Promax
Promax (operating as GEMA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association, founded 1956, that runs awards competitions, membership programs, and mentorship initiatives for entertainment marketing professionals across TV, streaming, film, video games, sports, and music in nine global regions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Promax does
Promax, legally the Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (GEMA), is a California-based 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1956 that operates as the recognized standards body for entertainment marketing. Following a 2024 rebrand from the legacy Promax/BDA/PromaxBDA identity to GEMA, the organization runs a portfolio of annual awards competitions across five verticals — General Entertainment (TV/Streaming/Film), Video Games, Music, Film, and Sports — and nine regional markets, including North America, Latin America, Europe, UK, Africa, India, Asia, Australia-New Zealand, and Local. Its core platform comprises the GEMA Awards program (with categories spanning trailers, key art, digital/social, integrated campaigns, experiential, branded partnerships, and publicity), a "Of The Year" recognition framework using a Gold=5pt/Silver=3pt/Bronze=1pt point system for Creative Marketing Team of the Year and Agency of the Year honors, and a "Winners Museum" archive.
Underlying technology is a digital, paperless awards submission and judging platform hosted at awards.gema.org, paired with a membership management portal at gema.org for profile, billing, and member-only resource access. Submission workflows require standard video codecs (H.264, AAC, QuickTime .mov/.mp4). The organization operates a remote-first model from its registered office at 324 S Beverly Dr, Suite 1425, Beverly Hills, and serves a community that includes enterprise participants such as Netflix, The Walt Disney Company, Amazon MGM, NBC Universal, HBO-MAX, Warner Bros. Discovery, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, YouTube, ESPN, Fox Entertainment, Fox Sports, IMAX, Roblox, Epic Games, and WB Games, alongside external creative agencies and individual entertainment marketing professionals.
The business model is built on four revenue streams: (1) annual professional membership subscriptions that unlock competition access and discounted entry fees; (2) competition entry fees that vary by region and deadline tier, with Academy Member pricing of $125-$950 per entry and Non-Member pricing of $155-$1,050 per entry across markets; (3) ticketed events including regional awards ceremonies such as the GEMA Europe Awards Ceremony scheduled for June 3, 2026 in Amsterdam; and (4) physical award statue sales at $500 (members) / $600 (non-members) plus shipping, with complimentary statues for Gold and Silver winners. Beyond awards, GEMA has expanded into career development via the GUIDE Program, the EmpowerHER Initiative for women in entertainment marketing, and an affiliated educational entity, the GEMA Pathways Foundation (gemapathways.org).
Promax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Promax
- Legal name
- Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences
- Website
- https://promax.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Promax (operating as GEMA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association, founded 1956, that runs awards competitions, membership programs, and mentorship initiatives for entertainment marketing professionals across TV, streaming, film, video games, sports, and music in nine global regions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Promax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industry Association Awards & Recognition
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Business Associations (813910), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sweepstakes, Contests & Giveaway Administration (BPAFAMAD)
Keywords
Where Promax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Promax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Professional annual membership with billing type credit card, offering access to awards competitions, mentorship programs, and member resources
- Awards Competition Fees: Entry fees for multiple competitions across regions (North America, Europe, Latin America, UK, Local) and verticals (General Entertainment, Video Games). Pricing varies by membership status and submission tier (early vs standard vs extended deadline).
- Event Tickets: Revenue from ticketed events including awards ceremonies. Event fees support the association's programs and career development offerings.
- Award Statues: Sale of personalized GEMA Award statues for winners (Gold, Silver, Bronze). Complimentary statues provided to Gold and Silver winners; Bronze and duplicate statues available for purchase.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Annual Membership |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Europe Competition - Single Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Europe Competition - Campaign Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Latin America Competition - Single Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Latin America Competition - Campaign Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | North America Competition - Single Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | North America Competition - Campaign Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Video Games Competition - Single Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Video Games Competition - Campaign Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Local Competition - Single Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | UK Competition - Single Entry |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Award Statues |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Promax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Promax (legal entity: Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences, GEMA) is a non-profit industry association that operates a global awards and recognition platform for entertainment marketing professionals. Its core offering is the GEMA Awards competitions spanning five verticals (General Entertainment/TV/Streaming/Film, Video Games, Music, Sports, Film) across nine regional markets, complemented by an annual professional membership, a digital awards submission and judging portal, and mentorship/career development programs.
