FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 11, 2026) – Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Motion Picture Association (MPA) Industry Champion Award, recognizing his leadership in strengthening Kentucky’s growing film and entertainment sector.
MPA Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin announced the honor, noting that the MPA Awards recognize leaders whose contributions strengthen the creative community and support policies that encourage growth and innovation.
“Our industry is strongest when stories catch fire, policies spur growth and creators can produce quality content for audiences to enjoy,” said Rivkin. “President Stivers plays a starring role behind the scenes in making Kentucky an attractive place for casts and crews to bring their magic to our screens–knowing that more production means more jobs and investment for local businesses and workers across the Bluegrass State.”
The award honors policymakers whose efforts have helped promote and protect the creative community while fostering economic growth through film and television production.
The MPA cited Stivers’s leadership in advancing legislation designed to attract larger-scale film and television productions to Kentucky, including recently enacted measures that modernized the commonwealth’s film incentive program and enhanced Kentucky’s competitiveness as a destination for filmmakers.
“Kentucky has become an increasingly attractive place for filmmakers, producers and creative professionals, and this recognition reflects the collaborative work of many partners who have helped grow our entertainment industry,” Stivers said. “Our investments in television and film production are creating opportunities for talented Kentuckians, supporting small businesses and generating economic activity in communities across the commonwealth. I am honored to receive this award and remain committed to ensuring Kentucky continues to be a place where creativity and innovation can thrive.”
Under Stivers’s leadership, the Kentucky General Assembly has prioritized policies aimed at expanding economic opportunities through the creative industries, recognizing the significant impact film and television production can have on local economies through job creation, tourism and business development.
“Kentucky’s film and entertainment industry has tremendous potential, and President Stivers has been instrumental in helping position our state for future growth,” said Sen. Phillip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, primary sponsor of SB 1 in 2025 that created the Kentucky Film Office. “His leadership has helped create an environment where Kentucky can compete for major productions while showcasing our communities, workforce and unique landscapes to audiences around the world.”
Stivers will receive the award later this year during the MPA Awards Ceremony at the organization’s global headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“It’s an honor to receive a 2026 MPA Industry Champion Award,” said Stivers. “During my tenure as Senate president, our economy has made immense strides and put Kentucky on the map as a destination for production. We want to keep building a welcoming ecosystem for filmmakers whose projects benefit our talented crews, small business owners, and overall economic development.”
The MPA represents the world’s leading producers and distributors of film, television and streaming content and advocates for policies that support the creative economy and intellectual property protections. They will make the actual award to Stivers later this fall.
The MPA serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Sen. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, represents the 25th Senate District, including Clay, Jackson, Knox, McCreary, Owsley, and Whitley Counties. As of January 1, Stivers has served as Kentucky Senate president for over a decade. He first assumed the position in 2013, succeeding former Senate President David Williams. As the Senate President, he is co-chair of the Legislative Research Commission. Stivers is also a member of the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary.
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