On February, 20, 2024, Asia Society Southern California (ASSC) will honor and celebrate a selection of visionaries who are profoundly impacting culture and content at the 14th U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards.
These honorees and their work embody Asia Society’s mission to build bridges across cultures and help connect Asia and the rest of the world.
This year’s Game Changers will be honored at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. They include:
- Lee Sung Jin: The South Korean-born Minnesota-raised creator of the eight-time Emmy Award- and three-time Golden Globe-winning Netflix TV streaming series, Beef.
- Anderson .Paak: Eight-time Grammy-Award winning California-born African and Korean American recording artist.
- Rina Sawayama: Japan-born, London-based actress, singer and model who was twice nominated for a BRIT Award and last year co-starred in John Wick: Chapter 4.
- Cast and crew of Warrior for their masterful storytelling in the hit TV/streaming series rooted in the experiences of Chinese immigrants to San Francisco in the 1870s
- Kenji Yamada, producer, and Takashi Yamakazi, director of Godzilla Minus One, the Oscar-nominated Japanese film that has become a global sensation and U.S. box office record-breaker.
ASSC designed the U.S.-Asia Entertainment Game Changer Awards to celebrate and elevate achievements that are transcending borders, resetting norms, and forging a path for future generations of content creators, storytellers and culture-shifters.
“With mega-monsters, epic martial arts, drama that makes us laugh and cry, and chart-topping musical hit after hit, the scale of the accomplishments being honored this year is bigger than ever,” said Janet Yang, Chair of the U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit. “The impact made by these honorees is monumental not just to us today, but to the future game changers who will build on this momentum, and continue to grow opportunities for Asian creators to share their voices and touch the world.”
The Entertainment Game Changer Awards will be presented at the U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit Awards dinner from 7-9 p.m. The dinner follows a daytime Summit, now in its 14th year, which takes place from 3-5 p.m. and features discussions with industry leaders who will address the forces and trends transforming entertainment.
On the same day, in connection with the Summit, ASSC will hold its second Asian Women Empowered (AWE) Luncheon from 1-3 p.m. This event, part of ASSC’s AWE initiative which convenes influential Asian women to inspire and invest in the next generation, will honor three AWE champions for their contributions to community, and toward advancing women and authentic storytelling in entertainment. This year’s honorees include Maya Rogers, CEO, Tetris; Gita Rebbapragada, COO, Crunchyroll; and Michelle Sugihara, Executive Director, CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment).
“AWE is building a community of support, philanthropy and mentorship that lifts up Asian women who are breaking through barriers, and unites women to invest in the next generation of leaders,” said Katie Soo, Asia Society Trustee, ASSC Chair, and AWE co-chair. “These honorees are true champions in their own paths, as well as champions for the women who will follow in their footsteps as we work to move the needle toward better representation in not just entertainment, but every industry.”
More information about the U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit and Game Changer Awards, including honoree details, schedule, and ticketing information, visit the Asia Society website. Details and ticketing information for the AWE Luncheon are also available at the Asia Society website.
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