The 28th annual California on Location Awards have been announced, with top prizes going to the team behind Amazon series “Daisy Jones & the Six,” which took home two awards, one for Location Manager of the Year in the category of One-Hour Episode TV for Jay Traynor and another for television Assistant Location Manager of the Year for Courtney Ochoa.
Other projects that took home two awards were upcoming action comedy film “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley” and the upcoming romantic musical film “The Greatest Hits.” Sheila Ryan-Cruz of “Joker: Folie à Deux” earned a nod in the Feature category for Assistant Location Manager of the Year.
COLA, organized by film liaisons in California statewide, honors “exceptional location managers and teams, public employees, and production companies that help facilitate on-location filming across the Golden State.” The awards were given Friday at the Hilton Los Angeles in Universal City. Actor and comedian Chinedu Unaka served as host, with Dyana Carmella as producer.
“The COLAs celebrate the incredible endurance, flexibility and creativity that location managers and other professionals bring to diverse projects filmed in California,” said Sabrina Jurisich, FLICS president and Shasta County film commissioner. “We are also grateful for the jobs and economic opportunity such projects bring to communities statewide.”
See below for the complete list of 2023 COLA winners:
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – STUDIO FEATURE
- Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley: Dan Cooley
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR – STUDIO FEATURE
- Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley: Dan Cooley, Supervising Location Manager, Rick Surad, Location Manager 2nd Unit, Bryan Diaz, Location Manager, Leslie Stout Glennon, Key Assistant Location Manager, Ben McCrea, Key Assistant Location Manager, Ahmet Elez, Key Assistant Location Manager, Tony Rizza, Key Assistant Location Manager, Brian Deming, Key Assistant Location Manager, John Blake, Key Assistant Location Manager, Hannah Dorfman, Assistant Location Manager, Jonathan Diaz, Assistant Location Manager, Kevin Danchisko, Key Assistant Location Manager 2nd Unit, Omar Masmoudi, Key Assistant Location Manager 2nd Unit
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – INDEPENDENT FEATURE
- The Greatest Hits: Justin Hill
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR – INDEPENDENT FEATURE
- The Greatest Hits: Justin Hill, Supervising Location Manager, Justin Louie, Key Assistant Location Manager, Jill Naumann, Key Assistant Location Manager, Clay Dodder, Key Assistant Location Manager, Norman Galeas, Key Assistant Location Manager, Brittany Anders, Key Assistant Location Manager, Michael Bryant, Key Assistant Location Manager, Paul Brady, Key Assistant Location Manager, Lucien Unruh, Assistant Location Manager, Sarah Hwang, Assistant Location Manager, Guy Morrison, Key Assistant Location Manager, Dana Reiko Barenfeld
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – EPISODIC TV – 1 HOUR
- Daisy Jones & The Six: Jay Traynor
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR – EPISODIC TV – 1 HOUR
- Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Season 2: Gregory H. Alpert, Supervising Location Manager, Brian S. Kalata, Location Manager, Matthew Bolin, Key Assistant Location Manager, J.P. O’Connor, Key Assistant Location Manager, Sam Gomez, Key Assistant Location Manager, Miles Beal-Ampah, Key Assistant Location Manager, Shelly Armstrong, Location Department Coordinator, André Balderamos, Key Assistant Location Manager, Shaka Terry, Key Assistant Location Manager, Shawn Hueston, Key Assistant Location Manager, Julian Stephens, Assistant Location Manager, Whitney Breite, Assistant Location Manager
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – EPISODIC TV – 1/2 HOUR
- High Desert: Stacey Brashear
LOCATION TEAM OF THE YEAR– EPISODIC TV – 1/2 HOUR
- Minx: Jason Kaplon, Supervising Location Manager, Mike Parisi, Key Assistant Location Manager, J. Hanna, Location Manager, Taylor Moore, Key Assistant Location Manager, Brielle Fraser, Assistant Location Manager, Jessica Aichs, Key Assistant Location Manager, Michael Holmes, Key Assistant Location Manager, John Nabet, Key Assistant Location Manager, Jasmin Paris, Key Assistant Location Manager
LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – COMMERCIALS
- Visit California “Kidifornia Family Vacation”: Weston Marsh
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR – CITY
- City of Palm Springs: Janice Lopez, Program Coordinator & Film Permit Officer
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR – COUNTY
- Riverside County Transportation Department: Melissa Martinez
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR – FEDERAL
- Bureau of Land Management: John Thomas, Park Ranger
ASSISTANT LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – FEATURE
- Joker: Folie à Deux: Sheila Ryan-Cruz
ASSISTANT LOCATION MANAGER OF THE YEAR – TELEVISION
- Daisy Jones & the Six: Courtney Ochoa