2017 Nominations Page Coming Soon!
American Scene Awards are bestowed on those union productions that most intelligently and progressively employ the talents of people of color, people with disabilities, women, seniors, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, and other misrepresented or under-represented groups resulting in the realistic portrayal of the American Scene. The recipients of these awards will be producers whose projects exemplify their commitment to employment of our diverse union membership in the following three (3) categories: Actor / Performer, Broadcaster, and Recording Artist.
AUTHENTICITY
How does this project authentically reflect the American Scene?
EXCELLENCE
Why do we, as SAG-AFTRA, want to shine a spotlight on this project and its creators as an example of excellence in storytelling and production so that other producers will be emboldened to make increasingly inclusive content?
IMPACT
Using a variety of measurements from critical acclaim to audience size and dedication, from awards received to quality of the content, how does this project substantially impact the entertainment and/or news media industry, the affected communities as well as society at large?
- Project must have been produced under a SAG, AFTRA or SAG-AFTRA contract
- Project must have “aired” after August 1, 2015 and before May 1, 2017*
- Representative from the Project must be willing and able to provide a clip reel—appropriately licensed from the copyright holder—representative of the Project as well as either attend in-person and accept the award during the SAG-AFTRA Convention on October 2, 2017 or provide an on-camera acceptance video that includes a high-profile representative of the Project
*“Aired”:
Motion pictures and television and cable programs exhibited or broadcast after August 1, 2015 and before May 1, 2017 shall be eligible for nomination.
Motion pictures must be feature-length (over 60 minutes in running time), and must be first publicly exhibited (previews excluded) by means of 35mm or 70mm film or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format (minimum native resolution 2048 by 1080 pixels, with pixel bit depth, color primaries, and image and sound file formats suitable for exhibition in commercial Digital Cinema sites) before a paying audience in a commercial motion picture house for at least a seven-day consecutive run commencing between August 1, 2015 and May 1, 2017, following normal exploitation and advertising consistent with the treatment of the producer’s other pictures. Short films (60 minutes or less in running time) are not eligible.
PAST SAG-AFTRA AMERICAN SCENE AWARD RECIPIENTS
2015 AWARDS
Actor/Performer Award: Amazon Studios for Transparent
Belva Davis Broadcaster Award: National Public Radio for Code Switch
Recording Artist Award: Capitol Records Nashville for Darius Rucker’s Southern Style
2013 AWARDS
Actor/Performer Award: ABC Family and Brenda Hampton of Brendavision! Productions for The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Belva Davis Broadcaster Award: Detroit Public Television for Arab American Stories
Recording Artist Award: Universal Music Group for their entire catalog and roster of artists
