A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit. Martin McDonagh finds himself in rarefied territory this season after the Academy’s directors branch rather shockingly “snubbed” him and failed to nominate him in their category for his much-acclaimed Golden Globe winner and Oscar Best Picture…

Helen Mirren will receive AARP’s 2017 Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award. The 17th annual Movies for Grownups Awards is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 5, 2018, and will be broadcast for the first time later that month. "I am greatly honored by this award,” said Mirren. “I consider film to be a high art form…

AARP, the nonprofit for Americans 50 and older, wants to help guide its members through the TV landscape. A new AARP initiative called TV for Grownups will offer online reviews, news and even awards, the organization said today. The new project follows AARP’s Movies for Grownups initiative. The organization said TV…

AARP today announced the launch of in-house production entity AARP Studios and set its first project, Dinner With Don, starring Don Rickles. The 10-episode Dinner With Don will featuring Rickles dining with friends and fellow comedians at some of his favorite LA-area restaurants, with a guest list that includes Billy…

EXCLUSIVE: Say hello to yet another TV deal for an awards show. The AARP’s lively 14th Annual “Movies For Grownups Gala”, which I covered February 2nd when it was held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, has been sold as an hour TV special to air on Los Angeles station KTLA this Sunday at 5 PM. It also has…

Monday was a very busy day for Oscar nominees. Aside from the main event that I covered in detail yesterday, the Oscar Nominees luncheon, a couple of trade sites poached the Academy’s large turnout for nighttime parties offering yet more photo ops. The bigger names usually walk down the carpets at those things, head…

EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Costner has been chosen to receive AARP’s Career Achievement Award, which will be presented as part of the organization’s annual Movies For Grownups Awards on February 2 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Costner also has officially joined the Oscar race this year with his powerful racial drama Blac…

EXCLUSIVE: Director Saffron Cassaday’s debut feature docu Cyber-Seniors has teamed up with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Foundation to help get seniors plugged into the world wide web via a U.S. promo tour to begin May 8. It’s a rare film promo campaign for AARP, which runs the Mentor Up…

The Oscar luncheon has become a lynchpin for other events and award-related activities since so many nominees are in town for the occasion. It’s a last-gasp attempt to get them out to as many events as possible before final ballots go out Friday. The Dallas Buyers Club group, the Wolf Of Wall Street and several others…