Pirate's Cove

You know how deep I am into this stuff, and, I’ve never heard of this. Same as most people

Hollywood has been giving out climate change-focused awards for 33 years. Who knew?

The Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and Golden Globes attract most of the public’s attention during awards season each year. But the Environmental Media Association‘s (EMA) annual awards event — the EMA Awards — might be the most celebrity-studded accolades you’ve never heard of.

The event, which takes place on Saturday, Jan. 27 in Los Angeles — having been postponed from it usual October slot owing to the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes — is in its 33rd year.

Over the decades, the likes of Natalie Portman, Billie Eilish, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jeff Goldblum have shown up in electric vehicles and up-cycled couture to help honor figures in the entertainment industry leading the charge for sustainability. The awards also recognize productions that employ environmentally friendly practices throughout their processes, as well as feature films, TV shows and documentaries focusing on environmental justice, climate action and sustainability.

Yeah, they might show up in EVs, but, most of them have massive carbon footprints, living the Celebrity Lifestyle

The gala on Saturday will include an Ongoing Commitment Award for actress Laura Dern, a live performance from singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, and DJing by Samantha Ronson. Netflix leads the contenders, with seven nominations across nearly all of the eight EMA award categories for projects ranging from the movie comedy Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery to reality TV’s Queer Eye “Sowing the Seeds” episode.

But the A-listy gala isn’t live-streamed or broadcast. It’s just for the attendees — though the organizers told NPR an edited version will be posted on the EMA website and social media channels a few weeks following the event.

“We have a completely different message. This is not an awards show. This is an educational event,” said EMA CEO Debbie Levin, on having to compete with the more public-facing awards ceremonies this season. “We’re talking about climate and sustainability, and hopefully educating, inspiring and motivating people when they come to this event.”

Sounds depressing. What’s the carbon footprint of the show, the attendees, and the movies and shows? What’s environmental about the Glass Onion and Queer Eye?

“They founded the organization because there was no place in the environmental community where stories were being told,” Levin said. “A lot of organizations were doing climate advocacy work, but the public didn’t know anything. Alan and Norman believed that highlighting storytelling about climate issues is a way to share them with the public.”

The public still doesn’t know anything about the awards. And, really, do many actually watch the preachy shows and movies? Ever Warmists surely ignore them because they are not fun.

Despite its star power and longevity, the EMA has largely remained unknown to the broader public. Veteran Hollywood art director and climate activist Karen Steward said the organization’s reputation is likely to grow — at least more broadly within the industry, if not also beyond it — in tandem with emerging other groups working at the intersection of climate change and entertainment, such as the Hollywood Climate Summit, and consultancy firms like Greenspark Group and Earth Angel.

Most of the celebs are simply showing up, looking good, preaching, then going back to their big carbon footprint lifestyles.