LOS ANGELES, November 5, 2007 The Envelope (http://www.theenvelope.com/), the entertainment awards insider from the Los Angeles Times, heralds the arrival of awards' season with today's launch of the site's redesigned homepage, new editorial staff, increased coverage, upgrades and online features. In addition, The Times unveils the editorial line-up for the return of its exclusive 11-part print series and debuts The Envelope Screening Series, Presented by Mercedes-Benz.
Online, in print and on screen The Envelope is further establishing itself as the leading source for up-to-the-minute inside information for all industry denizens actively engaged in the awards season race, while providing advertisers and movie studios a unique platform in reaching a highly influential and captivated audience. Uniquely, The Envelope is also the go-to destination for consumers drawn to the excitement of The Oscarsî, Grammysî, Golden Globesî, etc. "The Envelope has made the Los Angeles Times the frontrunner for unique coverage of the race from the inside," said Rob Barrett, general manager of latimes.com and vice president of the Los Angeles Times Media Group. "With these new enhancements, The Envelope provides both entertainment industry and savvy consumers' fresh topical coverage of all the behind-the-scenes politicking and celebrity campaigning that accompany every award season." TheEnvelope.com, known for its rich content, in-depth reporting, insider forums, weekly video reports, curated photo galleries, expert discussion blogs and analysis of award shows, has tapped Sheigh Crabtree as its new editor and brought in several new columnists, set to deliver a fresh take on the competition with "Notes on a Season," Pete Hammond's insider analysis on the Oscarî race and "Extended Play," Todd Martens' deeper music biz coverage and expert analysis on that industry's major awards shows including the Grammy'sî, AMA's and CMA's as well as film-music awards showdowns at the Golden Globesî and Oscarsî. In addition, visitors to the site can now find "Contender Countdown," a weekly interactive feature showcasing editors picks for the top 10 films; "Awards Buzz and Rumors," a daily collection of news and buzz from around the web written by Los Angeles Times contributor Mark Olsen; and increased multimedia coverage including "Red Carpet Reports," video reports from premieres, private parties and events. These new features will run alongside The Envelope's current favorites, including Hollywood award guru, Tom O'Neil's "The Gold Derby" and "The Dish Rag," penned by Elizabeth Snead. Complementing the web site in its second season will be an 11-part Times print series beginning with the Awards Preview issue on November 7th. Each edition will offer a lineup of new and regular features, including the addition of Patrick Goldstein's "The Big Picture Conversation" with key industry leaders and existing reads such as the Buzzmeter chart, where a diverse group of industry pundits gauge who's hot and who's not in key awards races. Other issues will include: Best Actor (Part One) 11/14; Animation/Crafts 11/21; Best Song/Score 12/5; Writer/Director 12/12; Best Picture/Foreign Film/Documentary 12/19; Best Actor (Part Two) & SAG Awardsà1/2; Golden Globesî 1/9; Nominations 1/30; Grammy'sî 2/6; and Oscarî Preview 2/20.
