The 44th Annual Saturn Awards Honors the Best and Brightest Stars in Genre Entertainment

BLACK PANTHER DOMINATES SATURN AWARDS with 5 WINS, and the Force was strong with Star Wars: The Last Jedi with 3 wins, including Best Actor for Mark Hamill

What could have been just another beautiful star-filled night in Burbank, also brought us the 44th Annual Saturn Awards! I know, it’s not the Oscars, but this also famous awards show, hosted at the legendary Castaway Restaurant (with the most amazing views of Los Angeles), is where the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films honor the best talent in genre entertainment. I have to admit- this is one night I look forward to every year! Not only did this geeky zombie girl get to meet Mark Hamill, (OMG- the force was with me) I had the honor of talking to some of the coolest actors ever and look at Jupiter and Saturn through powerful telescopes. I am still giddy with excitement!

With host Jonah Ray (of Netflix’s Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return) at the controls, the 44th Annual Saturn Awards shone. Marvel’s The Black Panther won five top Saturn Awards, followed by Star Wars: The Last Jedi with three Saturns. But the Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman, lost out to The Last Jedi‘s Mark Hamill for Best Actor, who finally got a much-deserved recognition for his incredible performance in Luke Skywalker’s swan song. Vince Gilligan’s neo-noir series Better Call Saul and Twin Peaks earned three Saturns, followed closely by The Walking Dead, and Star Trek: Discovery with two each.

   

The awards were pretty evenly spread out and diverse because of the great number of categories.  Marvel’s Black Panther was named Best Comic-to-Motion Picture. Blade Runner 2049 walked away with Best Science Fiction Film, while The Shape Of Water won Best Fantasy Film, Get Out won Best Horror Film, Coco won Best Animated Film, and Wonder earned the award for Best Independent Film. And unlike the Oscars, Wonder Woman earned some respect, with Gal Gadot winning the Best Actress Saturn.

    

Most of the attendees seem to feel the same about the Saturn Awards as I do. Since it’s such a geeky type of event, you never know who will show up. It’s a much less intense show to go to and many said it was their favorite, including Guillermo Del Toro on his pre-taped thank you speech. While accepting his Producers Showcase award, two time Academy Award nominee Jason Blum (who also received a Saturn for Get Out) compared it to another popular show. “This is so much more fun than the Oscars. It is so much more relaxed. It’s awesome,” he said, then revealing to the audience that as a kid he collected his own fingernails and kept them in a box. “Who would have ever thought that I could be in a room like this in front of all of you and talk about my fingernail collection, and that would actually kind of like help further my career?” He’s right- this genre is full of weirdos and it’s an honor to be one!

One of the highlights for the audience was the double win of Twin Peaks and the appearance of David Lynch bringing the first of two standing ovations. The other one going to Mark Hamill’s Best Actor win. Hamill laughed, “The first time I was nominated was in 1977 for Star Wars. I called Harrison and said ‘Harrison, the Saturns!, we’re both nominated in the same category. I think we might cancel each other out unless we call the Academy and get them to put one of us in the supporting category – hint hint’- and there was a long pause and then I heard, ‘what the fuck is the Saturns’?

Receiving Special Awards were Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) who was presented The Filmmaker’s Showcase Award by Jack Black, Sarah Schechter was  presented the Dan Curtis Award by KJ Apa of Riverdale, Don Mancini (creator of Chucky), the Special Achievement Award, and Blumhouse producer Jason Blum (Get Out!, Halloween) received the Producers Showcase Award.

For more information about the Saturn Awards and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, visit www.saturnawards.org.

All photos taken by LA Zombie Girl- Vicki Woods

Here is the full list of winners at the 44th Annual Saturn Awards:

FILM AWARDS

Best Science Fiction FilmBlade Runner 2049

Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture:  Black Panther

Best Fantasy FilmThe Shape of Water

Best Horror FilmGet Out

Best Action/Adventure FilmThe Greatest Showman

Best Thriller Film:  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best International Film:  Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
Best Animated Film:  Coco
Best Independent Film:  Wonder

 

Best Actor: Mark Hamill (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Best Actress: Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman)

Best Supporting Actor: Patrick Stewart (Logan)
                Best Supporting Actress:  Danai Gurira (Black Panther)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor:  Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Best Director: Ryan Coogler (Black Panther)

Best Writing:  Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Best Production Design: Hannah Beachler (Black Panther)

Best Editing: Bob Ducsay (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

Best Music: Michael Giacchino (Coco)

Best Costume: Jacqueline Durran (Beauty and the Beast)

Best Make-Up: Joel Harlow, Ken Diaz  (Black Panther)

Best Special Effects: Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick
(Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)

TELEVISION AWARDS

Best Science Fiction TV SeriesThe Orville

Best Horror TV SeriesThe Walking Dead

Best Action/Thriller TV Series Better Call Saul

Best Fantasy TV SeriesOutlander
Best Presentation on Television:  Twin Peaks

Best Animated TV Series:  Star Wars Rebels

Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series:  The Flash
Best New Media TV Series:  Star Trek: Discovery

Best New Media Superhero Series:  Marvel’s The Punisher

 

Best Actor on Television:  Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks)

Best Actress on Television:  Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery)

Best Supporting Actor on Television: Michael McKean (Better Call Saul)

Best Supporting Actress on Television: Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul)

Best Younger TV Actor:  Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead)

Best Guest Star on Television:  David Lynch (Twin Peaks)

HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS

Best DVD/BD ReleaseDave Made a Maze 

Best DVD/BD Classic Film ReleaseLifeboat

Best DVD/BD Collection ReleaseDracula Complete Legacy Collection

Best DVD/BD Television Series ReleaseAmerican Gods (Season 1)

Best DVD/BD Special Edition:  Night of the Living Dead (Criterion Collection)

Best Local Stage Production:  Something Rotten

 

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS FROM THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE FICTION,
FANTASY & HORROR FILMS

 

The Producers Showcase Award: Jason Blum

The Dan Curtis Legacy Award: Sarah Schechter
The Special Achievement Award: Don Mancini (“Chucky”)

The Filmmakers Showcase Award:  Jake Kasdan

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