Georgia residents braved heavy rain and strong winds Jan. 19 to catch a glimpse of the first-ever Atlanta EGOTS Exhibit, proudly featuring what are considered the top five performance-based awards in America. The SAG Awards Actor, the Emmy, the Grammy, the Oscar, and the Tony were on a red carpet display to celebrate the entertainment industry’s impact on the city of Atlanta. Held in the Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center, the event was one of several leading up to the national telecast of the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony, which will be hosted by Megan Mullally in Los Angeles on Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. PT.
Ric Reitz, president of SAG-AFTRA Atlanta, was on hand to celebrate the actors and filmmakers who make productions come to life in the Peach State. “Our city has grown into one of the largest production centers in America, which is part of what makes it the perfect place for this event,” he said in a statement.
The lobby of the Woodruff Arts Center was filled with Alliance Theatre and Atlanta Symphony attendees, as well as SAG-AFTRA members and various onlookers who came to get up close to the famous accolades. On display was the SAG Actor statuette in honor of the award-winning cast of Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” who call Atlanta home for the duration of their long production seasons. Notably, the SAG Awards was the first televised awards show to acknowledge the work of union members and the first to present awards to motion picture casts and television ensembles. Of the top industry honors presented to actors, only the SAG Awards are selected entirely by performers’ union peers.
The 1962 Oscar for best original song awarded to Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini for “Moon River” from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was also on display alongside the venue’s 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award (a special honor given to an American theater company each year) and the 2018 Southeast Chapter Governors Emmy Award; winners for the latter include Reitz, Melissa Goodman, Wilbur Fitzgerald, and Shay Griffin, who were lauded for “outstanding achievement and dedication to broadcast television.” Rounding out the exhibition was the 1985 Grammy Award for best classical album, which was awarded to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
“Having all five major awards in one place is a unique experience,” said Kathy Connell, executive producer of the SAG Awards and the guild’s national programming. “We appreciate SAG-AFTRA Atlanta making this exhibition happen as a salute to SAG-AFTRA and to celebrate the SAG Awards Silver Anniversary.”
If you’re a member of SAG-AFTRA, there’s still time to submit your final choices for the 2019 SAG Awards; votes must be cast online or ballots received by Jan. 25. For voting guides and more information on this year’s nominees, check out Backstage’s awards coverage.
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