Product overview
The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (GEMA), operating as Promax, is a non-profit industry association established in 1956 serving the entertainment marketing sector. The organization offers a unified platform of awards competitions spanning five verticals (General Entertainment/TV/Streaming/Film, Video Games, Music, Sports, and Film) across nine regional markets (North America, Latin America, Europe, UK, Africa, India, Asia, Australia-New Zealand, and Local). The product portfolio includes the core GEMA Awards programs for recognizing excellence in entertainment marketing, a Membership Portal for professional community access and award submissions, the GEMA Pathways Foundation for educational support, and mentorship initiatives (GUIDE Program and EmpowerHER Initiative). The awards platform supports digital submission and judging workflows, enabling global recognition for marketing teams and agencies in the film, TV, streaming, video games, sports, and music industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GEMA Awards: The organization's flagship awards program recognizing excellence in entertainment marketing across multiple categories and regions
- GUIDE Program
- EmpowerHER Initiative
Products and services
- GEMA Awards General Entertainment (TV/Streaming/Film) Flagship awards program recognizing excellence in television, streaming, and theatrical film marketing. Features regional competitions across multiple markets with categories spanning trailers, promos, video craft, design, 360 campaigns, digital/social, key art, out-of-home, experiential, branded partnerships, and publicity.
- GEMA Awards Video Games Awards recognizing excellence in video game marketing, celebrating campaigns that drive results for developers, publishers, and agencies. Categories include trailers, video craft, digital/social, key art, integrated campaigns, experiential/events, branded partnerships, and public relations.
- GEMA Awards Music Awards celebrating creativity and innovation within music marketing, recognizing campaigns that forge deep connections with audiences through emotionally resonant promotions and cutting-edge advertising campaigns.
- GEMA Awards Film Awards honoring creativity and innovation in film marketing campaigns that captivate and inspire audiences, recognizing emotionally resonant promotions and groundbreaking advertising strategies.
- GEMA Awards Sports Awards celebrating innovation and competitive brilliance in sports marketing, recognizing campaigns that capture the excitement of sports through dynamic storytelling and inventive promotion.
- GEMA Membership Portal Digital membership management platform providing member login, profile management, billing administration, and access to award submissions. Offers professional annual membership with online dashboard access.
- GEMA Pathways Foundation Educational foundation supporting the development of future leaders in entertainment marketing, providing resources and programs for career advancement.
- GUIDE Program Mentorship initiative aimed at developing careers in entertainment marketing through structured guidance and professional development.
- EmpowerHER Initiative Women-focused mentorship and career development initiative designed to empower women in the entertainment marketing industry.
- GEMA Award Statues Personalized GEMA Award statues for Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners. Complimentary statues are provided to Gold and Silver winners; Bronze and duplicate statues are available for purchase at $500 (members) / $600 (non-members) per statue plus shipping.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70+ years of industry recognition and history
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Promax
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Promax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Promax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 101 StudioscoreEntertainment studio partner displaying logo on GEMA website as part of the proud partners community supporting the entertainment marketing industry awards
- Amazon MGMcoreStreaming and studio partner displaying logo as part of GEMA's proud partners community supporting entertainment marketing excellence
- The Walt Disney CompanycoreMajor entertainment conglomerate partner displaying logo as part of GEMA's proud partners ecosystem
- ESPNcoreSports media partner displaying logo as part of GEMA's proud partners community
- Fox EntertainmentcoreBroadcast entertainment partner in GEMA's proud partners ecosystem
- Fox SportscoreSports broadcasting partner in GEMA's proud partners community
- HBO-MAXcoreStreaming platform partner in GEMA's proud partners ecosystem
- HulucoreStreaming partner in GEMA's proud partners community
- IMAXcoreTheatrical entertainment technology partner displaying logo in GEMA's ecosystem
- NBC UniversalcoreBroadcast and streaming conglomerate partner in GEMA's proud partners community
- NetflixcoreLeading streaming platform partner in GEMA's proud partners ecosystem
- Paramount+coreStreaming platform partner displaying logo as part of GEMA's proud partners
- PeacockcoreNBCUniversal streaming platform partner in GEMA's ecosystem
- RobloxcoreGaming platform partner in GEMA's proud partners community for video games vertical
- Warner Bros. DiscoverycoreMajor entertainment conglomerate partner in GEMA's proud partners ecosystem
- Epic GamescoreVideo game developer partner in GEMA's proud partners community
- YouTubecoreDigital video platform partner in GEMA's proud partners ecosystem
- Promax UKcoreRegional partner website (promaxuk.com) directing UK market to GEMA competitions and serving as local hub for UK entertainment marketing awards
- Promax AfricacoreRegional partner website (promaxafrica.tv) directing African markets to GEMA competitions
- Promax IndiacoreRegional partner website (promaxindia.tv) directing Indian market to GEMA competitions
- Promax AsiacoreRegional partner website (promaxasia.tv) directing Asian markets to GEMA competitions
- Promax Australia-New ZealandcoreRegional partner website (promaxanz.tv) directing ANZ markets to GEMA competitions
- GEMA Pathways FoundationminorFoundation entity (gemapathways.org) associated with GEMA for career development and educational initiatives
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Promax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- American Advertising Federation (AdFed / ADDY Awards): US trade association running the ADDY Awards for advertising excellence at the local, regional, and national level. Comparable to GEMA in being a non-profit ad-industry awards organization with a tiered competition structure, with more US-centric and broader advertising focus.
