HPA Awards announces new categories and special award

The 2022 Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Awards’ call for entries for creative categories has now opened, with dedicated categories for colour grading, editing, and sound in documentary nonfiction. Submissions will be accepted until 29 July.

The only awards event encompassing the incredible breadth of talent behind the beauty and spectacle of media and entertainment, the HPA Awards are approaching two decades of recognition as the standard bearer for artistry behind the screen. This year, outstanding work in colour grading, editing, and sound in documentary nonfiction (both features and episodic) will be recognised in its own categories, joining colour grading, editing, sound, and visual effects in feature film, episodic, and commercials. Judged by experts and artists at the top of their careers, the HPA Awards commend the most compelling and important work from around the world.

The HPA Awards will return to the Hollywood Legion Theatre on November 17. Details for the event will be revealed in coming weeks.

To be considered eligible, work must have debuted domestically and/or internationally during the eligibility period, 8 September 2021 through 6 September 2022. Membership in the Hollywood Professional Association is not required, and work from outside of the United States is encouraged.

Submissions are now being accepted in the following competitive categories:

Outstanding Colour Grading – Theatrical Feature
Outstanding Colour Grading – Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature
Outstanding Colour Grading – Documentary/Nonfiction  
Outstanding Colour Grading – Commercial
Outstanding Editing – Theatrical Feature
Outstanding Editing: Documentary/Nonfiction – Theatrical Feature
Outstanding Editing – Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature (30 Minutes and Under)
Outstanding Editing – Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature (Over 30 minutes)
Outstanding Editing: Documentary/Nonfiction – Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature  
Outstanding Sound (Design, Editing, Mixing) – Theatrical Feature
Outstanding Sound (Design, Editing, Mixing) – Episode or Non-Theatrical Feature
Outstanding Sound (Design, Editing, Mixing) – Documentary/Nonfiction  
Outstanding Visual Effects – Theatrical or Non-Theatrical Feature
Outstanding Visual Effects – Episode or Series Season 
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects – Episode or Series Season  

This year, the HPA Awards will also honour restoration with the new award for Outstanding Achievement in Restoration, a juried honour which draws attention to work from our industry that preserves our cultural heritage and enlivens our experience.

Seth Hallen, HPA President and a founding member of the HPA Awards Committee, said: “As the HPA Awards have matured, we have seen the need to differentiate documentary nonfiction work from scripted. These new categories are in direct response to a significant industry trend, but also to our audience of creatives, who have submitted and promoted this category over the years. At the same time, we see such tremendous work being done in the field of restoration and preservation, and the value of that work to our industry is undeniable. It’s thrilling to announce these additional awards as we open the call for entries for creative categories for the 2022 HPA Awards. This year, as we continue to return to in-person celebration, I look forward to being together again to honor, connect, and enjoy a spectacular event.”

The call for entries for the HPA Engineering Excellence Award, honouring products and processes representing outstanding technical and creative ingenuity in media, content production, finishing, distribution, and archive, opened last month and submissions will be accepted until 24 June 2022.  The HPA Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation, a juried award, will be announced in advance of the gala. Both special awards, as well as the new award for Outstanding Achievement in Restoration, will be bestowed during the HPA Awards gala.

The HPA Awards are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Awards Diamond Title Sponsor Blackmagic Design, sound category sponsor DTS, cocktail reception sponsors Fuse FX and ZEISS, and supporting sponsors Avid and Sohonet. For sponsorship or program advertising opportunities, contact Joyce Cataldo at jcataldo@hpaonline.com.

Complete rules, guidelines and entry information for the creative categories and all of the HPA Awards, as well as a list of previous winners, are available at hpaonline.com.