2026 Gold Medal Winners: A Telly
Year: 2026 / Title: “AO the Artist”
Producer Brett Akagi, Akagi Media
Artist Anthony Oropeza, AOART5
Brett Akagi & AO: Gold Medal Gold Winners
Winner! Winner! The AOART5 Studio is proud to announce that videographer, writer & friend to the studio Brett Akagi of Akagi Media and AO are gold medal recipients of 2026 Telly Award!
Category: General-Arts & Culture – Non-Broadcast pieces addressing cultural topics, events, institutions, performances, works of art, galleries, or museums, etc.
Telly Awards: Celebrating Best Work in the Video
The Telly Awards, founded in 1979, honor excellence in video and television across all screens. The awards honor local, regional and cable television commercials, and non-broadcast video and television programming. The award also includes branded content, documentary, social media, immersive and more. The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work created within television and across video, for all screens. Receiving over 13,000 entries globally from 6 continents and all 50 states, Telly Award winners represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies and publishers from around the world. The Telly Awards recognizes work that has been created on behalf of a client, for a specific brand and/or company (including your own) or self-directed as a creative endeavor.
The Telly Awards annually showcase the best work created within television and across video, for all screens. Receiving over 13,000 entries globally from 6 continents and all 50 states, Telly Award winners represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies and publishers from around the world. The Telly Awards recognizes work that has been created on behalf of a client, for a specific brand and/or company (including your own) or self-directed as a creative endeavor.
The Story Behind the Story
In 2024, AO met Brett at a fundraising event where AO was the featured live painter. Then in 2025, Brett asked AO if he could create a short promo/resume video featuring AO, his sports art and shoot it in the AOART5 Studio in downtown OP. Brett envisioned not only shooting video in AO’s studio as he worked but he also asked if he could get footage during a live painting event. Brett was kind enough to pack up his gear, go to the venue, hang out and shoot one of AO’s live painting creation from start to finish! And with that footage, Brett created a 3min and 8 second gem. He did his video lighting, shooting and editing magic and she soon had himself and nice resume piece of AO and his work.
A few months later AO gets a call from Brett and is congratulated and told they won a Telly. And that they won gold, for that matter. AO, not aware his name being placed on the application, what a Telly was, the magnitude of the award, and the level of talent that submits to such an award – he was pleasantly surprised and thankful. With all that, he was not too surprised that Brett’s work won the award and at that level.
Not only is Brett an excellent video and editing pro, he is a mentor to so many video students and pros, and an all around great guy who offers his time to fundraising organizations across the KC metro.
For AO, it was an honor to be a part of his project and vision and he was extremely happy that Brett’s work was recognized across the country up against some pretty stiff competition and that he was kind enough to be place on the application as a partner to share the Telly award honors.
Congrats to Brett – Great Work!