LOS ANGELES—The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) concluded the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat in mid-February with more than 800 industry leaders, technologists, creatives and executives on hand to attend more than 40 curated sessions.
A defining moment of the week was presentation of the 2026 HPA Awards Innovation & Technology honors, the expanded evolution of the HPA Engineering Excellence Award.
The 2026 HPA Awards Innovation & Technology category winners are:
- Innovation in Pre-Production: Bria, GenAI Attribution Technology.
- Innovation in Production & Capture: Creamsource, Slyyd Lighting Control App.
- Innovation in VFX, Virtual Production & Animation: Nerfstudio and Industrial Light & Magic, Nerfstudio.
- Innovation in Post-Production: Flawless, TrueSync.
- Innovation in Distribution & Audience Experience: SyncWords, LiveCore + Kobe Muxer.
In addition to the category honors, HPA presented two special recognitions reflecting long-term industry impact and peer-selected excellence during the retreat.
The HPA Transformative Impact Award, recognizing the submission with the greatest potential to reshape the professional media content ecosystem, was awarded to Bria AI — GenAI Attribution Technology. The honor recognizes breakthrough innovation signaling a meaningful shift in how content is created, managed and delivered.
The HPA Tech Retreat Best in Show Award, selected by attendees as the most innovative technology exhibited in the Innovation Zone, was presented to Global Objects.
“I am deeply energized by the success of the 2026 HPA Awards Innovation & Technology honors,” said Renard Jenkins, president of the Hollywood Professional Association. “These honors reflect more than technical achievement. They represent the collaborative spirit and creative ingenuity that propel our industry forward. By recognizing the individuals and teams redefining how stories are imagined, crafted and experienced, HPA continues to champion progress across our global creative community.”
The 2027 HPA Tech Retreat will take place Feb. 14–18, 2027, at the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, Calif.
For more information, see James O’Neal’s TVTech story: “2026 HPA Tech Retreat Explores Latest Media Production Tools/Technologies.”
More information is available on the HPA website.
