2 days ago
Golden Reel Awards: MPSE bans generative A.I. sound from awards eligibility to ‘keep artists at the forefront'
The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) are taking a definitive stance: The Golden Reel Awards will honor only human artistic achievement. In a world where Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is rapidly infiltrating creative industries, the MPSE is taking proactive steps to preserve the integrity and humanity of sound editorial, design, and foley artistry.
In a press release issued Thursday, MPSE president David Barber stated, "It is an enormous question to ask: how much of our humanity are we willing to give away to technology, especially in the arts? The time to ponder that question, set up boundaries, and guide how A.I. is assimilated into our workflow and lives was yesterday. The dam of A.I. has broken, and the waters are upon us. Choosing what we embrace as award-worthy filmmaking is a way of diverting those waters while we grapple with this exponential change. As A.I. technology infiltrates and permeates our industry, rules and accepted practices for its use need to emerge that keep artists at the forefront."
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The press release further stated:
MPSE has always promoted and will continue to value the human endeavor of artistic creation. Our Golden Reel Award honors people who utilize their skills and artistry to push the boundaries of storytelling through sound. We support and prize technological advances that assist artists in their creations. However, standards for the legal and ethical use of Generative A.I. have yet to be established and are far from being accepted broadly. What we choose to promote as award-worthy points to how much we value the human endeavor of artistic creation.
Because of these concerns and our organization's mission to uphold and celebrate the creative human endeavor of sound and music editorial, sound design, and Foley artistry, the MPSE will not be accepting projects for awards consideration where Generative A.I. is used to create elements for the final soundtrack. Golden Reel Award qualification rules are being updated and will be published on our website soon.
As the industry evolves to adopt tools and techniques, current or yet to be developed, our board of directors and A.I. committee are poised to evolve our stance on this issue, ensuring we adhere to our mission. We remain open to what the technological future may bring in support of the humans working in the craft of sound editorial.
The 73rd Annual Golden Reel Awards will be held on Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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