Colleagues from across the home entertainment industry gathered last night at Tobacco Dock for the 2019 BASE Awards, with 24 awards handed out to distributors, retailers, agencies and suppliers, honouring the best and brightest of 2018.
More than 800 guests from 108 member and non-member organisations attended the 2019 BASE Awards, with multi-award winning comedian, actor, writer and director, Richard Ayoade hosting for the first time. Surprise performances on the night included special guest and X Factor finalist Gio Spano performing a tribute to The Greatest Showman in honour of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s Title of the Year win, with the inimitable ‘Bjorn Free’ closing the ceremony with a selection of Abba hits from Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again to celebrate Distributor of the Year winner, Universal Pictures UK.
Shining a spotlight on excellence and innovation across the breadth of the category, this year saw the Creative Marketing Initiative of the Year split into two categories to give both single and multiple products a time to shine; awarding Universal Pictures UK’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again X Factor activity and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s Deadpool Photobomb Sleeves respectively. PR/Publicity Initiative of the Year was awarded to Premier PR, marking the first-time entries from both agencies and distributors have been considered for the award. And finally, to reflect the ever-evolving nature of the box office, and to honour the triumphs of a broader range of titles, the inaugural winner of the new Campaign of Year – Film £25m+ award was Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with Peter Rabbit.
Universal Pictures UK led the way on the night, taking a total of six awards, living up to their title of Distributor of the Year. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment had a fantastic night, taking home three trophies, and Lionsgate UK and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment each won two. In a stellar display of collaboration between distribution and retail, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Tesco were both awarded Physical Retailer Innovation of the Year for their drafting bay activity. Leading the way for retailers, Sky Store won two awards, including the incredibly competitive Outstanding Innovation of the Year category for their inspiring Ocean Rescue initiative. Asda, Amazon and YouTube were also honoured in the retailer categories and additional worthy winners included Altitude Film Entertainment, StudioCanal, The Walt Disney Company and Multi-Packaging Solutions, who won Supplier of the Year.
Robert Price, BASE Chairman & Managing Director, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment said: “I would like to thank all of this year’s BASE Awards entrants on their exceptional work across the year, and of course extend my heartfelt congratulations to the winners and those whose entries were highly commended and commended; your commitment to the video category remains vital in a transformative and challenging time. It is a testament to the passion and pride that is found at the heart of our industry, that each new challenge is met with resilience and dedication, demonstrating a commitment to excellence that marks out this category as such a truly special one.”
Liz Bales, Chief Executive, British Association for Screen Entertainment said: “This year’s BASE Awards was a true celebration of our vibrant category and a chance to reflect on a year of pioneering collaboration and innovation. As always, the BASE Awards are a team effort, and I would like to thank our generous sponsors and partners for their dedication in putting this wonderful occasion together, and of course our guests for joining us in a fantastic night of celebration. Having enormously impressed the judges with bold and progressive activities, all of the entrants have proven once again that the home entertainment category has both the talent and determination to succeed time and again, and we are already excited to celebrate this success with you again next year.”
This year’s Awards were generously sponsored by: Bauer, Delga Press, DS Smith, eXPD8, Huckleberry Recruitment, Joe & Seph’s, Lionsgate UK, Maltsmiths, Obviously Creative, Official Charts Company, Once Upon a Time, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Strike Media, StudioCanal, Technicolor, Universal Pictures UK, Visual Data, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, West 10 and Win That Pitch.
Special thanks to Awards partners: Delga Press, DS Smith, Once Upon a Time and Premier.
The 2019 BASE Awards raised in excess of £6,100 for charity partner Action for Children.
