The Makeup and Hair Stylists guild spread its love around on Valentine’s Day, giving two feature film awards to “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” two to “Guardians of the Galaxy” and one to “Birdman.”
But miniseries “American Horror Story: Freak Show” was the night’s biggest winner, hauling in three awards, sweeping its categories. The FX show, a perennial contender for below-the-line and design awards, brought kudos to Eryn Krueger Mekas and Kim Ayers for period and/or character makeup; to Monte C. Haught and Michelle Ceglia for period and/or character hair styling; and to Eryn Krueger Mekash, Michael Mekash and Christopher Nelson for special makeup effects.
“Budapest’s” Frances Hannon and Julie Dartnell took honors for period and/or character makeup and for period and/or character hairstyling, while for “Guardians'” Elizabeth Yianni Georgiou won for contemporary makeup and David White took home the trophy for special makeup effects. “Birdman’s” Jerry Popolis and Kat Drazen took the contemporary hair styling award.
Among TV series, “Downton Abbey” won the period and/or character categories; “The Walking Dead” took the special makeup effects prize; “Sons of Anarchy” won for contemporary makeup and “Dancing With The Stars” for contemporary hairstyling.
DirecTV’s Rob Lowe/Far-Less-Attractive Rob Lowe spot won in the commercials/musicvideos categor.
The awards were presented at the Paramount Theater on the Par lot. Local 706 eschewed the usual sit-down banquet in favor a brisk presentation of awards, with cocktails after. Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs:) hosted the ceremony. Opening the show, she quipped that when she was asked to host, “I knew if I said no, I might never look good in HD again.”
Makeup artist Rick Baker, a lifetime achievement honoree, gave an emotional thank you, saying “I can’t tell you what this means to me. I’ve been doing this for 54 years. I started at age 10. I determined that if I worked really hard I could be as good as my idols, Lon Chaney, Jack Pierce, Dick Smith. … All my life a makeup artist is all I ever wanted to be. I dedicated my life to it, and I guess this means Id didn’t waste my time doing it.”
The second lifetime achievement honoree was hairstylist Kathryn Blondell. She congratulated the nominees, saying “Great work, all of you. Be proud of it. Keep improving and create even more respect for your craft.”
Ron Perlman presented the Distinguished Artisan award: “Guillermo Del Toro has provided me with some of the most annoying f***king makeups I’ve ever worn,” teased Perlman. “Because of these makeups I’ve suffered boils, eczema. I’ve suffered the heartbreak of psoriasis. And I’ve been treated for hyper-allergenic diseases that have baffled doctors on three continents.”
But he added more seriously, “He is Einstein and Curly from The Three Stooges in one delicious package. … I love this man.”
Del Toro, a makeup artist and member of the guild himself, said “I suppose what Chris Nolan is to film, I am to makeup effects. I have been committed for all my career to honor this craft.”
A complete list of winners appears below:
Winners For Feature Length Motion Picture (Feature Films):
Best Contemporary Make-Up: “Guardians Of The Galaxy”; Make-Up Artist: Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou
Best Contemporary Hair Styling: “Birdman”; Hair Stylists: Jerry Popolis and Kat Drazen
Best Period and/Or Character Make-Up: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”; Make-Up Artists: Frances Hannon & Julie Dartnell
Best Period and/Or Character Hair Styling: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”; Hair Stylists: Frances Hannon & Julie Dartnell
Best Special Make-Up Effects: “Guardians Of The Galaxy”; Make-Up Artist: David White
Winners For Television and New Media Series:
Best Contemporary Make-Up: “Sons Of Anarchy”; Make-Up Artists: Tracey Anderson, Michelle Garbin and Sabine Roller-Taylor
Best Contemporary Hair Styling: “Dancing With The Stars”; Hair Stylists: Mary Guerrero, Kimi Messina and Jennifer Guerrero-Mazursky
Best Period and/Or Character Make-Up: “Downton Abbey”; Make-Up Artists: Magi Vaughan and Erika Ökvist
Best Period and/Or Character Hair Styling: “Downton Abbey”; Hair Stylists: Magi Vaughan and Adam James Phillips
Best Special Make-Up Effects: “The Walking Dead”; Make-Up Artists: Greg Nicotero and Jake Garber
Winners For Television Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television (M.O.W):
Best Contemporary Make-Up: “Fargo”; Make-Up Artists: Gail Kennedy, Joanne Preece and Gunther Schetterer
Best Contemporary Hair Styling: “Sherlock”; Hair Stylists: Claire Pritchard-Jones and Sarah Astley-Hughes
Best Period and/Or Character Make-Up: “American Horror Story”: Freak Show” Make-Up Artists: Eryn Krueger Mekash and Kim Ayers
Best Period and/Or Character Hair Styling: “American Horror Story: Freak Show”; Hair Stylists: Monte C. Haught and Michelle Ceglia
Best Special Make-Up Effects: “American Horror Story: Freak Show”; Make-Up Artists: Eryn Krueger Mekash, Michael Mekash and Christopher Nelson
Winners For Commercials and Music Videos:
Best Make-Up: DirecTV: Make-Up Artists: Scott Stoddard and Michael Ornelaz
Best Hair Styling: Progressive Commercial; Hairstylist; Dian Bethune Coble
Winners For Theatrical Productions (Live Stage):
Best Make-Up: “Kinky Boots” Make-Up Artist: Sarah B. Wolfe
Best Hair Styling: “Motown The Musical, National Tour”; Hair Stylist: Brandon Bolton
