Back in July, Environmental Media Association. CEO Debbie Levine scheduled a catch-up dinner with NSYNC singer Lance Bass at Matu in Beverly Hills. Her 41-year-old daughter Alex, who came of age at the height of boy band mania, insisted on joining her. However, this did not bother Levin in the least, as they all knew each other well.
Since 2009, Bass has been very active in nonprofit organizations dedicated to promoting environmental progress in the entertainment industry. He and his husband, Michael Turchin, serve on the organization’s board of directors and have signed on to be executive producers of this year’s 35th EMA Awards Gala, to be held on October 11th at the Radford Studio Center in Studio City. The event is being billed as an event that “brings together environmental leaders and changemakers in the entertainment world to celebrate sustainable achievements across the lens, beyond the script.”
As the trio dined and drank martinis, they agreed that this year’s EMA Awards should embrace pop culture and focus on fun amidst the growing darkness and division at home and abroad. But soon, as often happens, the conversation turned to reality TV. This was fun for Bass and Alex. That wasn’t funny to Levin.
“I was like, ‘You guys, you’re leaving me out of the conversation. I don’t like[reality TV]. I don’t get it,'” Levin recalled.
Bass said he is good friends with Ariana Madix, host of Peacock’s hit dating competition show Love Island USA. Levin asked, “Who is that?” And they laughed at her. Maddix and the show are huge! My grandchildren are watching it too! they said.
But what would have been another dull dinner moment for Levin quickly turned into a joyous epiphany. Madix should host this year’s EMA Awards. Everyone agreed that this would be very, very fun.
Maddix won’t do it alone. Joining her as co-host will be another of Bass’ fellow unscripted TV stars, Harry Jowsey, host of the popular podcast “Boyfriend Material” and the star of the upcoming Netflix reality show “Marry Harry.” The event will feature a performance by Boyz II Men’s Sean Stockman, as well as EMA board members Malin Akerman (The Hunting Wives), Madeleine Petsch (Riverdale), Wendi Malick (Young Sheldon), Emmanuel Schriecki (Entourage), as well as Kathy Griffin, Selma Blair and Jenna Dewan (The Rookie).
“The thing about being serious about pop culture is that you can reach people that you wouldn’t necessarily reach if you took yourself too seriously,” Levin said.
Laura Dern on the green carpet at the 33rd Annual EMA Awards Gala held at Sunset Las Palmas Studios in January 2024 (Photo by Greg DeGuire)
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The event will feature EMA’s traditional green (rather than red) carpet, a vegan dinner by Crossroads Kitchen, and, of course, awards for everything from feature films (nominated films include Jurassic World: Rebirth and Wicked) to variety series, as well as a new category for student film and a special award for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Rainn Wilson will also receive the EMA’s Continuing Commitment Award.
The EMA Awards have previously been held at Sunset Las Palmas Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, but this year marks the second year they will be held at Radford Studios. The event arrived there after Mr. Levine contacted Jeremy Harriton, vice president and chief operating officer of MBS Group, which operates Radford and other sound stage complexes around the world. Levin said Harriton was interested in having all of its properties participate in EMA’s Green Seal certification program, which recognizes studios and productions that employ sustainable practices such as energy efficiency, waste management, transportation, catering, materials and carbon offsets.
Levin said that while Green Seal is deeply ingrained in the domestic studio culture, it doesn’t have the same structure on a global level, and that production companies are “very much looking for studio campuses that are already in Green Seal so they can come and say, ‘Okay, okay. We don’t have to worry about this.'”
