History of the TEA Thea Awards The establishment of the TEA Thea Awards as the preeminent award program recognizing excellence in themed entertainment projects was seminal to the recognition of themed entertainment as a professional industry. The Theas shine a bright light on the industry and its leaders, fabricators and creative geniuses who make themed entertainment magic. -- Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Founder Monty Lunde, Technifex
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EA created the Thea Awards to bring recognition to achievement, talent and excellence within the themed entertainment industry. The Thea Awards began in 1994 with a single Lifetime Achievement Award, and the first honoree was Harrison “Buzz” Price, a pioneer in entertainment feasibility. Monty Lunde, Bob Rogers, Pat Scanlon and Barry Howard were on the first Thea Awards organizational and judging committee. The Thea Awards were named in reference to three words: •“Thea” - the Greek goddess from whom all light emanates •“Theater” - derived from the goddess Thea •“TEA” - the acronym referring to our Association The original Thea trophies were designed by Barry Howard and Jeremy Railton. The current Thea trophy debuted in 2001 and was designed by Zofia Kostryko. The first year’s ceremony, held at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, was produced by Ron Miziker and coordinated by Jana Love, with TEA founder Monty Lunde serving as master of ceremonies. The 1995 Thea Awards also took place at the Biltmore, again with a single honoree: the late Marty Sklar (an official Disney Legend). After Buzz Price passed away in 2010, TEA renamed the Thea Lifetime Achievement Award in his honor. It is now called the Buzz Price Thea Award - Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements.
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The third year (1996) saw the introduction of Awards for Outstanding Achievement (AOA). Ten AOAs were bestowed. The Thea Classic category was created in 1997. It can be given to one achievement per year that has stood the test of time. Also in 1997, the AOA category of Excellence on a Limited Budget was created, to celebrate outstanding achievements under $10 million. For 2014-2015, new Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions at Universal Studios prompted the TEA Thea Awards Judging Committee to create the Paragon Award, which recognizes a project that sets a new bar of excellence. Since 2017, numerous projects have been honored within the new Thea Award category, “Connected Immersion,” recognizing that tremendous advances in technology, social behavior and connectivity are reinventing our notion of storytelling and immersion. Introduced in 2021, with the first two recipients honored in 2022 as part of the 28th annual Thea Awards cycle, was the Thea Catalyst Award, recognizing individuals who have made recent, notable contributions to the industry. The Thea Awards also reflect the global expansion of our industry, and the geographic coverage has grown accordingly, with the Committee continuing its efforts each year to span the globe. It should be noted that the Thea Awards are not by any means confined to theme parks. Museums and museum exhibitions, heritage centers, casinos, multimedia spectaculars, brand experiences, theatrical