Quinta Brunson, Twisters, and Bad River were the big winners at last night’s 34th annual Environmental Media Awards honoring environmental achievements in film and television.
The Environmental Media Awards (EMA) returned last night for its 34th year, bringing together Hollywood luminaries to celebrate productions championing sustainability and environmental themes. Hosted by Malin Akerman and Dermot Mulroney, the gala made its debut at Radford Studios, with highlights including Quinta Brunson’s Futures Award recognition, a performance by Grammy-nominated singer Antonique Smith, and dinner by Los Angeles’ premier plant-based restaurant, Crossroads.
In a moving speech by co-star Chris Perfetti, Brunson was lauded for her environmentally conscious storytelling and leadership in Abbott Elementary. “I’m truly honored to receive the EMA Futures Award,” Brunson said in a statement. “As someone who deeply cares about the environment, it means a lot to be recognized for using both my platform and my comedy to inspire change. I’m proud to be part of a community that values sustainability, and I’m excited to keep moving forward on a path toward a greener planet.” Brunson also paid tribute to the late television icon and EMA co-founder, Norman Lear, praising his risk-taking shows including All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, and Good Times.
The night’s biggest award winners included the Lee Isaac Chung-directed summer blockbuster, Twisters, which took home the award for Feature Film, and the Quannah Chasinghorse-narrated Bad River for Documentary Film. Twisters was lauded for its narrative aligning natural disasters with environmental concerns, a message resonating with current global challenges. The film, produced by Amblin, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros., signals how blockbuster storytelling can embed ecological messages. Chung accepted the award and reflected on the challenges of shooting in Oklahoma during tornado season.
Bad River, produced and directed by Mary Mazzio, presents the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s resistance against the Line 5 oil pipeline, an ongoing legal battle with Enbridge Energy. Operating with expired easements, the pipeline runs through tribal land, underscoring Indigenous-led activism in environmental justice.
Presenters and attendees included Wendie Malick, Ed Begley Jr. and his daughter Hayden, Daniella Pineda, Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed, and Tati Gabrielle, alongside environmental activists and influencers. The ceremony also marked the 20th anniversary of the EMA Green Seal, a program that has become the standard for sustainable production in the industry.
EMA CEO Debbie Levin reflected on the organization’s global impact. “As the most visible industry in the global community, our storytelling and production standards lead other sectors,” she said. “We’re so proud and excited to be celebrating the EMA Green Seal’s 20th anniversary this year and the program’s global influence. Today, there are sustainability groups and companies that assist in achieving the EMA Green Seal application and guidelines, green stewards and of course, departments at all studios across all industries. We created the EMA Green Seal to move the industry forward with sustainable actions behind the scenes and we are now the global standard in green production.”
Other winners included HBO’s True Detective: Night Country “ Part 5” for Television Episodic Drama; BBC America’s Planet III Ocean for best documentary series; NBCUniversal’s Top Chef “The Good Land” for Reality Series; HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver “Corn Production”; National Geographic’s A Real Bug’s Life “Braving the Backyard” for Children’s Television; and the Paul Junger Witt Comedy Award went to Hacks “One Day”.
Related on Ethos:
