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: ‘Sketch’

In an era where family films have become animated franchises versus fresh original ideas, we're gifted with writer-director Seth Worley's "Sketch." This film emerges as a refreshingly personal and honest explo... Read More...

Film Review: ‘The Naked Gun’

After three decades since the last entry in the franchise, Paramount has wisely handed over the keys to "The Naked Gun" reboot to Akiva Schaffer, the "Lonely Island" alumnus who proved his comedy chops with "P... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Delivers Thrilling Score, Direction, & Production Design Amid Flawed Script

After decades of false starts and franchise misfires, Marvel's First Family receives its finest treatment to date under the guidance of Matt Shakman, the "WandaVision" architect who brings his keen understandi... Read More...

Film Review: ‘The Old Guard 2’ Struggles To Match Original’s Richness in Characters As It Expands Lore

After director Gina Prince-Bythewood delivered one of Netflix's most surprisingly effective original action films in 2020 with "The Old Guard," the streaming giant has done what it does best—churn out a sequel... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Superman’ Flies High on Anticipation But Uneven Script Is Kryptonite For The Newest Man of Steel

After years of DC's cinematic missteps and tonal confusion, new DC Studios Head James Gunn steps into the writer-director role with total creative freedom. With the new DCU, Gunn faces the monumental task of l... Read More...

Film Review: ‘F1’ Crosses Finish Line in Style thanks to Pitt & His Crew

In an era where most racing films rely heavily on green screens and digitally drawn details, director Joseph Kosinski ("Top Gun Maverick") and legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer have crafted something genuin... Read More...

Film Review: Director Dean Deblois Delivers With Live Action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Film Based On His Hit Animation Trilogy

The live-action remakes have fallen short in recent years, however Dreamworks is breaking that spell by entrusting a familiar face with the live action "How to Train Your Dragon" remake. This adaptation ha... Read More...

Christina Ricci Delves into Emmy-Nominated Turn in “Yellowjackets” & Tim Burton’s “Wednesday”

Few actors have navigated the transition from child star to acclaimed adult performer with the grace and artistic integrity of Christina Ricci. The actress, who first captured audiences' attention as the delig... Read More...

Ali Larter: The Female Force Electrifying ‘Landman’ Season 1

From NBC's "Heroes" to hit films like "Varsity Blues" and "Final Destination," actress Ali Larter has connected with audiences in a career that spans genres and generations. With the explosion of Taylor Sherid... Read More...

Film Review: ‘Thunderbolts’ Lacks Lightning Despite A Flawless Florence Pugh

Marvel had a landmark 2024 at the cinema, grossing over a billion dollars at the box office from a single film that combined Fox's Marvel X-Men characters with the Disney-owned MCU. The film, "Deadpool and Wol... Read More...