Cinema United, formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), is an American
trade organization
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...
whose members are the owners of
movie theater
A movie theater (American English) or cinema (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business ...
s.
Most of the operators of worldwide
major theater chains are members, as are hundreds of independent theater operators; collectively, they account for the operation of over 35,000 motion picture screens in all 50 U.S. states and over 33,000 screens in 100 other countries.
NATO was founded in 1965 by the merger of the largest movie theater trade organizations; the Theater Owners of America and the Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors.
The long-running official magazine of NATO is ''Boxoffice'' (''now''
Boxoffice Pro); between 2001 and 2007, they also published ''In Focus''. On March 18, 2025, NATO rebranded as Cinema United, to honor and support movie theaters.
History
Early history
As the motion picture industry became larger, movie production companies began consolidating and controlling distribution.
The largest producer,
Famous Players–Lasky, joined and later merged with the largest distributor, Paramount (eventually becoming
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
), and together they began
block-booking in 1917, forcing theaters to buy mediocre films to get the good ones. Theaters banded together to bargain for better pricing, with 26 of the largest combining into
First National Exhibitors Circuit—which went on to become a producer and distributor in its own right, before being bought by
Warner Bros. By 1921, Paramount already owned 300 theaters, and other producers were catching up. Studios soon contracted with each other to keep first-runs inside the affiliated network, using this access to coerce independents into selling out.
In 1921, the first predecessor of NATO was founded, the largely affiliated Motion Picture Theater Owners of America (MPTOA), soon followed by the independent Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors (Allied), Unaffiliated Independent Motion Picture Exhibitors of America, National Independent Theatre Exhibitors, and more, to demand better pricing and access to first-runs. Unlike the others, the MPTOA embraced affiliated theaters, and soon became the largest organization.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, many theaters joined the new War Activities Committee, after the war becoming the Theatre Activities Committee and soon American Theatre Association (ATA), which strongly supported ''
United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.'', the antitrust case against all of the major studios. A plan to merge with MPTOA, which strongly supported the studios, ran into friction, with many affiliated theaters leaving the ATA over its stance; conversely Allied, the largest purely-independent group, refused to join over the presence of affiliates. The merger went ahead in 1947, minus affiliates of Loews, RKO, and Warner Bros., and they became the Theater Owners of America (TOA) with about 10,000 theaters.
[
After divestiture in the fallout of the 1948 ''Paramount'' decision, many formerly-affiliated theaters ended up joining either TOA or Allied. During the post-war period, theater revenue collapsed as television became widespread, even as film rental became more expensive, and thousands of theaters closed, particularly in city centers hard hit by suburban flight.] Finally, in 1966 TOA and Allied merged into the National Association of Theatre Owners, largely based on TOA's structure but headed by Marshall Fine, former Allied chairman.
The 1970s were difficult for NATO; although the blockbuster '' The Godfather'' revitalized theater-going and revenue, in 1975 a new National Independent Theatre Exhibitors (NITE) came together to challenge NATO, eventually numbering almost a thousand theaters, and governance reforms were pushed by members as well. When the reforms stalled, the entire California and Illinois chapters pulled out in 1977, along with many small chains around the nation. After 1980, many of the requested reforms were finally implemented, including a full-time president and a full-time lobbyist in Washington, as well as moving its headquarters from New York to Los Angeles; by the end of the decade, NITE had folded back into NATO, leaving only one dominant organization.[
The 1980s saw a relaxation of antitrust regulation and subsequent purchasing of many chains by distributors and large conglomerates, including 120 theaters by Paramount and Warner;] by the end of the decade, consolidation left the top 10 owners in control of 55 percent of the industry. In the 1990s, theater growth exploded, and by 1999, movie screens peaked at 36,448, the vast majority of which were affiliated with NATO.[
]
Rebranding
In March 2025, the National Association of Theatre Owners announced that it had rebranded to Cinema United and a new slogan, "Moviegoing is Our Mission", as part of an effort to honor and support movie theaters by emphasizing audiences viewing movies theatrically.
