American Cinematheque

Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” and Alexandre Desplat’s score for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio lived up to their front-runner status for the 2023 Academy Awards on Monday (Jan. 9) when they were chosen as the year’s best song and score, respectively, by The American Cinematheque. They will be among the honorees at the second annual Tribute to the Crafts, which will take place Thursday, Feb. 9, at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Calif.
The event, co-hosted by American Cinematheque board members Stephanie Allain and Paula Wagner, will celebrate individuals in 15 categories. The honorees were selected by a jury of cinephiles, film historians and journalists.

“Honoring the wide array of talent from these extraordinary films is exactly in line with the AC’s mission,” Grant Moninger, American Cinematheque’s director of film programming & creative, said in a statement. “This event showcases the achievements of those behind the camera who bring these incredible films to life.”

In documentary awards, Terence Blanchard will be honored for his score for Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues.

Several of the American Cinematheque’s choices were shortlisted for Oscars on Dec. 21. In addition to “Lift Me Up” (shortlisted for best original song) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (shortlisted for best original score), AC honorees that were shortlisted for Oscars are Top Gun: Maverick (sound), Avatar: The Way of Water (visual effects) and The Whale (makeup and hairstyling).

The AC event is being produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates. Event production will be handled by Gina Wade Creative.

Established in 1984, the American Cinematheque is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural arts organization dedicated to building an engaged film community through immersive film curation, conversation and presentation.

The announcement of the AC honorees may potentially impact Oscars voting. Nominations round voting for the 2023 Oscars extends from Jan. 12 to 17. Nominations will be announced on Jan. 24. Final round voting extends from March 2-7. The awards will be presented on March 12.

Here’s a full list of Tribute to the Crafts honorees:

FEATURE FILM

Song: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Tems – “Lift Me Up”) – Marvel Studios

Score: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Alexandre Desplat) – Netflix

Casting: Women Talking (John Buchan and Jason Knight) – UAR

Choreography: RRR (Prem Rakshith) – Variance Films/ Sarigama Cinemas

Cinematography: Nope (Hoyte van Hoytema) – Universal Pictures

Costume Design: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter) – Marvel Studios

Editing: Everything Everywhere All at Once (Paul Rogers) – A24

Hair and Makeup: The Whale (Adrien Morot, Annemarie Bradley and Judy Chin) – A24

Production Design/Set Decoration: Babylon (Anthony Carlino and Florencia Martin) – Paramount Pictures

Sound: Top Gun: Maverick (Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Mark Taylor and Mark Weingarten) – Paramount Pictures

Stunts: The Woman King (Danny Hernandez) – TriStar Pictures and Entertainment One

Visual & Special Effects: Avatar: The Way of Water (Daniel Barrett, Eric Saindon, Joe Letteri and Richard Baneham) – 20th Century Studios

DOCUMENTARY

Cinematography: Fire of Love (Katia and Maurice Krafft) – National Geographic Documentary Films

Editing: Good Night Oppy (Helen Kearns and Rejh Cabrera) – Amazon Studios

Score: Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (Terence Blanchard) – Apple Original Films