The Location Managers Guild International recognized the cinematic and television teams behind major 2026 releases at its 13th annual ceremony on Saturday evening. Held at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica and hosted by comedian Fritz Coleman, the event awarded top honors to features like Warner Bros. Pictures’ One Battle After Another and A24’s Marty Supreme, alongside hit streaming series.
Here is the kicker: while Hollywood frequently fixates on above-the-line talent, Saturday night’s gala put the logistical masterminds front and center. The guild’s annual honors serve as a powerful reminder that the tangible reality of our favorite on-screen worlds relies entirely on scouts and managers who secure volatile permits, wrangle sprawling crews across international borders, and turn rugged terrain into cinematic gold.
The Bottom Line
- Feature Winners: One Battle After Another took home the contemporary feature prize, while Marty Supreme captured the period feature category.
- Television Victors: Pluribus, Fallout, and Black Rabbit dominated their respective contemporary, period, and limited television categories.
- Special Honors: Industry stalwarts Vince Gilligan and Mike Fantasia received prestigious career awards, alongside tributes to the Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commission and the Environmental Media Association.
Mapping the Logistics Behind the Silver Screen
The competition for top location honors this year reflected a massive geographic footprint for studios navigating complex production schedules.
Meanwhile, Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme secured the period feature film award for its meticulous recreation of bygone eras across New York City, greater New York, the Hudson Valley, New Jersey, and Tokyo.
Streaming Giants and Television Triumphs
On the episodic front, Apple TV+’s Pluribus claimed the trophy for contemporary television series, pulling off shoots in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Montana, Nevada, and Spain.
Netflix rounded out the major TV wins with Black Rabbit taking the prize for an anthology, movie, or limited series following production runs around New York City, including Brooklyn and Manhattan.
A Snapshot of the 2026 LGMI Winners
| Category | Winner | Studio / Network |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary Feature Film | One Battle After Another | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Period Feature Film | Marty Supreme | A24 |
| Contemporary Television Series | Pluribus | Apple TV+ |
| Period Television Series | Fallout (Season 2) | Amazon Prime Video |
| TV Anthology, Movie or Limited Series | Black Rabbit | Netflix |
| Outstanding Commercial | Toyota Trucks: “They Don’t Read Reviews” | Commercial Production |
Honoring Industry Pillars
Beyond the production trophies, the evening served to celebrate foundational figures who have shaped modern storytelling.
Gilligan accepted the Eva Monley Award for his dedication to storytelling through location across his career, including his work on Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Pluribus. Additionally, veteran location manager Mike Fantasia—whose credits include Top Gun: Maverick, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Spider-Man: Homecoming—was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, cementing a legacy built on navigating the most challenging sets in modern film history.
Which of this year’s winning locations surprised you the most on screen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