Events
CinemaCon
As ShoWest, the convention was formerly one of four major worldwide annual events owned by the Film Group unit of Nielsen Business Media before being sold in 2011 to e5 Global Media and operated exclusively by NATO.
Renamed CinemaCon in 2011, the convention is NATO's only official convention of theater owners controlled by the organization itself. The first gathering took place in March 2011 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, with the second held April 23–26, 2012, at the same venue.
CinemaCon is now a stand-alone movie theater industry trade show or exposition originally established by NATO in 1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, usually held in Las Vegas in March.
On March 11, 2020, NATO canceled CinemaCon 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
ShoWest Convention 1976
* George Barrie – Producer of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1978
* George Lucas – Director of the Year Award
* Mark Hamill – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Henry Winkler – Male Star of the Year Award
* Robert Mitchum – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 1979
* Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress and activist. Recognized as a film icon, Jane Fonda filmography, Fonda's work spans several genres and over six decades of film and television. She is the recipient of List of a ...
– Female Star of the Year Award
* Jon Voight –Male Star of the Year Award
* Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
– Star of the Year Award
* Michael Douglas – Star/Producer of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1981
* George Hamilton – Showman of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1982
* Steven Spielberg – Director of the Year Award
* Frank Marshall – Producer of the Year Award
* Pia Zadora
Pia Zadora (born Pia Alfreda Schipani; May 4, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She debuted as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film ''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'' (1964). She came to national attention i ...
– Young Star of the Year Award
* Chuck Norris – Action Star of the Year Award
* Rich Little – Entertainer of the Year Award
* Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
– Male Star of the Decade Award
* Lori Singer – Newcomer of the Year Award
* Sean Connery – Worldwide Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1983
* Taylor Hackford – Director of the Year Award
* Shelley Long – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Debra Winger – Female Star of the Year Award
* David Keith – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Richard Gere – Male Star of the Year Award
* Sydney Pollack – Producer of the Year Award
* Louis Gossett, Jr. – Best Supporting Actor Award
ShoWest Convention 1984
* Lori Singer – Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award
* Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
– Star of Stars Award
* Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...
– Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 1985
* Kelly LeBrock – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Eric Stoltz – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
– International Star of the Year Award
* Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
– Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1986
* Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer who achieved fame with his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s through to the mid-1980s. He was nominated for t ...
– Career Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 1987
* Leonard Nimoy – Director of the Year Award
* Paul Hogan – Male Star of the Year Award
* Tom Cruise – Box Office Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1988
* Bette Midler – Female Star of the Year Award
* Don Johnson
Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1989
* James L. Brooks – Director of the Year Award
* Carey Lowell & Talisa Soto – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Glenn Close – Female Star of the Year Award
* Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi (TV series), Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Robert K. Weiss & Jim Abrahams – Comedy Filmmakers of the Year Award
* Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters.
He made his a ...
– Male Comedy Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1990
* Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...
– Director of the Year Award
* Winona Ryder – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Anjelica Huston – Female Star of the Year Award
* Johnny Depp – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* Joel Silver – Producer of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1991
* Jerry Zucker – Director of the Year Award
* Robin Givens – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Julia Roberts – Female Star of the Year Award
* Richard Grieco – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Andy Garcia – Male Star of the Year Award
* John Hughes – Producer of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 1992
* Lawrence Kasdan – Director of the Year Award
* Jodie Foster – Female Star of the Year Award
* Nicole Kidman – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Stephen Dorff
Stephen Hartley Dorff Jr. (born July 29, 1973) is an American actor. Starting his film career as a child appearing in the Cult following, cult horror (genre), horror film ''The Gate (1987 film), The Gate'' (1987), Dorff first rose to prominence ...
– Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Patrick Swayze – Male Star of the Year Award
* Brian Grazer – Producer of the Year Award
* John Singleton – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* John Singleton – Directorial Debut of the Year Award
* Chuck Norris – International Box Office Star of the Year Award
* Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
– Meritorious Achievement Award
* Cuba Gooding, Jr. – Newcomer of the Year Award
* Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
– Star of the Decade Award
ShoWest Convention 1993
* Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
– Director of the Year Award
* Juliette Lewis – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Whoopi Goldberg – Female Star of the Year Award
* Brad Pitt – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Mel Gibson – Male Star of the Year Award
* Mace Neufeld & Robert Rehme – Producer of the Year Award
* Richard Friedenberg – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
– International Star of the Decade Award
* George Kennedy – Special Award of Merit
* Jack Lemmon & Walter Matthau – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 1994
* Steven Spielberg – Director of the Year Award
* Tia Carrere – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Michelle Pfeiffer – Female Star of the Year Award
* Chris O'Donnell – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Robin Williams – Male Star of the Year Award
* Arnold Kopelson – Producer of the Year Award
* Steven Zaillian – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Elijah Wood – Young Star of the Year Award
* Harrison Ford – Box Office Star of the Century Award
* Kirk Douglas – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 1995
* Robert Zemeckis – Director of the Year Award
* Julia Ormond – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Demi Moore – Female Star of the Year Award
* Martin Lawrence & Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
– Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Tom Hanks – Male Star of the Year Award
* James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker, who resides in New Zealand. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a Classical Hollywood cinema, classical filmmaking styl ...
– Producer of the Year Award
* Paul Attanasio – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Mara Wilson – Young Star of the Year Award
* Jim Carrey – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Christina Ricci – Star of the Year Award
* Faye Dunaway – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 1996
* Mel Gibson – Director of the Year Award
* Cameron Diaz – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Sandra Bullock – Female Star of the Year Award
* Greg Kinnear – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting in television before transitioning into a leading man in films. List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, His accolades include a Primetime Em ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* James G. Robinson – Producer of the Year Award
* Edward Burns – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Jonathan Taylor Thomas – Young Star of the Year Award
* John Lasseter – Outstanding Achievement Award
* Sophia Loren – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 1997
* Joel Schumacher – Director of the Year Award
* Claire Danes – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Winona Ryder – Female Star of the Year Award
* Howie Long – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* Arnon Milchan – Producer of the Year Award
* Albert Brooks & Monica Mcgowan Johnson – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Alex D. Linz – Young Star of the Year Award
* '' The Rock'' – Favorite Movie of the Year Award
* Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
– International Box Office Achievement Award
* Cuba Gooding, Jr. – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Elizabeth Hurley – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
– Humanitarian Award
ShoWest Convention 1998
* Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...
– Actor of the Year Award
* Helen Hunt – Actress of the Year Award
* Barry Levinson – Director of the Year Award
* Minnie Driver – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon ( ; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received va ...
– Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Laurie MacDonald & Walter F. Parkes – Producer of the Year Award
* Ronald Bass – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Burt Reynolds – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Joan Allen – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Jerry Bruckheimer – International Box Office Achievement Award
* Julia Roberts – International Star of the Year Award
* Susan Sarandon – Humanitarian Award
ShoWest Convention 1999
* Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
– Actor of the Year Award
* Meg Ryan – Actress of the Year Award
* John Madden – Director of the Year Award
* Heather Graham – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Giovanni Ribisi – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Jerry Bruckheimer – Producer of the Year Award
* Bobby Farrelly
Robert Farrelly (born June 17, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is one of the Farrelly brothers, alongside his brother Peter, who together are known for directing and producing successful box-office comedy films ...
& Peter Farrelly
Peter John Farrelly (born December 17, 1956) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist. Along with his brother Bobby Farrelly, Bobby, the Farrelly brothers are mostly famous for directing and producing quirky comedy and r ...
– Screenwriter of the Year Award
* William H. Macy – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Catherine Zeta-Jones – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Tom Hanks – Box Office Star of the Decade Award
* Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
– Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Sean Connery – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 2000
* Anthony Minghella – Director of the Year Award
* Hilary Swank – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Annette Bening
Annette Carol Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. With a career spanning over four decades, she is known for List of Annette Bening performances, her versatile work across screen and stage. Bening has received List of awards an ...
