LIVE ACTION FILM HONEY GIRLS WINS THREE LEO AWARDS IN TELEVISION MOVIE CATEGORY

Build-A-Bear Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment film nominated in five categories and features music from Grammy Award winning team and girl-empowerment message

ST. LOUIS, July 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Build-A-Bear Entertainment is pleased to announce that Honey Girls, a music-driven live action film, received three 2022 LEO Awards from the British Columbia Film Industry. Nominated in five Television Movie categories, Honey Girls took home wins for Picture Editing, Costume Design, and Choreography. The film was also nominated for Cinematography and Production Design.

"We are delighted to learn that Honey Girls won three LEO awards after being nominated in five categories. We are so proud of this film and the inspiring and uplifting message it delivers on the importance of friendship, being true to yourself, and how we are better together," said Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear Workshop President and Chief Executive Officer. "The movie also features exciting dances and trendy fashion that has added to the positive reviews from fans. We want to thank all of our partners and the collaboration from so many to help us bring this special story and inspiring message to movie audiences around the world. This is a win for all of us."

The LEO Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry and founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British Columbia. Through a system of peer judges, the 2022 LEO Awards Nominees were chosen from over 1,300 eligible entries in 16 different categories.

Build-A-Bear extends a heart-filled congratulations to Charles Robichaud for Best Picture Editing, Barbara Gregusova for Best Costume Design, and to Paul Becker, Tori Caro and Mark Samuels for Best Choreography. The screenplay was written by acclaimed writer, producer and director Mike Mariano and Cindy McCreery and produced in conjunction with Foundation Media Partners.

The feel-good family film, now available to stream on Netflix, follows the story of three young musicians from different backgrounds who enter a competition searching for the "next big thing", hosted by superstar Fancy G. However, these three competitors quickly discover they are "better together." To avoid detection and elimination from the contest, they form a secret band and perform wearing masks, calling themselves the "HONEY GIRLS." Their first song becomes an immediate viral mega hit creating a close call with Fancy G and requires them to ultimately decide what is more important – fame or friendship.

The film's multi-generational appeal is enhanced by Grammy Award® winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter and actor Ashanti, as superstar Fancy G, and digital star Tessa Brooks as her executive assistant, and marks the feature film directorial debut of multi-award-winning music video director Trey Fanjoy. The upbeat soundtrack features five original songs written by frequent Lady Gaga collaborator, Mark Nilan, Jr., and music supervisor Julia Michels, best known for projects like A Star is Born and the Pitch Perfect franchise, the upbeat soundtrack is one the whole family will love! The three "HONEY GIRLS" are played by young talents, Ava Grace as Charlie (disguised as Risa), Frankie McNellis as Alex (disguised as Teegan) and Aliyah Mastin as Maya (disguised as Viv).

The film is based on the popular Build-A-Bear intellectual property and product line of the same name and fans of the Honey Girls can purchase new versions of the original plush characters, Risa (bunny), Teegan (tiger) and Viv (bear), at Build-A-Bear Workshop locations, at buildabear.com or via the Bear Builder 3D Workshop, Build-A-Bear's new interactive, experiential ecommerce site. In store and online purchases of the Honey Girls plush also include a Honey Girls movie download for fans to use across streaming platforms including AppleTV, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Google Play.

Check out the trailer and stills from the movie!

Build-A-Bear is a multi-generational global brand focused on its mission to "add a little more heart to life" appealing to a wide array of consumer groups who enjoy the personal expression in making their own "furry friends" to celebrate and commemorate life moments. Nearly 500 interactive brick-and-mortar retail locations operated through a variety of formats provide guests of all ages a hands-on entertaining experience, which often fosters a lasting and emotional brand connection. The company also offers engaging e-commerce/digital purchasing experiences on https://www.buildabear.com/ including its online "Bear-Builder", the animated "Bear Builder 3D Workshop" and its age-gated adult-focused "Bear Cave". In addition, extending its brand power beyond retail, Build-A-Bear Entertainment, a subsidiary of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., is dedicated to creating engaging content for kids and adults that fulfills the company's mission, while the company also offers products at wholesale and in non-plush consumer categories via licensing agreements with leading manufacturers. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $411.5 million in fiscal 2021. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.

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SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop