issues
4. PVRIS
5. The Maine
6. Mayday Parade

Song Of The Year Presented by Epitaph Records:
1. Pierce The Veil – “The Divine Zero”
2. Panic! At The Disco – “Hallelujah”
3. Of Mice & Men – “Would You Still Be There”
4. State Champs – “Secrets”
5. Falling in Reverse – “Just Like You”
6. Never Shout Never – “Hey! We OK”

Best International Band:
1. Babymetal [Japan]
2. Marianas Trench [Canada]
3. Parkway Drive [Australia]
4. One OK Rock [Japan]
5. As It Is [United Kingdom]
6. You Me At Six [United Kingdom]

Best Underground Band:
1. Moose Blood
2. Tiny Moving Parts
3. Creeper
4. Too Close To Touch
5. ROAM
6. Cane Hill

Breakthrough Band:
1. State Champs
2. Set It Off
3. Knuckle Puck
4. I Prevail
5. New Years Day
6. Neck Deep

Best Live Band:
1. Slipknot
2. Issues
3. Neck Deep
4. Beartooth
5. Motionless In White
6. Attila

Best Music Video Presented By Journeys:
1. Twenty One Pilots – “Stressed Out”
2. Panic! At The Disco – “Emperor’s New Clothes”
3. August Burns Red – “Identity”
4. State Champs – “If I’m Lucky”
5. The Wonder Years – “Cardinals”
6. All Time Low – “Something’s Gotta Give”

Artist Of The Year Presented By Monster Energy:
1. Real Friends
2. PVRIS
3. Fall Out Boy
4. Twenty One Pilots
5. Beartooth
6. All Time Low
7. Motionless In White
8. Slipknot
9. Panic! At The Disco
10. Sleeping With Sirens

Album Of The Year Presented By Journeys:
1. Bring Me The Horizon – That’s the Spirit
2. All Time Low – Future Hearts
3. Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface
4. Knuckle Puck – Copacetic
5. The Maine – American Candy
6. Sleeping With Sirens – Madness
7. State Champs – Around The World And Back
8. August Burns Red – Found In Far Away Places
9. Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor
10. Neck Deep – Life’s Not Out To Get You

Watch all of the exclusive Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards nominee announcement videos here, hosted by Tonight Alive’s Jenna McDougall and Set It Off’s Cody Carson.

Alternative Press Music Awards Early Bird tickets are on sale now – visit THIS LINKto grab yours! General sale tickets will be available through Ticketmaster beginning April 4th. In addition, the APMAs is partnering with PromoWest Fest (www.promowestfest.com, Columbus, OH, July 15-17), so tickets will also be available via their box office through Ticketmaster.

“Columbus is a huge music city, so we’re excited to host the APMAs this year. The date aligned perfectly with PromoWest Fest and we are working with the APMAs to leverage our two events to create a 4-day weekend that showcases top artists and music industry professionals. Stay tuned for some surprises,” states Becky Long, Vice President of Sales & Brand Marketing at PromoWest Fest.

Details regarding tickets and VIP packages, honorees, presenters, performers, pre-show parties, red carpet appearances, and more will be available soon via www.altpress.com/apmas.

Each Alternative Press Music Awards show has featured some of the greatest artists in modern music, ranging from today’s biggest rock stars such as Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco and Weezer, to musical legends such as Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Slash, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Smashing Pumpkins and Ice-T. Countless renowned artists such as Rob Zombie, Blink-182, Twenty One Pilots, Taking Back Sunday, All Time Low, Motionless In White, Run of RUN DMC, Bring Me The Horizon, and beyond have appeared at the APMA’s, with spectacular performances from artists including (but not limited to) New Found Glory, Yellowcard, A Day To Remember, Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, Motion City Soundtrack and more. Additionally, the APMA’s is recognized for presenting collaborative cover performances unlike music fans have ever seen before, like Joan Jett and Slash teaming up to perform “Star Star” by the Rolling Stones, Asking Alexandria performing Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like The Wolf” with Jonathan Davis of Korn, Halestorm and Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor covering Temple Of The Dog’s “Hunger Strike”, and many more.

Last year’s event – which took place July 22, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland – was a massive victory for the music community, garnering unprecedented support demonstrated by a staggering 15.7 billion total media impressions (over seven times the impressions of the 2014 show). Last year’s event also earned the title of “The GRAMMYs of Alternative Music” by TIME Magazine. The 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards achieved over 1 million views on AXS TV, and over 3 million views on YouTube. Re-live 2015’s best moments via the highlight reel here.

Building upon the success of last year’s event, the APMAs is thrilled to once again be supported by returning title sponsor Journeys, a leader in the teen specialty retail scene focused on lifestyle-driven branded footwear and accessories in over 800 stores across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. In addition to Journeys, the APMAs also welcomes fellow sponsors Monster Energy, CreativeLive, DW Drums, CD Baby, Disc Makers, Rise Records, Eleven Seven Music, Better Noise Records, Musician’s Institute, Earthquaker Devices, Razor & Tie, Hopeless Records, Sub City, Ernie Ball, Epitaph Records, Equal Vision Records, Merch Now, Vans and Fearless Records.

Don’t miss the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards and your chance to cast your vote for your favorite bands! Check www.altpress.com/apmas over the coming weeks for new announcements and information.

The APMAs are produced by Mike Shea, Joe Scarpelli, Josh Bernstein, Kevin Lyman and Marc Grant.

“The Revenant” Leads the Nominations Released for the 88th Annual Academy Awards

Just one year after taking home the awards for Best Picture and Best Director for his film, “Birdman,” Alejandro G. Inarittu finds himself back in the race as his new film, “The Revenant,” led all films nominated today for the 88th Annual Academy Awards with (12) nods, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film also scored nominations for Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor and Tom Hardy for Best Supporting Actor.

George Miller’s “Mad Max; Fury Road” follows with (9) nominations, also including Best Picture and Best Director. Other Best Picture nominees, with their total nominations, include “The Martian” (7), “Spotlight” (6), “”The Big Short” and “Bridge of Spies” with (5) each, “Room” (4) and “Brooklyn” (3). “The Big Short,” “Room” and “Spotlight” also earned Best Director nominations.

Joining DiCaprio in the Best Actor race are Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”), Matt Damon (“The Martian”), Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”) and last year’s Best Actor winner, Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl.”

The Best Actress race includes two previous winners of the award and includes Cate Blanchett (“Carol”), Brie Larson (“Room”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Joy”), Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn”).

Along with Hardy, nominees for Best Supporting Actor are Christian Bale (“The Big Short”), Mark Ruffalo (“Spotlight), Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) and Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”). With this nomination Stallone joins Cate Blanchett, Bing Crosby, Paul Newman, Peter O’Toole and Al Pacino as the only actors to be nominated twice for playing the same character. He was previously nominated as Best Actor in 1977 for playing boxer Rocky Balboa in “Rocky.” He also received a nomination that year for writing the script for the Oscar-winning Best Picture.

Best Supporting Actress is a mixture of veteran actresses and newcomers and include Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”), Rooney Mara (“Carol”), Rachel McAdams (“Spotlight”), Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”) and Kate Winslet (“Steve Jobs”).

Joining Inarritu and Miller in the Best Director race are Adam McKay (“The Big Short”), Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”) and Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”)

Nominees for Best Animated Feature are “Anomalisa,” “Boy and the World,’ ‘Inside Out,’ ‘Shaun the Sheep” and “When Marnie Was There.”

“Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens” earned (5) nominations, primarily in the technical categories.

For a complete list of nominees go to www.oscars.com. The 88th Academy Awards will be handed out on Sunday, February 28th.