– Female Star of the Year Award
* John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
– Maestro of the Year Award
* Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan (December 10, 1957September 3, 2012) was an American actor. He is best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in '' The Green Mile'' (1999), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor a ...
– Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Jim Carrey – Male Star of the Year Award
* Armyan Bernstein – Producer of the Year Award
* Alan Ball – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Ving Rhames
Irving Rameses Rhames ( ; born May 12, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying IMF Agent Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible (film series), ''Mission: Impossible'' film series (1996–2025) and crime boss Marsellus Wal ...
– Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
– Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Drew Barrymore – Comedy Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 2001
* Wolfgang Petersen – Director of the Year Award
* Sandra Bullock – Female Star of the Year Award
* Ang Lee
Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...
– International Filmmaker of the Year Award
* Michelle Yeoh
Yeoh Choo Kheng (; born 6 August 1962), known professionally as Michelle Yeoh (), is a Malaysian actress. In a career spanning over four decades, Yeoh has appeared Michelle Yeoh filmography, in projects encompassing a wide array of genres, a ...
– International Star of the Year Award
* Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film care ...
– Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Russell Crowe – Male Star of the Year Award
* Richard D. Zanuck & David Brown – Producer of the Year Award
* William Broyles, Jr. – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Haley Joel Osment – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Judi Dench – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Chris Rock – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Nicolas Cage – Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Award
ShoWest Convention 2002
* Ron Howard – Director of the Year Award
* Naomi Watts – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
– Female Star of the Year Award
* Jean-Pierre Jeunet – International Filmmaker of the Year Award
* Josh Hartnett – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* Douglas Wick – Producer of the Year Award
* Julian Fellowes – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Marisa Tomei – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Chris Tucker – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Nicole Kidman – Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Award
* Steven Spielberg – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 2003
* Sam Mendes
Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours ...
– Director of the Year Award
* Alison Lohman – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Diane Lane – Female Star of the Year Award
* Fernando Meirelles
Fernando Ferreira Meirelles (; born 9 November 1955) is a Brazilian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for co-directing the film ''City of God (2002 film), City of God'', released in 2002 in Brazil and in 2003 in the Un ...
– International Achievement in Filmmaking Award
* LL Cool J – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* David Heyman – Producer of the Year Award
* Antwone Fisher – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Christopher Walken – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Catherine Zeta-Jones – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Chris Wedge
John Christian Wedge (born March 20, 1957) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. He is best known for being the lead animator of the sci-fi action film ''Tron'' (1982), co-founding the now defunct animation studio Blue Sky Studios ...
– Animation Director of the Year Award
* Brian Grazer – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 2004
* Jennifer Garner – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Halle Berry – Female Star of the Year Award
* Niki Caro – International Filmmaker of the Year Award
* Ryan Gosling – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Jude Law – Male Star of the Year Award
* John Davis – Producer of the Year Award
* Djimon Hounsou – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Andrew Stanton – Animation Director of the Year Award
* Jack Black – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Drew Barrymore & Gwyneth Paltrow – Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Award
* Lawrence Gordon – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 2005
* Rob Cohen – Director of the Year Award
* Jessica Biel – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Jennifer Aniston – Female Star of the Year Award
* Danny Boyle – International Filmmaker of the Year Award
* Hayden Christensen – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon ( ; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received va ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* Rachel McAdams – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Catalina Sandino Moreno – International Star of the Year Award
* George Lucas – Galactic Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 2006
* M. Night Shyamalan – Director of the Year Award
* Jennifer Hudson – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Natalie Portman – Female Star of the Year Award
* Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, Gothic fiction, gothicism and horror fiction, horror often blending the genres ...
