LOS ANGELES, CA.- The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which held its fourth annual gala tonight, raised over $11 million to support the museum’s exhibitions, education initiatives, and public programming, including screenings, K-12 programs, and access initiatives in service of the general public and the local community of Los Angeles. Dedicated to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking, the gala was generously presented in partnership with Rolex—Founding Supporter and Official Watch Partner of the Academy Museum. The company has been with the museum since the beginning. Its recognition of excellence and achievement in cinema is the basis of its long partnership with the Academy. The gala was co-chaired by Academy Museum Trustee, physician, producer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Dr. Eric Esrailian; OscarⓇ-nominated actress, producer, director, and activist Salma Hayek Pinault; Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman; Academy Museum Trustee and actress, director, producer, and activist Eva Longoria; and Academy Museum Founding Supporter, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award winner, actor, filmmaker, and studio founder Tyler Perry.
The celebratory evening, commemorating the acclaimed museum’s three-year anniversary, was a star-studded affair that honored three Hollywood icons for their contributions to film both past and present. Gala co-chair Eva Longoria kicked off the programming for the evening, introducing Director and President of the Academy Museum, Amy Homma, who welcomed guests to the special fundraiser event before introducing the first presenter of the night. Three-time Oscar-winning Director and 23-time nominee, Steven Spielberg presented the Icon Award to Oscar-winning actress, singer, and dancer Rita Moreno. After the dinner service, Colman Domingo made his way to the stage to welcome the next presenter, four-time Oscar-nominee Saoirse Ronan, who presented friend and recent co-star, Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal with the Vantage Award. The Luminary Award was presented by two-time Oscar nominee and long-time collaborator, John Travolta to two-time Oscar-winning and six-time Oscar-nominated writer and director Quentin Tarantino. During his acceptance speech, Quentin Tarantino announced the donation of his first handwritten draft of the script for Pulp Fiction (1994) to the museum. Before the night was over, Ariana Grande closed out the evening with a heartfelt introduction to co-star Cynthia Erivo, who treated guests to a surprise musical performance, singing “I’m Here,” from The Color Purple, Diana Ross’s “Home” from The Wiz (1978),” “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz (1939), and Prince’s “Purple Rain.”
The Vantage Award honors an emerging artist or scholar who is helping to contextualize and challenge dominant narratives around cinema. The Icon Award, presented by Rolex, celebrates an artist whose career has had a significant global cultural impact. The Luminary Award is given to an artist whose singular contributions have expanded the creative possibilities of cinema. The Icon and Vantage Awards, designed by the Haas Brothers and fabricated by UAP, are solid cast bronze, hand polished, hand stamped, and triple plated in nickel, copper, and 24k gold. The Visionary Award, fabricated by UAP, is a solid cast stainless steel statuette inspired by historic versions of the Oscar® statuette; it is mirror-polished by hand and attached to a cast bronze base with an engraved stainless steel nameplate affixed…