Author Byron Burton

Byron Burton

Founder, Awards Editor

Byron Burton is the Awards Editor and Chief Critic at Awards Focus and a National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award winning journalist for his work at The Hollywood Reporter.

Byron is a voting member of the Television Academy, Critics Choice Association, and the Society of Composers & Lyricists (the SCL) for his work on Marvel's X-Men Apocalypse (2016). Working as a journalist and moderator, Byron hosts Emmy and Oscar panels for the major studios, featuring their Below The Line and Above The Line nominees (in partnership with their respective guilds).

Moderating highlights include Ingle Dodd's "Behind the Slate" Screening Series and their "Spotlight Live" event at the American Legion in Hollywood. Byron covered the six person panel for Universal's "NOPE" as well as panels for Hulu's "Pam & Tommy Lee" and "Welcome to Chippendales" and HBO Max's "Barry" and "Euphoria."

For songwriters and composers, Byron is a frequent moderator for panels with the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) as well as The ArcLight's Hitting the High Note Oscar series.

Byron's panels range from FX's Fargo to Netflix's The Crown, The Queen's Gambit, The Witcher & Bridgerton; HBO Max's The Flight Attendant, Hacks, Succession, Insecure, & Lovecraft Country; Amazon Studios' The Legend of Vox Machina, Wild Cat, & Annette; and Apple TV+s Ted Lasso, Bad Sisters, and 5 Days at Memorial.

In February of 2020, Byron organized and hosted the Aiding Australia Initiative; launched to assist in the restoration and rehabilitation of Australia's wildlife (an estimated 3 billion animals killed or maimed and a landmass the size of Syria decimated).

Participating talent for Aiding Australia includes Robert Downey Jr., Michael Keaton, Jeremy Renner, Harrison Ford, Jim Carrey, Josh Brolin, Bryan Cranston, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, JK Simmons, Tobey Maguire, Alfred Molina, James Franco, Danny Elfman, Tim Burton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Tim Allen, Colin Hay, Drew Struzan, and Michael Rosenbaum.

Film Review: ‘Send Help’

Sam Raimi returns to his horror-comedy roots with "Send Help," reuniting with Rachel McAdams after their collaboration on "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" for a fantastically gory, darkly funny, a... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Pillion’

Harry Lighton's feature directorial debut represents a remarkable tonal achievement, adapting Clive Sinclair's controversial 1981 novella "Box Hill" into something unexpectedly warm-hearted while maintaining t... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Zootopia 2’ Delivers Oscar-Worthy Sequel That Justifies Nine-Year Wait

Disney Animation returns to Zootopia nearly a decade after the Oscar-winning original captured both Best Animated Feature and audiences' hearts worldwide, and the results justify every moment of anticipation. ... Read More...

Film Review: Hamnet poised as Frontrunner for Critics Choice & Oscar Nominations

Chloé Zhao returns to intimate, character-driven filmmaking with Hamnet, a literary adaptation that positions itself squarely in the awards conversation through craft, restraint, and emotional accumulation rat... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Is Thing Thing On?’ Sees Writer-Director Bradley Cooper Tee Up Longtime Friend For Awards Consideration

Bradley Cooper's third directorial effort marks a significant departure from the operatic sweep of "A Star Is Born" and "Maestro," trading biographical grandeur for intimate character study while maintaining h... Read More...

Film Review: ‘A House of Dynamite’

Kathryn Bigelow returns to the geopolitical thriller territory that earned her an Oscar for "The Hurt Locker" with "A House of Dynamite." The Netflix film is a departure from Bigelow's traditional narrative st... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Bugonia’ Primed For Oscar Gold As Yorgos Lanthimos Crafts Timely Psychological Dramedy With 3 Oscar Worthy Performances

Going into "Bugonia" I was a completely blank canvas. Having avoided all trailers, social media, and only knowing the cast -- I was excited to Yorgos Lanthimos's latest piece of art with his frequent collabora... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Twinless’

James Sweeney's second feature following "Straight Up" represents a significant step forward for the writer-director, demonstrating his ability to navigate tonal complexity while tackling profound themes of gr... Read More...

Film Review: ‘The Roses’

Jay Roach's reimagining of "The War of the Roses" represents a frustrating case of A-list talent and solid source material undermined by tonal confusion and directorial miscalculation. Despite boasting Benedic... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Honey Don’t’

Ethan Coen's second solo venture continues his planned lesbian B-movie trilogy with diminishing returns, proving that the Coen Brothers' legendary filmmaking chemistry was indeed a partnership that shouldn't h... Read More...