The full list of BASE Awards winners:
DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR
Universal Pictures UK
TITLE OF THE YEAR
The Greatest Showman – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
PHYSICAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR
WINNER
ASDA
HIGHLY COMMENDED
HMV
Sainsbury’s
ONLINE PHYSICAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Amazon
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Zavvi
Zoom
DIGITAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Sky Store
HIGHLY COMMENDED
iTunes
Prime Video
DIGITAL RETAILER INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
WINNER
YouTube Upsell Panel
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Amazon Prime Deals
Sky Store
The Walt Disney Company and eBay Campaign
PHYSICAL RETAILER INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
JOINT WINNERS
Tesco & Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group – Drafting Bay
HIGHLY COMMENDED
HMV – The Premium Collection
HMV & Universal Pictures UK – VHS Collection
Sainsbury’s – Avengers: Infinity War DVD Launch
IN-STORE THEATRE INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Universal Pictures UK – HMV Hologram Trial
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – Morrison’s (nominated by Universal Pictures UK)
COMMENDED
Peter Rabbit – Tesco
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR SPECIAL INTEREST
WINNER
Spitfire – Altitude Film Entertainment
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Kevin Bridges – The Brand New Tour – Live & The Complete Collection – Universal Pictures UK
COMMENDED
My Generation – Lionsgate UK
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR TV
WINNER
The Crown: Season 2 – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Strictly Come Dancing: Bruno’s Bellissimo Blackpool – BBC Studios
COMMENDED
Star Trek Discovery: Season 1 – Universal Pictures UK (on behalf of Paramount Pictures UK)
PR/PUBLICITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Wonder #Dayofkindness – Premier PR (nominated by Lionsgate UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Deadpool 2 Blockbuster Video – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (Agency: Premier PR)
COMMENDED
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Influencer Challenge – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (Agency: Organic)
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR CATALOGUE: SINGLE PRODUCT
WINNER
The Dam Busters Collector’s Edition – StudioCanal
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Disney Classics Complete Collection – The Walt Disney Company
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR CATALOGUE: MULTIPLE PRODUCT
WINNER
HMV Exclusive VHS Range – Universal Pictures UK
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Dreamworks: The Collection – Universal Pictures UK
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR CATALOGUE: DIGITAL PRODUCT
WINNER
Movies to Go – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
CREATIVE MARKETING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR: SINGLE PRODUCT
WINNER
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – Universal Pictures UK
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Dan & Phil – Interactive Introverts – BBC Studios
Deadpool 2 YouTube Sequencing – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
CREATIVE MARKETING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR: MULTIPLE PRODUCT
WINNER
Deadpool Photobomb Sleeves – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Celebrating Mickey – The Walt Disney Company
HMV Hologram Trial – Universal Pictures UK
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Multi-Packaging Solutions (nominated by Universal Pictures UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED
ASG Spark (nominated by The Walt Disney Company)
Obviously Creative (nominated by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR FILM – NON-THEATRICAL
WINNER
Rex – Lionsgate UK
HIGHLY COMMENDED
KSI: Can’t Lose – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Batman Ninja – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR FILM – UP TO £1M BOX OFFICE
WINNER
Mandy – Universal Pictures UK
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Journey’s End – Lionsgate UK
COMMENDED
Hurricane – Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR FILM – £1M-£4.99M BOX OFFICE
WINNER
Wonder – Lionsgate UK
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Loving Vincent – Altitude Film Entertainment
COMMENDED
The Predator – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR FILM – £5M-£14.99M BOX OFFICE
WINNER
The Quiet Place – Universal Pictures UK (on behalf of Paramount Pictures UK)
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Early Man – StudioCanal
COMMENDED
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – StudioCanal
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR FILM – £15M-£24.99M BOX OFFICE
WINNER
Solo: A Star Wars Story – The Walt Disney Company
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Universal Pictures UK (on behalf of Paramount Pictures UK)
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR FOR FILM – OVER £25M BOX OFFICE
WINNER
Peter Rabbit – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – Universal Pictures UK
COMMENDED
Deadpool 2 – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
OUTSTANDING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
WINNER
Ocean Rescue – Sky Store
HIGHLY COMMENDED
HMV Hologram Trial – Universal Pictures UK
COMMENDED
Always On Drafting – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
MyFilmClub – Under the Influence of… Ltd.
Radio Times/Immediate Media Partnership – Education in EST – Universal Pictures UK