– International Achievement in Filmmaking Award
* Brandon Routh – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Hugh Jackman – Male Star of the Year Award
* Dakota Fanning – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Vince Vaughn – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Laurence Fishburne – Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Award
* John Lasseter – Pioneer of Animation Award
* Keke Palmer – Rising Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 2007
* Christopher Miller & Raman Hui – Animation Director of the Year Award
* Dane Cook – Breakout Performance of the Year Award
* Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez – Director of the Year Award
* Mark Burg & Oren Koules – Excellence in Producing Award
* Emma Roberts – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Kirsten Dunst – Female Star of the Year Award
* Alfonso Cuaron – International Achievement in Filmmaking Award
* Shia LaBeouf – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Don Cheadle
Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (, ; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his roles in film and television, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Don Cheadle, multiple accolades including two Golden Globe Award ...
– Male Star of the Year Award
* Jerry Weintraub – Producer of the Year Award
* Bruce Joel Rubin – Screenwriter of the Year Award
* Freddy Rodriguez – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Rosario Dawson – Supporting Actress of the Year Award
* Steve Carell – Comedy Star of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 2008
* Helen Hunt – Breakthrough Director of the Year Award
* Marvin Levy – Career Achievement in Film Making Award
* Christopher Nolan – Director of the Year Award
* Brendan Fraser – Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Award
* David Mamet
David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker.
He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...
– Excellence in Filmmaking Award
* Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. Following a string of film parts as a young child, she rose to prominence at age 10 after playing Olive Hoover in ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which Breslin received a nomin ...
– Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Anne Hathaway – Female Star of the Year Award
* Alan Ball – Groundbreaking Filmmaker of the Year Award
* Sergei Bodrov – International Achievement in Filmmaking Award
* Emile Hirsch – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Robert Downey, Jr. – Male Star of the Year Award
* Charles Roven – Producer of the Year Award
* Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. Known for Kevin Spacey on screen and stage, his work on stage and screen, he List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Spacey, has received numerous accolades, including two ...
, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts & Josh Gad – Best Ensemble Award
* Seth Rogen – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Sarah Jessica Parker – ShoWest Vanguard Award
* Ang Lee
Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...
& James Schamus – ShoWest/NATO Freedom of Expression Award
* Robert Redford – Visionary Award
ShoWest Convention 2009
* Zac Efron – Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award
* Zack Snyder – Director of the Year Award
* Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge & Margo Harshman – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Rachel McAdams – Female Star of the Year Award
* Chris Pine – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Dennis Quaid – Male Star of the Year Award
* Sienna Miller – Supporting Actor of the Year Award
* Patricia Clarkson – Independent Award for Excellence in Acting
* Kathryn Bigelow – Triumph Award for Outstanding Direction
* Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
– Career Achievement in Film Journalism
* Bradley Cooper – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Michael Bay – ShoWest Vanguard Award for Excellence in Filmmaking
* Mark Christiansen – Ken Mason InterSociety Award
* Michael Caine – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 2010
* Amanda Seyfried – Breakthrough Female Star of the Year Award
* Todd Phillips – Director of the Year Award
* Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis & Cynthia Nixon – Ensemble Award
* Vanessa Anne Hudgens – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Katherine Heigl – Female Star of the Year Award
* Alex Pettyfer – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Sam Worthington – Male Star of the Year Award
* Jay Roach
Mathew Jay Roach (born June 14, 1957) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the Austin Powers (film series), ''Austin Powers'' film series, ''Meet the Parents'', ''Dinner for Schmucks'', ''The Campaign (film), The Campaign'', ...
– Comedy Director of the Decade Award
* Zach Galifianakis – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Jerry Bruckheimer – Lifetime Achievement Award
ShoWest Convention 2011
* Chloe Bridges & Sasha Pieterse – Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award
ShoWest Convention 2014
* Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley, Meaghan Martin, Allie Gonino, Ally Maki, Nikki Blonsky, Alex Newell, Scott Bakula, Marin Hinkle & Ana Gasteyer – Ensemble Award
Other conventions
The remaining Nielsen Media event properties include CineEurope held in Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, Spain in June, CineAsia held in early December in varying locations throughout Southeast Asia, and ShowEast, held in late October or early November in the Southeastern United States, usually somewhere in the Miami-Dade area.
