With possibly the most anticipated awards season ever returning this year, 2Heads turned their eyes to the red carpet to see which organiser delivered the best experience. As a top experiential marketing agency, we’re always looking for inspiration and influence, and nothing brings the glitz more than the awards. Here we discuss the celebs and experiences who owned their moment best.

The Golden Globes

After 118 days on the picket lines, the SAG AFTRA strike came to an end in November 2023 with a well-deserved win for the actors. The Golden Globes on the 7th January was the first big award ceremony to land since the strike ended and a perfect opportunity for them to launch their rebrand following their break from NBC.

Pre-event hype concentrated on how the insitution has changed with an expanded, diversified voting body. Some of these adjustments were welcome, even overdue; but how did they keep the annual celebrity extravaganza fun? The host Jo Koy didn’t have quite the satiricial edge of previous host Ricky Gervais but highlights included Robert Downey Jr’s wry speech, the enthuasism of Jon Batiste and Andra Day’s pairing and of course the added glitter of Taylor Swift in the room. One thing to change for next year however might be the design of that overlarge stage.

SAG Awards

Fast foward three days and the Screen Actors Guild Awards were a different affair. Less efficiency and more exuburance than the Globes, the SAG awards embraced a more relaxed attitude. Organizers set the tone as a reunion almost; a chance to celebrate after spending much of last year on the picket line. Last year, every actor who prevailed at SAG went on to win an Oscar so the guild’s votes were the main talk of the town, though for us as an agency, the highlight of the event were Silent House Productions who provided the slick production behind the SAG’s first live-stream on Netflix.

75th Primetime Emmy Awards

Let’s move on from award vibes and look at after-parties! None of which had more of vibe than those cocooning this year’s Emmy awards. TV’s biggest night took place four months late, leaving brands ample time to get planning. Activations abound with our favourite invite only parties including Disney’s chic winter sanctuary-inspired fete and HBO | Max’s eclectic bungalow bash. 

Disney’s “Après Fête”-themed after-party, held at Otium in Downtown Los Angeles drew inspiration from the chic ambiance of an East Coast boutique mingled with West Coast wine country using a palette of rich leathers, woods, layered textiles. HBO | Max’s Bungalow embraced more of a White Lotus vibe where guests were handed a map of the unique F&B pop-ups and entertainment moments—including performances from DJ Este Haim.

Sundance Film Festival

You can always rely on the Sundance Film Festival to have its finger on the cultural pulse. This year, the world’s biggest indy film fete started to see a return to the pre-covid sales frenzy. Successful screenings included movies like “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper”which received an emotional standing ovation, while “A Real Pain” scored multimillion-dollar deals. Sundance is back to its exciting ways and hopefully sets the tone for this year’s screenings from LA to London.

66th Annual Grammy Awards

Moving into February, the vibe for the Grammy’s was all about record-breaking. From Taylor Swift’s fourth best album win to Billie Eilish’s 2nd Song of the Year Trophy, one stand out moment for us was Miley Cyrus’s impromptu sing-along and endearingly ‘real’ award acceptance. Loud and proud was also the theme for the awards activations, from the Recording Academy’s eclectic music festival to Mastercards fully planted secret garden and the Black Music Collective’s multi-demensional LED tunnel, this year was all about Gucci disco ball ceilings and giant branded boomboxes!

What’s next on the horizon? We’re looking forward to the BAFTA’s in the UK on the 18th February and of course, the 96th Academy Awards on the 10th March. Closing out the season, this year’s Oscars promise to be the most-watched yet, and we’ll be there celebrating with Disney Advertising Sales.