They’re an awards-season staple—even more ubiquitous than spray tans, For Your Consideration ads, and assurances that the real honor is just being nominated, you can’t throw a stick in Los Angeles without hitting a trophy girl.
Young, shiny-haired, and lithe, trophy girls hand out the statuettes at awards ceremonies, smiling politely in the background and gently directing flustered winners toward the correct exit. Seems like a pretty plum assignment; after all, they get to wear pretty dresses, be on television, and stand in direct proximity to Ryan Gosling. So how do those girls get that gig, anyway?
At most award shows, the trophy girls are just your average run-of-the-mill models. (One notable exception is the Adult Video News Awards, where the trophy girl is an up-and-coming porn star.) The production company that produces the show solicits headshots from modeling agencies, and they hold traditional castings to find girls that can not only do “broken-down-doll” poses and glassy-eyed stares, but also smile non-threateningly and walk across a stage. Trophy girls are pretty, but not too pretty—they’re there to blend into the background, not outshine the major movie stars.
The pay is the standard rate for a day of modeling work—depending on the show, usually a few hundred dollars per day (there are rehearsal days in addition to the live telecast). Trophy girls might get to borrow dresses or jewelry if they don’t have their own, but they’re usually required to keep their attire simple and sedate. (Again, it’s the “No Outshining Angelina” rule.) They get to briefly hobnob with their favorite stars and be on TV for a few hours, but since trophy girls are discouraged from drawing attention to themselves or standing out, the job isn’t really seen as a career-maker. But it can be a good gig, and especially good exit-directors have been known to be asked back year after year.
At the Golden Globe Awards, however, the trophy presenter is known as Miss Golden Globe and gets an entire barrage of her own publicity. The honor is traditionally bestowed on the child of an established Hollywood star. Miss Golden Globe doesn’t get paid because it’s much more high-profile, often leading to modeling contracts or other performing opportunities. Melanie Griffith (daughter of Tippi Hedren), Laura Dern (daughter of Diane Ladd), and Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce and Demi) have all taken their turns. A few male star progeny have even fulfilled the role, including Freddie Prinze, Jr. The selection process for Miss (or Mr.) Golden Globe is much more pageant-esque, with hopefuls being required to meet with the Hollywood Foreign Press and answer tough interview questions such as, “What’s it like having Joe Mantegna for a dad?”
So, in a nutshell, if you want to be a trophy girl at an awards show, here are the three steps you need to follow:
1. Be pretty
2. Live in Los Angeles
3. Have a famous person for one or both parents.
Come to think of it, these three steps will get you pretty far in Hollywood, awards shows or otherwise.
