Los Angeles, California - When Monica Brady and Evelyn Watters were looking for a team to produce a movie trailer, they were shocked to find that creatives working in the field were practically anonymous.
The experience prompted the pair to create the Golden Trailer Awards, which kicked off in 1999 to recognize the people behind Hollywood's best-made movie previews.
"Trailer editors, the people creating some of the most memorable moments of the moviegoing experience, were completely unrecognized," Brady told AFP ahead of the gala's 26th edition on Thursday.
"They weren't credited on trailers, they weren't credited in films, and there wasn't even a directory to find them."
The pair, who remain as executive producers on the award show, oversaw 19 prizes given out during the inaugural ceremony in New York.
This year's ceremony was held in Los Angeles on Thursday and recognized achievements in more than 100 categories.
The night's most coveted statuette for Best of Show went to the trailer for sci-fi movie Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, which was created by Wild Card Creative Group.
But what makes one movie trailer stand out from the rest?
"What makes a great trailer, first and foremost, is a great hook," Watters said.
An honoree will likely have "a fresh storyline, compelling characters, an emotional moment, and something audiences haven't seen before," she explained ahead of the ceremony.
"A winning trailer is a tempting appetizer, it is not the whole meal."