Grammer, Optimus Headline Hugos
April 20, 2012 by Andrew Schneider
Actor Kelsey Grammer and Chicago-based post production powerhouse Optimus headlined the 48th Annual Hugo Television Awards, held Thursday, April 19 at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago.
The legendary Grammer, who has been an actor on television, film and live theater and worked behind the camera as a director, was honored with the Career Achievement Award. He was congratulated by fellow “Frasier” actor John Mahoney.
“I spent eleven years playing Kelsey’s father,” Mahoney told a packed house. “He is the easiest person to work with that you can imagine.”
Mahoney said that Grammer was the force that kept the hit “Frasier” from diminishing over the years, steering writers away from easy jokes to more nuanced humor.
For himself, Grammer said that he was deeply influenced by the film and television of his youth.
“The films and television I watched as a boy made a great impression on me,” he said. “I’m derivative of every great performance I ever saw.”
And he was fortunate, he said, to be working in a field that he loved.
“What you’re doing is all about love,” he said of the creative industry. “I’ve been fortunate to work in a field that I loved all my life.”
Optimus received the Commitment to Excellence Award for years of steady creative service to the Chicago community and beyond.
“Optimus is a Chicago company,” said Chris Rossiter, EVP, director of Production at Leo Burnett. “Even out in LA they work in a Chicago way: that the work day ends when the work ends.”
Since their purchase of the company in the 1980s, the five partners, Tom Duff, Glen Noren, Randy Palmer, Scott Yurks and Craig Leffel, had grown the business to one of the most respected in the city, Rossiter said.
“When these five guys bought the company a new day dawned,” he said.
Accepting the award, Duff said the moment was overwhelming.
“When we received the letter saying that we were getting this award, it was one of those too good to be true moments,” he said. “We are truly humbled.”
Duff noted that while the company took great pride in the award, they took the most pride in the trust their clients had shown them over the years.
“This kind of award goes well beyond Optimus,” Duff said. “It cements a sense of belonging in the Chicago community.”
Here are a list of 2012 winners:
TELEVISION COMMERICIALS
Audience Choice Award
A Frosty Affair
Burrell
Automotive
Silver Plaque
Karl Abarth
Cutters
Certificate of Merit
Special Editions
Cutters
Automotive Retailer
Certificate of Merit
Hawk Ford – Pickup Lines
Zoom Advertising
Beverages (Alcoholic)
Gold Plaque
Rescue Dog
Mcgarrybowen
Beverages (Non-alcoholic)
Gold Plaque
Beach Body
Mcgarrybowen
Silver Plaque
The Spirit of the Euro
Bent Image Lab
Cellular Phone/Service
Gold Plaque
The Way We’re Wired
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Plaque
Graduation
Leo Burnett Chicago
Commercial Campaign
Silver Hugo
Mayhem
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Hugo
State Farm Campaign
DDB
Gold Plaque
Mazda Campaign
Cutters
Gold Plaque
Corona - Find Your Beach
Cramer-Krasselt
Silver Plaque
State of Imitation 1,2,3
Cutters
Silver Plaque
The Journey and Good Day
Burrell
Certificate of Merit
Hawk Ford Baby Campaign
Zoom Advertising
Certificate of Merit
Koodo Mobile
Bent Image Lab
Certificate of Merit
Unlimited
Leo Burnett Chicago
Fast Food
Silver Hugo
Step Up to the Mac
Burrell
Gold Plaque
Fishing
Leo Burnett Chicago
Certificate of Merit
A Frosty Affair
Burrell
Food Products
Silver Hugo
Witch Hunt
Mcgarrybowen
Gold Plaque
Village
Mcgarrybowen
Silver Plaque
Are You?
