The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films is proud to unveil the initial recipients of special tribute and honorary awards at the upcoming 52nd Annual Saturn Awards, including William Shatner, the cast of Back to the Future, and the Amazon series Fallout.

This year’s ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 2, at The Hilton Universal City Hotel. In light of the catastrophic fires and the urgent need for community support, the Academy is using this platform to celebrate achievements in genre entertainment and to provide viewers nationwide and those attending the event with information on how to donate and support the rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles.

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This new initiative aims to raise awareness and provide vital contact information to help the city recover. The Saturn Awards will be live-streamed for FREE on both Electric Entertainment’s premium OTT app and FAST channel, ElectricNOW and The Roku Channel.

Attendees and viewers at home will be encouraged to donate to relief efforts via QR codes throughout the event and on-screen promos through streaming partners ElectricNOW and The Roku Channel.

Academy President Robert Holguin, alongside Saturn producers Bradley and Kevin Marcus, comment, “We hope that this year’s Saturn Awards will celebrate our vibrant community and genre family, just as it did after the Covid crisis. Coming together with old and new friends is essential during challenging times.”

He continued: “The Saturn Awards have always been about more than just winning or losing; it’s a celebration of the movies, shows, and people we cherish. In tough times, we often seek refuge in fantastical worlds of imagination. This event is also an opportunity to unite, offering hope and exploring the many ways we can support one another as we rebuild our lives and our beloved Los Angeles.”

Saturn Awards Announces Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

The Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for individuals in either film and/or television for their outstanding work, to honor their illustrious careers as artists and icons and those who’ve helped further genre entertainment in the industry and beyond. And there’s no one more deserving than the living legend and iconic Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner.

No stranger to the Saturn Awards, Mr. Shatner has hosted two of the first televised Saturn Awards shows in the late-70s, won Best Actor for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and presented last year’s Robert Forster Artist’s Award to Seth MacFarlane.

Who is getting The George Pal Memorial Award?

The George Pal Memorial Award is usually presented to someone who has shown exemplary work in the respective film genres. It is named in honor of George Pal, a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer principally associated with the science fiction genre, such as the classic War of the Worlds and The Time Machine, among many others.

This year, The Saturn Awards celebrate the 40th anniversary of the all-time classic time-travel adventure Back to the Future by bestowing this honor on its filmmakers and stars. Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, writer/producer Bob Gale, and composer Alan Silvestri will represent the film.

And, of course, The Spotlight Award

The Amazon series Fallout and its cast and creators will receive The Spotlight Award, presented by Ron Perlman. The award is given to a film or series that the Academy deems worthy of special recognition and accolades. Fallout not only lived up to and exceeded gamers’ expectations but also welcomed millions of new science fiction fans into its world of post-apocalyptic adventure, retro-futuristic intrigue, and darkly comedic survival.

Our critic raved about the series upon release, stating, “Fallout is the finest live-action adaptation of video game source material. It’s strong, it’s goddamn hilarious, and it highlights exactly how to swing for the fences while still knowing where Homebase is. It may be a new series, but Fallout is an instant classic of the streaming age. A second season just can’t come soon enough.

Are you going to tune into the Saturn Awards next month? What are you looking forward to the most?  Let us know on social media @butwhytho.net on Bluesky.