Music
From the timeless carol to the modern holiday single, we celebrate the songs, scores, and recording artists that become the soundtrack of the season — honoring craft, originality, and the feeling a single melody can carry across a lifetime.
About HMFA
Celebrating holiday music, film, and the stories that define the season.
The Holiday Music & Film Awards is an independent, annual celebration of the songs, films, performances, and people who make the holidays unforgettable — judged on craft and heart in equal measure.
Our Mission
One stage for the season's creators.
The HMFAs are the first awards program of their kind — dedicated exclusively to celebrating the creators of Christmas-themed music and films. We exist to honor the artistry that makes the holiday season meaningful: the songs that score our memories and the films that gather our families year after year.
Founder Lisa Franklin was inspired by a lifelong love of the holiday season, Christmas movies, and family traditions. After losing her father and sister to cancer, and later her mother, she wrote a holiday song in their memory. The positive response encouraged her to pursue her passion for holiday music.
As an independent songwriter recognized in other award programs, Franklin realized no awards show existed specifically for Christmas music. What began as a vision for a holiday-song program soon grew into something larger — a broader platform to honor the creators behind all forms of holiday entertainment.
The Holiday Music & Film Awards® was founded by Lisa Franklin, songwriter, producer, and lifelong advocate for holiday entertainment.
Holiday Entertainment, Reimagined
Three disciplines. One celebration.
Film
Features, shorts, performances, and the artisans behind the camera. We recognize the holiday films — beloved classics and bold new voices alike — that gather families, spark traditions, and remind us why we return to the same stories year after year.
Music in Film
Where the season's songs meet the screen — original scores, soundtracks, and the music that gives holiday films their feeling. We celebrate the artistry that lives at the intersection of the soundtrack and the story.
The Event Experience
A night the season deserves.
The HMFA ceremony is an evening, not a moment — an arc that carries guests from the red carpet to the final award of the night.
- 01
The Red Carpet
An arrivals moment worthy of the work — artists, filmmakers, honorees, and changemakers welcomed under the lights.
- 02
Ceremony Experience
A seated evening of celebration, gathering nominees, presenters, partners, and community leaders at one table.
- 03
Live Performances
Original and reimagined holiday performances staged live throughout the ceremony — the heartbeat of the night.
- 04
Networking
Curated introductions between artists, studios, nonprofits, and sponsors who keep the season's spirit working all year.
- 05
The Awards Presentation
The centerpiece: winners across Music, Film, and Music in Film honored on the HMFA stage.
Why HMFA Exists
Christmas music and films create some of our most cherished holiday memories — yet no awards show was built to honor the creators behind them. So we built one.
HMFA gives the artists, filmmakers, and creators of holiday entertainment the recognition, the spotlight, and the standing ovation they have always earned.
Our Team
The team behind the stage.
The people who steward HMFA each cycle — alongside the Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) that judges every category.
Lisa Franklin
Founder / CEO
Charles Servance
Executive Administrator
Johnathan Jordan
Music Director
Rena Jackson
Administrative Assistant
Independent Advisory Committee (IAC)
The judging body behind every category.
HMFA's Independent Advisory Committee safeguards the integrity of judging across Music and Film, led by department heads in each discipline.
Phil Green
IAC — Music Department Head
Dr. Shaun Holland-Powell
IAC — Film Department HeadOur Story
How HMFA came to be.
Inspiration
A lifelong love of the season
Founder Lisa Franklin's love of the holiday season — its Christmas movies, music, and family traditions — planted the seed for a celebration of holiday entertainment.
Discovery
A gap on the stage
After writing a holiday song in memory of her late father, sister, and mother — and earning recognition for her work as an independent songwriter — Franklin realized no awards program existed solely for Christmas music.
Expansion
From songs to the screen
An initial vision of a holiday-song awards program grew into something larger — honoring film and all the creators behind holiday entertainment, not music alone.
Launch
The awards take shape
The Holiday Music & Film Awards® was created — the first awards program of its kind, dedicated exclusively to creators of Christmas-themed music and films.
Today
A unique celebration
The HMFAs stand out as a truly unique program, celebrating the artists, filmmakers, and creators whose work makes the holiday season meaningful for audiences around the world.
Join the celebration
Be part of the season's most meaningful night.
Whether you create the season's art, lift up your community, or want to help put it all on stage — there is a place for you at HMFA.
Questions? info@holidaymusicandfilmawards.com · 904-634-8836
HMFA is operated by 34th Street Media, LLC