Mcgarrybowen
Informercial
Certificate of Merit
AMS – Green Jobs
DoRo Films Productions
Insurance
Silver Hugo
Blind Spot
Leo Burnett Chicago
Gold Plaque
Raccoon
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Plaque
On Hold
Leo Burnett Chicago
Non-Profit/Fundraising
Silver Plaque
Face Human Rights
DoRo Films International
Certificate of Merit
War Amps Champs
The War Amps
Online Campaign
Gold Plaque
Real Cheese Matters
Leo Burnett Chicago
Online Spot
Silver Hugo
Reverie
Gentleman Scholar
Gold Plaque
Winter Style
Mcgarrybowen
Silver Plaque
The Takeover
Cap Gun Collective
PSA Campaign
Silver Plaque
Rethink Your Drink
b.e. Creative
Certificate of Merit
Orange County United Way ‘Turn Around’
Foundation Content
Public Service Announcement
Certificate of Merit
Transform
Gentleman Scholar
Retail
Silver Hugo
Active Duty
Leo Burnett Chicago
Gold Plaque
Mother Bird
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Plaque
The Team
Leo Burnett Chicago
Certificate of Merit
Give and Get
Leo Burnett Chicago
Travel / Tourism
Silver Plaque
52 Stories
Digital Kitchen
Special Achievement
Animation/Computer Graphics
Silver Plaque
Apples
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Plaque
Suzi Van Zoom
Leo Burnett Chicago
Direction
Silver Hugo
Jet
Cutters
Certificate of Merit
Face Human Rights
DoRo Films International
Editing
Silver Hugo
Cats With Thumbs
the Whitehouse
Gold Plaque
Google Chrome: Lady Gaga
the Whitehouse
Silver Plaque
Give and Get
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Plaque
Ned’s Journey
the Whitehouse
Silver Plaque
Rescue Dog
the Whitehouse
Certificate of Merit
The Road
the Whitehouse
Humor
Silver Plaque
Racoon
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Plaque
On Hold
Leo Burnett Chicago
Low Budget
Silver Plaque
AMS-Green Jobs
DoRo Films Productions
Silver Plaque
Bird
The Distillery Project
Certificate of Merit
Before Your Eyes
The Distillery Project
Music – Original
Certificate of Merit
Joy Ride
Yessian Music
Music – Licensed Adaptation
Certificate of Merit
Apples
Leo Burnett Chicago
Perfomance/Dialogue
Gold Plaque
Toddler
Leo Burnett Chicago
Silver Plaque
Raccoon
Leo Burnett Chicago
Certificate of Merit
Blind Spot
Leo Burnett Chicago
Sound Design
Silver Hugo
The Carpet
Yessian Music
Silver Plaque
Seismograph
Yessian Music
Certificate of Merit
Protégé
Cutters
TELEVISION PROGRAMS
Best Television Program
Gold Hugo
Kinshasa Symphony
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Animated Program
Certificate of Merit
Happy Old Man
Radio Television Hong Kong
Children’s Program
Gold Plaque
Duck a la Lucy
Saarlaendischer Rundfunk
Silver Plaque
Ain’t No Adult: Give Me a Home
Radio Television Hong Kong
Certificate of Merit
Found One! – Remembering to be “Thankful”
NHK
Documentary: Arts/Humanities
Silver Hugo
Frankenstein: A Modern Myth
Lone Star Productions
Silver Plaque
Skydancer
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Documentary: History/Biography
Silver Hugo
A Brush With Life
Wide Angle Films
Silver Hugo
When I Rise
University of Texas at Austin
Silver Plaque
9/11 ER
Testimony Films
Silver Plaque
Architect Michael Graves: A Grand Tour
WTTW Channel 11
Certificate of Merit
Arena: The Dreams of William Golding
Lone Star Productions
Certificate of Merit
Ned’s Head
Prospero Productions
Certificate of Merit
Unused Intelligence: Intercepting the ABomb
NHK
Certificate of Merit
War Horse: The Real Story
Testimony Films
Documentary: Science/Nature
Silver Plaque
Automatic Brain
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Documentary: Social/Political
Silver Hugo
Tahrir 2011
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Gold Plaque
Blood in the Mobile
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), ARTE
Gold Plaque
Poor Kids
True Vision Productions
Silver Plaque
We’re Still Here: A Tohoku Chronicle
NHK
Certificate of Merit
Execution Under Fire
90th Parallel Productions Ltd
Certificate of Merit
The Man Who Jumped
Prospero Productions
Dramatic Program
Silver Hugo
Criminal Minds- “The Longest Night”
Bernero Productions
Gold Plaque
Blueberry Blue
Polyphon Film- un Fernseh GmbH
Silver Plaque
ICAC Investigators 2011 – A Blind Eye
Radio Television Hong Kong
Educational Program (Adult Audience)
Gold Plaque
The Constitution Project: The Bill of Rights
The Documentary Group
Silver Plaque
Coping
OR Media
Certificate of Merit
A Wall-less Word II
Radio Television Hong Kong
Certificate of Merit
Doctor G’s Case File
NHK
Feature Length Telefilm
Silver Plaque
Early Autumn
Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co.
