Abby Sands takes her talents to the Hollywood red carpet

nola.com | Feb 22, 2019

by Sarah Bonnette

Photographer Abby Sands stepped from behind the camera to work as a talent escort for the Movieguide Awards, an annual award ceremony for Christian and family-friendly entertainment. The ceremony will air Feb. 25 on The Hallmark Channel.

The awards focus on “‘feel good,’ positive messages and inspirational stories,” said Sands, who got the opportunity to be a talent escort through her friend Howie Tiger Simon, a Sulphur native who has been a publicist for 30 years.

Sands has worked as a talent escort — the person who guides presenters and nominees to be interviewed by various media outlets from around the world and to their seats — at the Screen Actors Guild Awards since 2013.

Working on a red carpet is a “chaotic blast,” she said. “The Movieguide Awards are much more intimate than the SAG Awards, so I was able to get to know the talent I was escorting much better and share laughs and hugs. They were all so kind and down to earth.”

Sands, who was given a key to the city last fall, feels honored to represent Mandeville and introduce the city to those in Hollywood that she meets.

This year that included actors Jon Voight, Jack Wagner and Ted McGinley, as well as musician Buster Akrey from Steely Dan and fashion stylists, Lawrence and Gregory Zarian.

“There are only roughly 15 people in the world who have the opportunity of acquiring this job,” she said. “I make great connections through networking while I’m out there.”

For more information on The Movieguide Awards, visit https://movieguideawards.com/. For more information on Sands, visit https://abbyphoto.com/.