Emerging players
- The Drum Awards: Industry awards for marketing, media, and creative excellence, with strong UK and EMEA presence. Comparable to GEMA in serving the same marketing-and-creative community and running category-based competitions, though with less entertainment-vertical focus.
- Effie Awards: Global marketing-effectiveness awards program focused on the business impact of marketing campaigns. Comparable to GEMA in serving marketers and agencies with recognized awards, with overlap in the entertainment marketing vertical where brand campaigns are entered.
Broad incumbents
- Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: The most prestigious global advertising and creative effectiveness awards festival. Comparable to GEMA in operating industry awards, but at a far larger scale, with global ceremonies, deep agency participation, and a broader advertising (not just entertainment) remit.
- Association of National Advertisers (ANA): Industry association for the marketing community, offering membership, awards (including the Effie partnership), and professional development. Comparable to GEMA as a non-profit membership body for marketers, though operating at a broader sector level rather than entertainment-specific.
Direct peers
- The One Show: Global creative awards program operated by The One Club for Creativity, covering advertising, design, and entertainment marketing. Directly comparable to GEMA in audience (creative marketers and agencies), monetization model (entry fees, events), and recognition format (Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers).
- The Telly Awards: Awards program honoring excellence in video and television content across broadcast, streaming, and digital. Overlaps with GEMA in recognizing entertainment marketing creative work — particularly TV promos, trailers, and branded content — using a similar tiered entry-fee model.
- The Clio Awards: Long-running global awards program for creativity across advertising, entertainment, and design. Comparable to GEMA as a parallel industry-recognition platform that monetizes through entry fees, memberships, and events, with similar category breadth across marketing and entertainment verticals.
- D&AD Awards: UK-based global awards and professional development organization for creative and design excellence. Comparable to GEMA as a non-profit creative-industry body running juried awards, offering membership programs, and providing professional development resources.
- Webby Awards: International awards organization recognizing excellence on the internet, including digital entertainment marketing, video, and social. Comparable to GEMA in running category-based juried competitions with tiered entry fees and annual ceremonies, with overlap in digital and streaming content categories.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Promax social profiles
Digital presencePromax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Promax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Promax subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Promax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Promax M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Promax
What does Promax do?
Promax (legal entity: Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences, GEMA) is a non-profit industry association that operates a global awards and recognition platform for entertainment marketing professionals. Its core offering is the GEMA Awards competitions spanning five verticals (General Entertainment/TV/Streaming/Film, Video Games, Music, Sports, Film) across nine regional markets, complemented by an annual professional membership, a digital awards submission and judging portal, and mentorship/career development programs.
Is Promax a public or private company?
Promax is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Promax founded?
Promax was founded in 1956. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Promax based?
Promax is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Promax make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are awards Competition Fees, event Tickets and award Statues.
Who are Promax's main competitors?
American Advertising Federation (AdFed / ADDY Awards) is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are The Drum Awards and Effie Awards. Broad incumbents are Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Association of National Advertisers (ANA). Direct peers are The One Show, The Telly Awards, The Clio Awards, D&AD Awards and Webby Awards.
Does Promax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Promax.
What industry is Promax in?
Promax's product category is Industry Association Awards & Recognition. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAMAD, Sweepstakes, Contests & Giveaway Administration. Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 7311.