Certificate of Merit
Life, Birth, and All That Follows
NHK
Investigative Reporting/News Documentary
Silver Hugo
Mapping Fukushima
NHK
Gold Plaque
Blood Mine
PCCW nowTV
Gold Plaque
Hong Kong Connection – To Be a Good Samaritan in China
Radio Television Hong Kong
Silver Plaque
China Dolls – Fragile Bodies, Strong Minds
Phoenix Satellite Television Co. Ltd.
Silver Plaque
The Secret Truth of Hogwash Oil - Unravelling the Chain of Deception
Phoenix Satellite Television Co. Ltd.
Certificate of Merit
Construction Slavery
PCCW nowTV
Certificate of Merit
Hong Kong Connection – Behind the Red Banner
Radio Television Hong Kong
Music Video
Silver Plaque
Falco Rock Me Amadeus Salieri Version
DoRo Films International
Certificate of Merit
“Hare Krisha” – Sir Ivan
DoRo Films International
Public Affairs/Video News Release
Certificate of Merit
Face Human Rights
DoRo Films International
Sketch Comedy Program
Certificate of Merit
Headliner Special: Let the Empress Dowager Fly
RTHK
Special Performance Event
Silver Plaque
The JUNO Awards 2011
Insight Production Company Ltd.
Student Produced Program
Silver Plaque
Alt.news 26:46, Episode #13.03
TELEVISION SERIES
Best Television Series
Gold Hugo
Have You Heard From Johannesburg
Clarity Films
Animated Series
Silver Plaque
Dogstar - Series 2
Media World Pictures
Children’s Series
Gold Plaque
Big and Small
Kindle Entertainment
Certificate of Merit
Tracy Beaker Returns
BBC
Comedy Series
Gold Plaque
30 Rock
Universal Television
Silver Plaque
Up All Night
Universal Television
Daytime Drama Series
Gold Plaque
Instinct
TVP SA
Dramatic Series
Gold Plaque
The Deep End
TVP SA
Silver Plaque
Grimm
Universal Television
Silver Plaque
Smash
Universal Television
Certificate of Merit
Criminal Minds
Bernero Productions
Game Show Series
Certificate of Merit
High School Quiz Show
WGBH
Mini-Series
Certificate of Merit
Women with Dreams 4
Radio Television Hong Kong
Public Access Series
Certificate of Merit
Belonging in Boudler: Unexpected Stories from your Neighbors
Legacy Connections Films
Reality Series
Certificate of Merit
Battle of the Blades – Season 3
Insight Production Company Ltd.
Certificate of Merit
Intervention Canada
Insight Production Company Ltd.
Special Achievement
Concept
Certificate of Merit
Face Human Rights
DoRo Films International
Direction
Gold Plaque
Falco Rock Me Amadeus Salieri Version
DoRo Films International
Gold Plaque
Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
Groundstar MDW
Silver Plaque
Blood Brothers
Zemmost Pty Ltd.
Silver Plaque
ICAC Investigators 2011 – A Blind Eye
Radio Television Hong Kong
Low Budget
Silver Plaque
The Pox Show: Opening Titles
Brian Lonano