Oscar-winner Kevin Costner, Sound Editor Greg Hedgepath to Receive Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Honors

Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE), the premier organization of entertainment sound editing professionals since 1953, will present Oscar-winning filmmaker and actor Kevin Costner with the 2025 MPSE Filmmaker Award, bestowed annually to a filmmaker of distinction and Supervising Sound Editor Greg Hedgepath will receive the Career Achievement Award for his prolific career in sound editing.

Both awards will be presented during MPSE’s 72nd Annual Golden Reel Awards Gala on February 23, 2025 at the Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. 

The MPSE Filmmaker Award is bestowed upon an individual outside the sound community whose career has demonstrated a great appreciation and understanding of the impact of sound editing. The MPSE Career Achievement Award is presented to a person whose career has made a significant impact on the sound community through exemplary work, service, or leadership. 

“Kevin Costner has captivated audiences with his powerful storytelling throughout his illustrious career,” said MPSE president David Barber.  “From epic Westerns to poignant dramas, his use of sound as an integral component of his cinematic storytelling has stirred our emotions and immersed viewers in the worlds he’s created for decades. This passion for sound is abundantly clear in his latest ambitious project, the Horizon saga. We are thrilled to honor him with the Filmmaker Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the art of storytelling through sound in film and television.”

“Greg Hedgepath is a true titan in the world of sound,” Barber said. “His contributions to cinema are immense, spanning decades and encompassing a remarkable range of genres. From the heart-pounding intensity of ‘Speed’ and ‘Twister’ to the nuanced drama of ‘Selma’ and ‘Straight Outta Compton’, Greg’s work has consistently elevated storytelling through the power of sound. He is a master craftsman, an innovator, and an inspiration. This award is a testament to the profound impact he has had on the art of sound.”

While working at the famed Raleigh Studios and taking acting classes at night, Kevin Costner’s career in film officially began when he landed a role in the ensemble drama The Big Chill.  Although he would not make the final cut in the film, it would set the stage for starring roles in a string of seminal films, the first of which being coming of age comedy, Fandango.

Throughout his career, Costner has varied his choices with comedy, action and drama roles.  He has appeared in such popular box-office hits as Silverado, No Way Out, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, The Bodyguard and Wyatt Earp.

Costner’s exceptional filmmaking abilities were showcased in Dances with Wolves, which he produced, directed and starred in, and which won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

In addition to appearing in memorable roles in JFK, The Untouchables and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, he re-teamed with his Bull Durham director Ron Shelton for the hit feature Tin Cup.

Costner also starred in Thirteen Days, successfully collaborating again with his No Way Out director Roger Donaldson.  His other film credits include For Love of the Game, The War, 3,000 Miles to Graceland, Dragonfly and The Postman, his second directing effort. 

Kevin Costner last directed the box office hit and critically acclaimed film Open Range, which he also co-starred in alongside Robert Duvall and Annette Bening. 

Costner co-starred with Joan Allen in the dramatic film Upside of Anger, opposite Jennifer Aniston in Rumor Has It directed by Rob Reiner for Warner Brothers, The Guardian, an action drama for Touchstone Pictures in which he portrayed a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, the thriller Mr. Brooks, and he starred in Touchstone Pictures’ political comedy Swing Vote.

Costner also starred in the History Channel’s record-setting mini-series The Hatfields and McCoys: An American Vendetta in which he portrayed “Devil” Anse Hatfield, the patriarch of the famed clan, opposite Bill Paxton.  He also served as a producer of the series, which received 16 Emmy Award nominations, winning the Best Actor in a mini-series or movie Emmy for Costner.  He also received the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance.

In recent years, Costner has been in the Warner Bros. film Superman: Man of Steel, as the superhero’s father Jonathan Kent; co-starred with Chris Pine in Jack Ryan, Paramount Pictures’ revival of the Tom Clancy franchise; the spy thriller Three Days to Kill for Relativity Media; the football inspired Draft Day, directed by Ivan Reitman; the track team drama McFarland for Disney; the drama Black & White, which he produced and co-starred with Octavia Spencer; Criminal, in which he co-starred with Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones and Ryan Reynolds; and Hidden Figures, in which he co-starred with Taraji Henson, Octavia Spencer and Jenelle Monae, and received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble; the true-crime drama The Highwaymen opposite Woody Harrelson for Netflix; and the thriller Let Him Go, co-starring Diane Lane and directed by Tom Bezucha.

In addition, he starred in and executive produced the Paramount Network’s hit-drama, Yellowstone, a role for which he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Drama.

Currently, Costner is directing, producing and starring in Horizon: An American Saga, a multi-faceted, years-long span of post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. Experienced through the eyes of many, the epic journey is fraught with peril and intrigue from the constant onslaught of natural elements to the interactions with the Native American people who lived on the land and the determination and at many times ruthlessness of those who sought to settle it.

Through his Territory Pictures, he also serves as executive producer of the Civil War spy drama The Gray House, a six-hour limited series for Paramount +. 

Costner also produced and co-authored the New York Times bestselling adventure novel The Explorers Guild.

When Costner is not working on films, he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar in his band, Modern West, and can be seen playing venues across the country.  The band recently recorded a collection of songs from and inspired by Yellowstone entitled Tales From Yellowstone, the follow-up to their Hatfields & McCoys inspired album Famous For Killing Each Other.  The band’s song “The Angels Came Down” from their album Turn It On, was adopted by the Gold Star Moms and Gold Star Wives organizations, which support the mothers, wives and families of fallen soldiers.

Supervising Sound Editor Greg Hedgepath has worked in film and TV sound for over two decades. He is a two-time Golden Reel Award winner whose career highlights also include sound designing the tornadoes in Twister (1996) and the giant bug-like aliens in Starship Troopers (1997). Among his many other credits are The Incredible Hulk (2008), Footloose (2011), Selma (2014), Straight Outta Compton (2015), Queen & Slim (2019), and Coming 2 America (2020).

Greg majored in communication at the University of Maryland and minored in electronics. He also studied sound recording at the Eastman School of Music. After college he worked at National Public Radio as a live music broadcast mixer. He got his start in film via Lucasfilm in Northern California and later worked as a sound editor, sound designer, and supervising sound editor at Sony, Soundelux, Formosa Group, and Warner Brothers.

Founded in 1953, the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) is a global community of visionary sound artists who define the sonic experience of cinema, television, and games. From the subtle nuances of dialogue to the pulse-pounding roar of action, MPSE members are the not-so-silent heroes behind the immersive audio that brings stories to life, captivating audiences worldwide.

Through its network of professionals spanning 40 countries on 6 continents, the MPSE is dedicated to elevating the craft of sound and recognizing the indispensable role sound artists play in storytelling. The organization’s year-round calendar is packed with exciting events, including industry panels, educational workshops, networking opportunities, screenings and celebrations, including the Golden Reel Awards, which honor artistry and innovation in sound editing.

Committed to nurturing the next generation of sound talent, the MPSE offers mentorship programs and scholarships that provide aspiring sound professionals with the tools and support they need to achieve their goals. The MPSE further champions and celebrates the power of sound and the incredible artists who bring it to life through its quarterly publication, Wavelength.

Submissions for The Golden Reel Awards are open now through November 26, 2024. Nominations for the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Awards will be announced January 6, 2025.