God bless the American Film Institute. The AFI has announced the 20 recipients of its annual awards, plus a special award for Mad Men, which has earned more accolades from the AFI than any other television show. Ever.
Because the AFI’s goal is to, as its President & CEO Bob Gazzale puts it, “bring together our community as colleagues, not competitors, to shine a proper light on their collective efforts to entertain and enlighten the world,” the AFI doesn’t go through the normal process of first nominating a batch of works and then honoring a single work. Instead, it lists a group that it feels should be recognized, with no title more worthy than the other. It’s maybe a little less exciting than the typical process, but it’s certainly refreshing.
The selections themselves are refreshing, too, going out to less obvious “awards” pictures such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Straight Outta Compton. And even the television picks were surprisingly hip, especially the Lifetime reality-show-as-drama UnReal.
The honorees will gather in a “noncompetitive atmosphere” on January 6 at a luncheon, where the deciding jury will tell them all while they deserve to be there. Sounds like the ideal awards ceremony.
Take a look at the honorees below:
AFI Movies of the Year
The Big Short Bridge of Spies Carol Inside Out Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian Room Spotlight Star Wars: The Force Awakens Straight Outta Compton
AFI TV Programs of the Year
The Americans Better Call Saul black-ish Empire Fargo Game of Thrones Homeland Master of None Mr. Robot UnReal
AFI Special Award
Mad Men