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🏆 Last night 450 assistants joined us at the El Rey, which is as close to Hollywood as I could afford, for the first annual AvA Awards. The hardest working people in Hollywood deserve their own night, and so many people to thank for making it happen. Highlights below.

💼 Looking for open Entertainment jobs? Scroll to the bottom of this email. Our Job Board now has 135+ early career Entertainment roles as well.

✏️ Oscar Nominations just dropped and rocked the boat in a BIG way. Adobe launched a $10 million TV & Film fund for underrepresented creatives. Former Ticketmaster CEO & Live Nation Chairman makes a major move on the indie label front. & More.

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What you missed at the AvA Awards:

Surprise appearances and video segments from Rhett & Link, Nikki Glaser, Robby Hoffman, Jake Shane, Reece Feldman, Trixie Mattel, Ariana Madix & many more
Matt Belloni gave his cell number out for Assistants to text dirt about their boss
We used a copy machine as the podium .. a commitment to the bit
Connor Wood crushed it
We are continuing the fundraise for some amazing non-profits
9 incredible assistants took home the first ever Assistant of The Year title

Photo Credit: Ariel Goldberg

Photo Credit: Gian Barbarona

Photo Credit: Ariel Goldberg

1) The Oscar nominations have officially dropped, and there is a lot to talk about:

‘Sinners‘ broke the record for the most nominations ever with 16 – beating the previous holders: ‘Titanic,’ ‘La La Land,’ and ‘All About Eve’
‘Wicked For Good’ was completely shut out with 0 nominations
Emma Stone is the youngest woman to ever accumulate 7 nominations – a record previously held by Meryl Streep, and is only bested by Walt Disney
Timothée Chalamet also is the youngest man ever to receive 3 nominations – dethroning Warren Beatty who held the record for 58 years
Jacob Elordi, Michael B. Jordan, Elle Fanning, and Teyana Taylor all were nominated for the first time this year
The Oscars introduced the ‘Casting’ category as the first new addition in 25 years
Needless to say, it has been a big year for a ton of different reasons.

2) Adobe is launching a $10 million film & TV fund in 2026 for underrepresented creators.

Announced at Sundance Film Festival, and will be done in partnership with Dimz Inc. Academy, ran by Amelia Dimoldenberg (of Chicken Shop Date), as well as Rideback RISE which supports filmmakers of color. Love to see this.

3) Irving Azoff’s ‘Giant Music’ announced a strategic partnership with Concord’s ‘Stem.’

For anyone who doesn’t know, Irving Azoff was the Former CEO of Ticketmaster, and an Executive Chairman at Live Nation. ‘Giant Music’ is his independent label venture, and this further positions the company to become an even bigger player in that market.

4) ‘Love Island USA’ was the most watched TV original on streaming in 2025

Why am I writing about Love Island? It’s the first unscripted series to top Luminate’s annual rankings. People love “reality” TV to escape their reality. More to come from Luminate’s Year End Report on Monday.

Every week we drop our favorite podcast & book recs.

Today, we have an iconic conversation… Michelle Obama on Call Her Daddy. They discuss her experience as the First Lady and how to confront major issues women face in today's world.

This is a great watch or listen to dive into Michelle Obama’s experience at the White House and explore how connecting with others is key + the impact that had on her own life.