The 12th Annual LMGI Awards lit up Santa Monica with tributes to cinematic storytelling through location, awarding top honours to films, television, and commercials that showcase the power of place. Kevin Costner received the prestigious Eva Monley Award, while winners included Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, A Complete Unknown, and HBO Max’s The Penguin. The evening underscored the art of turning landscapes into characters on screen.
The magic of location in film and television took centre stage Saturday night as the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) held its 12th Annual Awards at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Before an audience of 400 industry insiders, the ceremony celebrated the creative vision behind the global backdrops that breathe life into screen storytelling.
Image courtesy of Matthew Imaging
Hosted by actress and producer Rachael Harris, the event recognised winners across feature films, television, and commercials while also honouring individuals and organisations for their contributions to the craft of location management.
The Motion Picture awards went to A Complete Unknown, filmed against the dramatic landscapes of New Jersey, and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which showcased a globe-spanning journey across England, Norway, South Africa, and Malta. In television, Apple TV+’s The Studio (shot in Los Angeles and Las Vegas), Paramount+’s 1923 (filmed in Texas and Montana), and HBO Max’s The Penguin (filmed in neighbourhoods across New York City) were celebrated for their striking use of place.
Image courtesy of Matthew Imaging
On the commercial side, Orient Express’s Artisan of Travel campaign from Belmond earned the award for Outstanding Commercial, while the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission was recognised with the Outstanding Film Commission Award for its work supporting A Complete Unknown.
The night’s most emotional moments came with special honours. Two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Costner received the esteemed Eva Monley Award, presented to individuals who advance the understanding of location professionals in the industry. Costner was praised for his lifelong dedication to storytelling through landscapes, with his body of work, from Dances with Wolves and Field of Dreams to Yellowstone and the epic Horizon: An American Saga, deeply intertwined with place.
Image courtesy of Greg Doherty
The LMGI Humanitarian Award went to Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles, saluted for its mission of granting transformative wishes for children and their families. CEO Aparna Pande accepted the award, presented by Don Pell, underscoring the organisation's alignment with Hollywood’s values of imagination, hope, and resilience.
Producer Ian Bryce presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran location manager Ilt Jones, whose three-decade career has shaped the look of blockbusters including The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Captain Marvel, and the Transformers franchise. Jones was recognise for his ability to seamlessly integrate real-world settings with cinematic spectacle.
Image courtesy of Greg Doherty
The evening featured appearances from a wide range of presenters, including The Studio’s Keyla Monterrosa Mejia, The Bear’s Carmen Christopher, That ’90s Show actor Maxwell Acee Donovan, and Young and the Restless star Kate Linder.
LMGI President John Rakich, who chaired the awards committee alongside Nancy Haecker, emphasized the global nature of the honourees. “Our winners prove that locations are more than just backdrops,” he said. “They are integral to the art of storytelling.”
Image courtesy of Greg Doherty
The ceremony was produced by IngleDodd Media and Erick Weiss of Honeysweet Creative, with writer Shelly Goldstein returning to help shape the evening’s narrative.
From the sweeping landscapes of Montana to the bustling streets of Brooklyn, the 2025 LMGI Awards reinforced the transformative role that real-world environments play in film and television. By spotlighting the behind-the-scenes artistry of location professionals, the evening paid tribute not just to the places on screen, but to the creative visionaries who make those worlds possible.
