The Powder Awards Return To Salt Lake City

Powder Magazine Hosts 14th Annual Powder Awards at The Depot in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah  – With a welcomed return to Utah, the 14th Annual Powder Awards honored the top skiers, cinematographers, and photographers tonight with a sold-out crowd at The Depot in downtown Salt Lake City.

Sweetgrass Productions celebrated their first-ever Movie of the Year award by stripping down naked (their signature film style) and collecting their award for Valhalla, after earlier winning the award for Best Editing for the same film.

"We're a small team and we just pushed and pushed and pushed," said the entire Sweetgrass crew, which included all filmmakers, athletes, and their mothers. "We've been up against the odds—small budgets, stray fireworks, and getting completely naked—but it really became a battle against ourselves to create the most unique and interesting segments. It pushed us beyond our comfort zones that made us our own personal competition to create something that has never been done. By asking ourselves how could we get weirder and wilder, we found we could expand creatively."

Sweetgrass Productions Accepts Movie of the Year Award for "Valhalla"

"Holy smokes, what a show," said POWDER Editor John Stifter. "From the amazing new venue in downtown Salt Lake, to the guest presenters like Scot Schmidt, Daron Rahlves, Greg Stump, and Wendy Fisher, to the wild Sweetgrass crew taking home Movie of the Year, the biggest night in skiing lived up to the hype and more."

Tim Durtschi won early on in the evening with Best Natural Air for his rodeo 7 in Field Productions' Supervention only to later win the prestigious Best Male Performance for his segment in Way Of Life from Teton Gravity Research.

"I'm really excited about winning both of my awards tonight," said Durtschi. "Cheers to another great season."

Elyse Saugstad proved her prowess in TGR's Co-Lab segment, earning her the top spot for Best Female Performance and as a fan favorite, capturing one of the top five spots in this year's Powder Poll.

"I'm surrounded by a group of strong female skiers, and to know that I was able to contribute to women's skiing is such an honor," said Saugstad. "It's so amazing to be a part of the Powder Awards, and to actually win an award this year is the pinnacle of my career outside of my personal achievements."

The long awaited release of McConkey, from MSP Films and Red Bull Media, was honored with Best Documentary and a roaring round of cheers, applause, and emotion for industry hero Shane McConkey.

For more coverage, photos, and video from the biggest night in skiing visit PowderAwards.com.

14^th ANNUAL POWDER AWARDS RESULTS

Photo of the Year

Caroline Gleich, Alta, Utah

Photographer: Liam Doran

Best Jib

Max Morello, Tracing Skylines, Poor Boyz Productions

Best Manmade Air

Sean Pettit, Tracing Skylines, Poor Boyz Productions

Best Natural Air

Tim Durtschi, Supervention, Field Productions

Breakthrough Performer

Dale Talkington

Full Throttle

Callum Pettit

Best Line

Callum Pettit, Into The Mind, Sherpas Cinema

Best Powder

Dylan Hood, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, and Colter Hinchcliffe, Way Of Life, Teton Gravity Research

Best Female Performance

Elyse Saugstad, Co-Lab, Teton Gravity Research

Best Male Performance

Tim Durtschi, Way Of Life, Teton Gravity Research

Best Short

Super Mom, Switchback Entertainment

Best Editing

Valhalla, Sweetgrass Productions

Best Cinematography

Into The Mind, Sherpas Cinema

Best Documentary

McConkey, MSP Films and Red Bull Media House

Movie of the Year

Valhalla, Sweetgrass Productions

Powder Poll Men

1. Seth Morrison

2. Sean Pettit

3. Candide Thovex

4. Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

5. Eric Hjorleifson

6. Drew Tabke

7. J.P. Auclair

8. Mark Abma

9. Pep Fujas

10. Tom Wallisch

Powder Poll Women

1. Ingrid Backstrom

2. Michelle Parker

3. Angel Collinson

4. Elyse Saugstad

5. Lindsey Vonn

Special thanks to our presenting sponsors GoPro, Red Bull, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Ski Salt Lake, and Snowbird Resort.