In a world where movie trailers are too often left out of the awards conversation, one ceremony is still fighting the good fight.
This year marks the 25th edition of the Golden Trailer Awards, a show dedicated to the art and science of cutting a can’t-miss coming attraction that puts butts in seats—whether those seats are in a movie theater or on a couch in front of a CTV screen.
Founded in 1999 by sisters Monica and Evelyn Brady, the GTAs pride themselves on being as succinct a ceremony as the two-to-three-minute spots they honor: “We want to be the world’s shortest awards show,” Monica Brady tells ADWEEK with a grin. “It’s about leaving them wanting more.”
The 25th anniversary ceremony will certainly offer more—much more—than the inaugural edition. The 1st Golden Trailer Awards were held in New York City in September 1999 and handed out roughly 20 statues, most of which went to The Matrix and its trendsetting trailer.
Flash forward a quarter century, and the current edition now boasts over 100 categories covering a variety of platforms and media—from multiplexes and streamers to TV shows and video games. This year’s crop of nominees spans trailers made between April 2024 and April 2025 and includes such blockbusters and blockbusters-to-be as Deadpool & Wolverine, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, Sinners, and 28 Years Later.
All 100+ statues will be handed out in a 90-minute ceremony livestreamed from the Los Angeles Orpheum starting at 8 p.m. PT on May 29. Impractical Jokers fan favorite James Murray is emceeing, and presenters like Chanel Ali, Nico Carney, and Becky Robinson have been enlisted to keep the mood light and the pace quick.
At a time when the entertainment industry at large is seeking new ways to market their wares to increasingly distracted audiences, the Brady sisters say that the GTAs demonstrate how trailers remain a vital part of movie and TV promotion.
“Trailers are still the number one way of marketing a film to an audience,” Monica Brady emphasizes. “Every year, we create packages of the five nominees in each category, and they cut together so smoothly. We actually see people putting down their phones to watch them!”