Following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Heller Awards—in which the Talent Managers Association honors the year’s best talent reps—are back. The 2022 ceremony will take place at the Taglyan Complex in Los Angeles on Nov. 10.
Amanda Fuller (“Last Man Standing,” “Orange Is the New Black”) will present the awards; past hosts have included the likes of Betty White and Michael Rooker. Victoria Mojica Monroe, Lori Kay, and Tammy Wallace are producing the event, and Ryan Guess is directing.
This year’s theme, “Resilience,” reflects the innovative ways talent representatives respond to challenges. Five managers, talent agents, and casting directors will be honored for their contributions at the awards ceremony.
The Awards are named after Seymour Heller, a talent manager who represented legendary artists including Liberace, Ginger Rogers, and Regis Philbin. Heller was one of the founders of the Talent Managers Association, which fosters ethical connections between talent managers and their clients. Heller’s philosophies reflect his thoughtful approach: “Always be above reproach; treat each other with respect; always strive to represent yourself and your clients with dignity; and always remember that, while you represent them, they also represent you.”
Read on for a full list of this year’s honorees and nominees.
Courtesy Talent Managers Association
Lifetime Achievement: Talent Agent
Jody Alexander (Clear Talent Group)
Lifetime Achievement: Casting
Judy Taylor (“The Goonies,” “Sister Act,” “Free Willy”)
Lifetime Achievement: Management
Shep Gordon (Alive Enterprises)
Impact Award
Entertainment Community Fund
TMA Manager of the Year
Myrna Lieberman (Myrna Lieberman Management)
Video Game Casting Director of the Year
Jamie Bafus (Sony Playstation Studios)
Julia Bianco Schoeffling (The Halp Network)
Ivy Isenberg (Ivy Isenberg Casting)
Emily Schweber (Emily Schweber Casting)
Lisa Zambetti (Lisa Zambetti Casting)
Animation Voiceover Casting Director of the Year
Julie Ashton (Julie Ashton Casting)
Ruth Lambert and Robert McGee (Lambert/McGee Casting)
Linda Lamontagne (Linda Lamontagne Casting)
Northeast Commercial or Voiceover Casting Director of the Year
Angela Mickey (Liz Lewis Casting Partners)
Rachel Reiss (Liz Lewis Casting Partners)
Rebecca Yarsin (House Casting)
Northeast Commercial or Voiceover Agent of the Year
Tracey Goldblum (Kazarian/Measures/Ruskin & Associates)
Mike Lyons (BMG)
Gina Manfredi (DDO Artists Agency)
Morgan Peterson (Take 3 Talent Agency)
Mickey Shera (Innovative Artists)
Commercial Casting Director of the Year
Dan Bell (Dan Bell Casting)
Ryan Bernstein (RMB Casting)
Edward Flores (Elevator Casting)
Karmen Leech (Cast Station)
Karen Ryan (Canvas Casting)
Youth Commercial Agent of the Year
Bri Curtis (DDO Artists Agency)
Haydn Jones (The Osbrink Agency)
Sydel Lisi (Coast to Coast Talent Group)
Michelle J. Henderson (Henderson Represents)
Carol Lynn Sher (CESD Talent Agency)
Adult Commercial Agent of the Year
Doug Ely (AKA Talent Agency)
Garrett Hershey (Daniel Hoff Agency)
Jason Hilton (Luxe Talent Agency)
Nancy Luciano (Luciano Reeves Talent)
Mark Park (Stewart Talent)
Voiceover Agent of the Year
Alicia Beekman (DDO Artists Agency)
Melissa Berger-Brennan (CESD Talent Agency)
Julie Gudz (DDO Artists Agency)
Kevin Motley (Tisherman, Gilbert, Motley, Drozdoski Talent Agency)
Portia Scott (Coast to Coast Talent Group)
Casting Associate of the Year
Chris Gehrt (Wendy O’Brien Casting)
Rachel Imbriglio (Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting)
Gregory Kulhanjian (LDB Casting)
Anna McCarthy (Kim Coleman Casting)
Brian Sutow (The Telsey Office)
Youth Episodic Casting Director of the Year
Krisha Bullock and Jamie Snow (Bullock & Snow Casting)
Melissa Delizia (Melissa Delizia Casting)
Suzanne Goddard-Smythe (Suzanne Goddard-Smythe Casting)
Sheryl Levine (Sheryl Levine Casting)
Howard Meltzer (Casting by Howard Meltzer)
Southeast Casting Director of the Year
Erica Bream (Erica Bream Casting)
Elizabeth Coulon (Coulon Casting)
Rhavynn Drummer (Tyler Perry Studios)
Ryan Glorioso (Glorioso Casting)
George Pierre (Pierre Casting)
Northeast Episodic Casting Director of the Year
Rob Decina (CBS Television Studios)
Erica Hart (Hart Casting)
Avy Kaufman (Avy Kaufman Casting)
John Ort (Kathleen Chopin Casting)
Jonathan Strauss (Jonathan Strauss Casting)
Episodic Casting Director of the Year
Kim Coleman (Kim Coleman Casting)
Blyth Nailling (Blyth Nailling Casting)
John Papsidera (Automatic Sweat)
Vickie Thomas (Vickie Thomas Casting)
Robert J. Ulrich (Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting)
Northeast Feature Casting Director of the Year
Douglas Aibel (Douglas Aibel Casting)
Ally Beans (Eisenberg/Beans Casting)
Ellen Chenoweth (Ellen Chenoweth Casting)
Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent (S2 Entertainment)
Susan Shopmaker (Susan Shopmaker Casting)
Feature Casting Director of the Year
Leah Daniels-Butler (LDB Casting Rich Delia)
Rich Delia Casting Sarah Finn (Sarah Finn Co.)
Randi Hiller (Walt Disney Studios)
Carla Hool (Carla Hool Casting)
Mary Vernieu (Betty Mae Casting)
Northeast Youth Theatrical Agent of the Year
David Doan (CESD Talent Agency)
Mallory Levy (DDO Artists Agency)
Natasha Matallana (Take 3 Talent Agency)
Youth Theatrical Agent of the Year
Rebecca Ek (Eris Talent Agency)
Domina Holbeck (A3 Artists Agency)
Philip Marcus (Clear Talent Group)
Milton Perea (Amsel, Eisenstadt, Frazier & Hinojosa Talent Agency)
Laura Wood (DDO Artists Agency)
Southeast Agent of the Year
Joy Pervis (J Pervis Talent Agency)
Cindy Hill (Gravity Hill Agency)
Christy Clark (Stewart Talent)
Angie Moncrief (Action Talent Agency)
Thompson Milam (People Store)
Northeast Adult Theatrical Agent of the Year
Ben Jordan (Headline Talent Agency)
Amy Lord (Eris Talent Agency)
Jonathan Mason (Buchwald)
Eddie Rabon (Take 3 Talent Agency)
Jay Schachter (Stewart Talent)
Adult Theatrical Agent of the Year
Mike Baldridge (Momentum Talent and Literary Agency)
Michael Eisenstadt (Amsel, Eisenstadt, Frazier & Hinojosa Talent Agency)
Amy Luker (Jana Luker Agency)
Greg Scuderi (Master Talent Agency)
Rachel Tolliver (FireStarter Entertainment)