Emmy winner Kristen Wong is on her way to Agua Calliente courtesy of DPA. Photo: Michael Bunning
LOS ANGELES, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 9/21/2025 – Here in LA, the entertainment capital of the world, there are always a number of special events the week of a major awards ceremony. For this year’s Emmy Awards, DPA hosted a Pre-Awards gift suite that was one of the most sought after invites in town. Held at the Luxe Hotel on Sunset on September 12 and 13, a multitude of Emmy winners and nominees gathered to celebrate television’s biggest night at the 2025 DPA Pre-Emmy Gift Suite: Among the VIP guests were the following:
Sharon Stone You know her best from her acclaimed work on the big screen, but the star is also an Emmy winner for her 2004 guest starring role as “Sheila Carlisle” on The Practice. Adam Randall (Winner-Outstanding Direction for a Drama Series, Slow Horses), David Bertok (Winner-Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special, Chef’s Table: Jose Andres), Johnny Han (Winner-Outstanding Visual Effects in a Single Episode, The Penguin), Kristen Wong (Winner-Outstanding Variety Special, Conan O’Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor), Cynthia Adarkwa, Simran Baidwan (Winners-Outstanding Drama Series, The Pitt).
Mark Kinsella (Nominee-Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series-Black Mirror), Trevor Smith (Nominee-Outstanding Documentary, Martha), Nate Young (Nominee-Outstanding Comedy Series, Hacks), Cameron Fife (Nominee-Outstanding Variety Special, Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years) Al Jean, Jessica Conrad (Nominees-Outstanding Animated Program, The Simpsons: Bart’s Birthday), Brittani Nichols (Nominee-Outstanding Comedy Series, Abbot Elementary), Nicholas Weinstock (Nominee-Outstanding Drama Series, Severance), Deborah Cahn, Janice Williams (Nominees-Outstanding Drama Series, The Diplomat), Halley Gross (Nominee-Outstanding Drama Series, The Last of Us), Helen Shaver (Nominee-Outstanding Directing for a Limited Anthology or Movie, The Penguin), Nikki Boyer (Nominee-Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Dying for Sex), Emily O’Brien (Daytime Emmy Nominee-Best Supporting Actress, Days of Our Lives), Ian Bonhôte (Nominee-Outstanding Directing for a Documentary, Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story) Isabel Richardson (Nominee-Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman), James Ponsoldt (Nominee-Outstanding Comedy Series, Shrinking), Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kouseta (Nominees-Outstanding Drama Series, Slow Horses) Alicia Carbajal, Ashley Joy Beck, Diana Oh, Vanessa Dionne (Nominees-Outstanding Makeup for a Variety Nonfiction or Reality Program, A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter) and more.
There were a host of outstanding gift sponsors at the 2025 DPA Pre-Awards Gift Suite celebrating the Emmys. Personal care, home décor, jewelry, gourmet chocolates, philanthropy and luxury getaways were well represented at this special event. Here are a a few of the standouts:
Theo Lauzea of Lauzea Chocolatier.
Photo: Elva Zevallos for LA ELEMENTS
“It’s a family business.” says Theo Lauzea of Lauzea Chocolatier. “My dad is the owner of the brand. Since twenty years, we are making chocolate from Martinique.”
The chocolatier put their own spin on classic flavors such as dark chocolate ganache, with its creamy texture and delectable flavor. They also created delectable concoctions such as “Chile” which combines a dark chocolate ganache melting with cayenne pepper. Emmy nominees went home with boxes of these exotic treats. Will there soon be a Lauzea Chocolatier near you? “We have a shop in Martinique and also in Paris. In the next year or so, we will have a shop in Burbank,” says Lauzea.
Luxury home décor was represented courtesy of GEM&I Crystals. “These beauties come from all around the world, “says brand co-founder Deborah Brock. “Argentina, Mexico, Madagascar, even from Arkansas in the U.S. We are featured in Malibu at Fred Segal Home. We work with designers and we also do personal shopping. Our business is relatively new as we started a year and a half ago.” GEM&I gifted Emmy nominees jewelry and bowls from their line of sparkling crystals.