American Movie Awards
In 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, NATO initiated the American Movie Awards, held at the Wilshire Theater, Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...
, and broadcast on NBC, with the winners selected based on voting by theater patrons. Various legal difficulties prevented the awards from being presented in 1981, and the event was discontinued after the 1982 awards due to competition from other awards shows.
CinemaCon Awards 2011
Source:["2011 Press Releases"](_blank)
, CinemaCon.com
Archived
from the original on May 23, 2012
* Cameron Diaz – Female Star of the Year Award
* Vin Diesel – Action Star of the Year Award
* Rosie Huntington-Whiteley – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Chris Hemsworth – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Blake Lively – Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award
* Ryan Reynolds – Male Star of the Year Award
*''Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' Film Franchise – Hall of Fame Award
* Helen Mirren – Career Achievement Award
* Russell Brand – Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Morgan Spurlock – Documentary Filmmaker of the Year Award
* Tyler Perry – Visionary Award
* Jason Momoa – Rising Star of 2011 Award (male)
* Julianne Hough – Rising Star of 2011 Award (female)
* Sid Ganis – Inter-Society's 2011 Ken Mason Award
*Miky Lee – Global Achievement in Exhibition Award
*Richard Fox – CinemaCon Passepartout Award
* Dick Cook – Pioneer of the Year
CinemaCon Awards 2012
Source:
* Jennifer Garner – Female Star of the Year Award
* Jeremy Renner – Male Star of the Year Award
*Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...
– Action Star of the Year Award
*Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris ( ; born November 29, 1976) is an American actress. Known for playing comedic roles, she rose to prominence with the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie (film series), ''Scary Movie'' films (2000–2006). Her film credi ...
– Comedy Star of the Year Award
* Chloë Grace Moretz – Female Star of Tomorrow Award
* Taylor Kitsch – Male Star of Tomorrow Award
* Josh Hutcherson – Breakthrough Performer of the Year Award
* Charlize Theron – Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Award
* Michelle Pfeiffer – Cinema Icon Award
*Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
– Career Achievement Award
* Judd Apatow – Award of Excellence in Filmmaking
*Timur Bekmambetov
Timur Nuruakhitovich Bekmambetov (, ; ; born 25 June 1961) is a Kazakh-born Russian film director, producer, screenwriter, and tech entrepreneur. He is best known for the fantasy epic '' Night Watch'' (2004) and the action thriller '' Wanted' ...
– International Filmmaker of the Year Award
*Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
International's Jack Ledwith – Passepartout Award
*Ted Pedas – NATO Marquee Award
* Delfin Fernandez – International Achievement in Exhibition Award
* Jeffrey Katzenberg – Pioneer of the Year
National Cinema Day
Cinema Foundation, the nonprofit arm of NATO, announced National Cinema Day for September 3, 2022, in which over 3,000 theaters would offer showings for .
National Cinema Day occurred again on August 27, 2023, in which 3,000 theaters offered showings for .[ ] A similar event was held in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2023, in which all cinema tickets were £3. The UK event will occur again on August 31, 2024, but ticket prices will increase to £4.
Average U.S. movie ticket price
NATO provides an annual average movie ticket price, in April, each year. In 2019, at $9.16, this stopped, due to Covid closures. In 2022, box office receipts were 66 percent of 2019, yet attendance levels were 55 percent of 2019. In 2022, IndieWire concluded that average movie ticket prices rose, at least 20 percent, to $11, based on the 2022 second-quarter AMC Theatres
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (doing business as AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC) is an American movie theater chain founded in Kansas City, Missouri, and now headquartered ...
earnings call which stated a 22 percent ticket revenue rise compared to the 2019 second-quarter.
See also
* Nielsen Business Media (Nielsen Media Film Group)
References
External links
*
National Association of Theatre Owners records, MSS 1446
in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...
{{Authority control
1965 establishments in the United States
2025 establishments in the United States
Cinemas and movie theaters in the United States
Exhibitions in the United States
Film organizations in the United States
Organizations established in 1965
Trade associations based in the United States
Trade shows in the United States