Talent Managers Association Honors Industry Trailblazers

Casting Networks

The Casting Networks® team was thrilled to attend the 15th Annual Heller Awards on November 7th. The Heller Awards is an annual event run by the Talent Managers Association to celebrate the exceptional achievements of talent agents, talent managers, and casting directors working in categories covering TV, film, voice-over, commercials, and games. 

The event first launched in 2002 to honor the life of talent agent, personal manager, and industry leader Seymour Heller. Heller was one of the original founders of the Conference of Personal Managers in 1954, which led to the establishment of the Talent Managers Association in 1956. 

Casting Networks team members Michael Daly, Clark Worthington, Carolyn Blair, and Brian Mendoza at the Heller Awards

At this year’s event, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Foundation Award was granted to the late Ed Spivia, who helped develop Georgia’s first film commission in the 1970s and was instrumental in securing Georgia as one of the world’s most desirable film locations today.

The TMA Manager of the Year was presented to key TMA contributor and founder of Midwest Talent Management Inc, Betty McCormick. This was the second win for Betty in this category, following her TMA Manager of the Year win in 2003. 

Cindy Osbrink, known for discovering talent like Dakota Fanning and Brie Larson, was presented with the Talent Agent Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award in Casting was presented to Mike Fenton, who between 1980 and 2000 worked on over 200 projects including “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “The Goonies,” “Chaplin,” and “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” 

Casting Networks congratulates all of the winners and nominees, and a special thanks to the Talent Managers Association for their continued support over the years. You can find a full list of nominees and winners here.