“Our products are 100% organic, from Senegal West Africa,” says Vicora Hicks representing Siyah Organics. “There’s no added toxins or fragrances. It’s all natural. We believe that nature is our medicine and will give you the elements that your body needs and deserves. We have a really nice 3 in 1 facial butter with rose, cucumber and avocado. It can be used as a primer, mask or daily moisturizer. Our PM Oil is Argan and coconut oil which is great for overnight moisture. Put it on before bed and you’ll wake up to skin that’s rejuvenated!”
Nominees selected the skincare of their choice from Siyah Organics.
After the parties and the Emmy Awards, a relaxing getaway is easily one of the most appreciated gifts. And as usual, DPA offered one of the best. “Today we are gifting our Agua Caliente Experience,” says Shauna Jones, Director of Marketing Communications for Agua Calliente Casinos. “It comes with a two-night hotel stay at our Rancho Mirage property. Steakhouse dinner for two at the Steakhouse. It’s our Forbes four star rated restaurant on property.”
“We also have two day passes to either one of our spas. We have Sunstone spa which is at the Rancho Mirage property Forbes five star rated. And then we have the spa at Séc-he and that is located downtown across the street from our Palm Springs casino property. It’s built on top of hot mineral springs, so it has healing properties, it’s very transformative. The day pass comes with the ‘taking of the waters’ experience. It’s a personal bath for about 15 minutes that allows the guest to soak in all of the minerals and all of the healing properties of the water. “
Natasia Demetriou and Matt Berry from the Emmy nominated comedy series, What We Do in the Shadows, will be soaking in the sun at the luxury resort of Ayada Maldives.
Photo: Olivier Pojzman
Also among the luxury getaways, select nominees had a choice of a stay at Ayada Maldives and Relais and Chateaux’s le Taha’s by Pearl Resorts in French Polynesia.
Amidst the luxury gift sponsors, DPA always spotlights stellar organizations dedicated to helping others.
“It sounds great but this can’t be real, “says Diamond of her thoughts before joining the Homeboy Industries family. “They do not throw people away as we all know. They recycle you and make you better than ever. This is what they did with me. I’m a survivor. Someone told me about Homeboy and I thought, ‘It sounds great but this can’t be real.’ When I stepped through those doors, it was real. I felt the deepest compassion. More than from my own family. I instantly felt pulled in.”
Founded by Father Greg Boyle in 1988, Homeboy Industries provides “hope, training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community.”
“I went through the program. They paid for me to go to college so I just got my degree in PR Media and Communications. If it wasn’t for Homeboy, I wouldn’t even have the right mindset to get on track. To find out my purpose. Sometimes in life, you forget your purpose. And there’s different ways and different people to remind you what it is and Homeboy was that for me. They have 13 social enterprises such as Homegirl Cafe. We have Homeboy Art Academy where young kids are painting, taking photography, they’re doing great things.”
Besides changing lives, Homeboy Industries offers “The Homeboy Way,” a podcast hosted by Tom Vozzo. Listeners are invited to share their own stories of healing and transformation.
Emmy winner for The Pit, Simran Baidwan,
receives her gift from Glo by Me. Photo: Michael Bunning
Other outstanding gift sponsors include Glo By Me, who offered on the spot facials powered by their medical-grade skincare products. They gifted a“red carpet essentials kit.” The Vermont Marshmallow Company, yes, there is such a thing as luxury marshmallows, and they are delicious! Sloan Seasonings motto is “bland is banned.” You can sprinkle this garlic-based seasoning on pretty much anything to amp up the flavor. Clément Liqueur gifted select guests with full bottles of their banana liquor. Miliani Creations gifted jewelry from their selection of pearls including Tahitian black pearls. Catering at this event courtesy of Homegirl Café and La Nena Cantina.
For more information on the gift sponsors mentioned in this article, please visit their sites.
About DPA
A veteran in the production of star-studded events, Nathalie Dubois, President and CBO of DPA, has proven herself to be exceptionally innovative and successful in the realm of celebrity gift suites. Originally from France, Nathalie Dubois attributes her success in part to her world travels and the exotic cultural influences of the products she picks for her unique gift suites. For more information on DPA, please visit the site.
On our cover: Sharon Stone and representatives from Homeboy Industries. Photo by Olivier Pojzman.
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