#2 Entertainment Industry Event (up from #3)
The biggest event in the music industry (in fact, it’s nicknamed “Music’s Biggest Night”) descends on downtown’s Staples Center each year. The televised show includes massive stars for performances in multiple genres. The Recording Academy’s Branden Chapman and team head up the official after-party, known as the Grammy Celebration at the Los Angeles Convention Center, for thousands of guests. Brands and labels host parties and suites all over town during the course of the celebratory week. This year’s awards aired live on the West Coast for the first time; ratings held steady at about 25 million viewers. Next: February 2017
#3 Entertainment Industry Event
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s dinner ceremony takes over the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom each January, the first major show in Los Angeles’s annual wintertime award season. Ricky Gervais returned to host the 2016 show, which marked a small ratings decline; still, 18.5 million viewers tuned in. Next: January 15, 2017
#4 Entertainment Industry Event
The awards are the biggest and splashiest among the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honors for TV stars and players. (Other shows include the Creative Arts honors, which will expand this year into a two-show format.) The academy’s Governors Ball hosts about 4,000 guests for a seated dinner and is billed as the largest formal dinner in the country. Next: September 18, 2016
#5 Entertainment Industry Event
SAG-Aftra’s 22nd annual event drew praise this year for its diverse honorees. Stars came out to the Shrine Exposition Center for the show, followed by an annual bash hosted by People magazine and the Entertainment Industry Foundation; this year the party, which had a 1920s Golden Age of Hollywood theme, moved from an adjacent lot to the Shrine stage. Next: January 2017
#8 Entertainment Industry Event (up from #12)
The 2016 incarnation of the 27-year-old festival screened 180 films from 60 countries, including 40 of the 80 foreign language entries for this year’s Academy Awards. Although it’s a couple of hours east of Hollywood by car, the program draws 135,000 attendees each year. It also has a black-tie award gala, which pulls big celebrity names. Next: January 2017
#9 Entertainment Industry Event
The American Film Institute’s long-running annual honor is now in its 44th year, having debuted in 1973. In 2016 the prestigious prize will go to John Williams; last year, Steve Martin took home the honor. Dustin Hoffman, Gene Kelly, Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, and Gregory Peck are among past winners. Next: June 9, 2016
#10 Entertainment Industry Event
The Environmental Media Association’s show celebrated a 25th anniversary milestone in 2015. The event annually honors people, organizations, movies, and TV programming for their work to raise public awareness of environmental issues. Following the ceremony, there’s an after-party and auction with an environmentally conscious production. Next: Fall 2016
#11 Entertainment Industry Event
Though not as big as the Grammys, the awards still command a strong TV viewership; ratings for last year’s show dipped slightly, but marked a solid performance for ABC. The event takes over L.A. Live every year around Thanksgiving. Next: November 2016
#12 Entertainment Industry Event
The American Film Institute’s annual fall festival is unique in that tickets are free to the public; it’s the only festival of its caliber to make that offering. The festival, originally launched in 1971 under the name Filmex, includes screenings and red carpet galas each year in the fall. It’s billed as the longest- running international film festival; Audi is the program’s presenting sponsor. Next: November 10-17, 2016
#13 Entertainment Industry Event
The two-decade-old festival, produced by Film Independent, is looking at a change for this summer’s iteration: It will have a major new partnership with ArcLight Cinemas and take place at theaters around the city including ArcLight Hollywood and the new ArcLight Santa Monica. The 22nd annual festival headquarters will be at ArcLight Culver City. Next: June 1-9, 2016
#14 Entertainment Industry Event
Now in its 33rd year, Hollywood’s major TV festival is hosted by the Paley Center for Media. The event celebrates television’s most acclaimed series and gives fans access to special screenings, conversations, and behind-the-scenes info from the stars and creative minds behind popular shows. The festival, which takes place at the Dolby Theatre and hosts more than 100 stars and industry players, benefits the Paley Center’s preservation and archival digitization efforts. Next: Spring 2017
#15 Entertainment Industry Event
The event relies on fans for millions of votes and is propelled by major social engagement: the 2016 show, broadcast on CBS, quickly generated nearly 25 million organic video views on the awards’ Facebook channel. Procter & Gamble owns the 42-year-old show, which is produced by United Artist Media Group. Next: January 2017
#16 Entertainment Industry Event
The 27th incarnation of the show is gearing up with presenting sponsorship from Delta Air Lines, Hilton, and Ketel One vodka. The Los Angeles event takes place in the springtime, with a corresponding event in New York. The advocacy group celebrates outstanding images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the media at the biggest event of its kind in the United States. Next: April 2, 2016
#17 Entertainment Industry Event
The 22nd annual honors from the women’s fashion magazine went to honorees like Ava DuVernay, Salma Hayek, Dakota Johnson, Amy Schumer, and Kate Winslet last year. The intimate and A-list award show takes place at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills each autumn. Past sponsors include Calvin Klein Collection, L’Oréal Paris, and David Yurman. Next: October 2016
#18 Entertainment Industry Event (new to the list)
The awards were first introduced in 1967—at the height of the civil rights movement—to honor achievements and performances of people of color in the arts. This year’s winners were announced in February during the live broadcast from Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Anthony Anderson hosted the two-hour special, which drew 1.7 million viewers and ranked among the Nielsen Twitter TV top 10 for the week. Next: February 2017
#19 Entertainment Industry Event
The awards are Bafta Los Angeles’s highest honor; the prizes celebrate achievements of individuals and companies from the United States, the United Kingdom, and around the globe. Last year, Harrison Ford, Orlando Bloom, Meryl Streep, and Amy Schumer were among those honored. The event is produced through a partnership between Bafta Los Angeles and Done & Dusted. Next: October 28, 2016
#20 Entertainment Industry Event
Each year, the show honors women’s accomplishments in a male-dominated industry; the program dates back to 1977. Last year’s honorees included Nicole Kidman, Jill Soloway, Ava DuVernay, Kate Mara, Sue Kroll, and Toni Howard. The 2016 event will move from the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, which closed in March for redevelopment, to the Beverly Hilton. Next: June 15, 2016
