Steven Spielberg to be Honored at LMGI Awards

Academy Award®-winning director, producer, and writer Steven Spielberg, the master storyteller and legendary pioneer of the modern blockbuster motion picture, will be honored with the prestigious Eva Monley Award from the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) at the 10th  Annual LMGI Awards gala on August 26, 2023, at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage.

Spielberg's influence has inspired generations of creatives, acknowledging that locations play an indispensable role in the filmmaking process and convey distinct narratives. The announcement was made by LMGI Awards Committee Co-Chairs John Rakich and Robin Citrin. This year also marks the LMGI’s 20th anniversary. 

“Steven Spielberg is a giant in our industry. His work has touched, inspired, and entertained millions of moviegoers and filmmakers from around the world. His films are timeless. and his influence on the motion picture industry is immeasurable. We are so proud to be able to honor him as this year’s Eva Monley Award recipient,” said Rakich.

Steven Spielberg is one of the world's most successful and influential filmmakers, and is currently chairman of Amblin Partners, a corporate descendent of DreamWorks, SKG, which he co-founded in 1994. Among a host of career accolades, he is a three-time Academy Award® winner, a Kennedy Center Honoree, a recipient of the Irving G. Thalberg Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 from President Barack Obama.

The Eva Monley Award is given to an individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to the art and craft of filmmaking through their commitment to the use of real locations. The LMGI Awards recognize outstanding achievement in filmmaking, television, and commercials production worldwide, as well as film commissions. For a list of 2023 LMGI Awards nominees, visit: click here.

As previously announced, Location Scout and LMGI founding member Beth Tate (Twilight, Beverly Hills 90210) will receive this year’s Trailblazer Award. Veteran Location Manager Dow Griffith (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Jumanji, Proof of Life) will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and The Creative Coalition will receive the LMGI Humanitarian Award. This year’s awards are produced by Erick Weiss, Honeysweet Creative, and IngleDodd Media.

The Location Managers Guild International/LMGI is a global organization of career location professionals in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries dedicated to upholding the highest ethical standards. Through local commitment and international strength, we support strong relationships between production and government agencies, businesses, and communities.

We promote awareness of our place in the entertainment industry as indispensable creative collaborators through a variety of innovative programs.  The LMGI was founded in 2003 as a 501(c)(6), non-profit corporation as the LMGA and rebranded in 2016 to reflect its growing international membership. The LMGI is not a labor union and does not represent Location Managers/Scouts in wage or working condition negotiations.

photo credit: Brian Bowen Smith