👋 Been a pretty chill start to 2026 eh? Connect with me here
💼 You just got 16 days to eat too much charcuterie, drink, (hopefully) unplug, and reflect on where you’re at, all that you’ve accomplished, and where you want to be at the end of this year.
Many of you made your own resolutions but my challenge to you is simple: reach out to one person new each week this year. Don’t ask for a favor. Better yet: offer something (if you can). A thought, a compliment, a suggestion, a specific question, a connection etc. Many will go unanswered. Some may go no where. But one new convo can change your life. Human connection has never been more valuable. That process was how I started this newsletter 3 years ago, and this certainly has changed my life.
I’ll tell more about that story later. Until then, good luck getting to inbox zero xoxo
🏆 Want to attend our Award Show on Jan 22 in L.A. celebrating Assistants? The ticket raffle closes Wednesday! Tix & a BIG announcement on Thursday
Not subscribed yet? Join 33,500+ of your peers who read The AvA Connection. Your future self will thank you.
1) Women directed only 8% of the 100 top grossing films of 2025, a steep decline from the 13.4% in 2024.
111 Directors worked on the top 100 movies of the past year. Only 9 of them were helmed by women, and that number is roughly the same as it was during the Recession in 2008.
“…These results are driven by executive decision-making that took place long before any DEI prohibitions took effect. Many of these films were green-lit and in pre-production before the 2024 election.”
2) Universal Music is continuing its big bet on India, with a 30% stake in Excel Entertainment
Big bet: The globalization of music has just begun
3) Theaters are HOT to start the year.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ crossed $1 billion at the box office in just 18 days. Wild fact: it’s slowest installment of the trilogy to reach that mark. The first film passed $1 billion in 17 days, with the second breaching it in just 14.
‘Zootopia 2’ is now Disney’s highest grossing animated film of all time. It hit $1.58 billion and dethroned ‘Frozen 2’ ($1.45 billion), and the project as a whole notably is the 12th on the all time list.
4) MTV’s music-only video channels officially shut down after 40 years on New Years Eve.
They closed out with the same song that started it all, ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ by The Buggles, and it well and truly is the end of an era. Why am I crying at the club rn (my cubicle).
5) Critics Choice Awards were the first major televised awards show of the year
While they used to be a good predictor for the Oscars, but that no longer holds true as the Academy goes more international (IndieWire)
Good or bad news for the Critics Choice winners?
Timothée Chalamet - “Marty Supreme” (Best Actor)
Jessie Buckley - “Hamnet” - Best Acctress
“One Battle After Another” (Best Picture)
Also, no you aren’t imagining spending your holidays with Timothée Chalamet every year, as he’s been the star of a film during the holiday season for 3 years running now (soon to make it 4)
2023: ‘Wonka’
2024: Bob Dylan in ‘A Complete Unknown’
2025: The Ping Pong epic of ‘Marty Supreme.’
That run is set to continue for a 4th year with the release of ‘Dune: Part III’ on December 18th in 2026.
Our new job board features 115+ early career roles in Entertainment, including:
💼 Creator Partnerships Manager - Condé Nast - Apply Here
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💼 Influencer Strategy Specialist - Roc Nation - Apply Here
💼 Commercial Partnership Solutions Sports Media Manager - TikTok - Apply Here
💼 Associate Producer (Music Imaging) - SiriusXM - Apply Here
💼 Music Operations Assistant - UTA - Apply Here
💼 Audience Development & Digital Ads Manager (Epic) - Sony Music - Apply Here
💼 Executive Assistant (NBC News) - NBCUniversal - Apply Here
💼 Media & Entertainment Partnerships (Creative Marketing Executive) - CAA - Apply Here
💼 TV/Digital Production Research Manager - Penske Media - Apply Here
💼 Admin Assistant (Ads) - Netflix - Apply Here
💼 Show Coordinator - NBCUniversal - Apply Here
💼 Business Management Coordinator - The Walt Disney Company - Apply Here
💼 MediaLink Assistant - UTA - Apply Here
🎒 Sports 2026 Summer Internship - Publicis - Apply Here
🎒 Intern, Literary Media - WME - Apply Here
👋 See you back here on Wednesday
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