It takes a refined eye and a deep appreciation for luxury to realize when something meant to be iconic falls short. That’s how David Moritz got the idea for Society Awards, a company that reimagined the trophies actors and musicians win for being the best at their craft.
On a tip from a friend at a Las Vegas trade show, Moritz recognized the quality of the awards didn't always match the moment. He launched Society Awards in 2007, the year after he graduated from law school at New York University.
“I thought, ‘OK, why not?’” says Moritz, who’d had childhood dreams of becoming an entertainment lawyer. “That's entertainment, fashion design. I like shiny things. That sounds like something I might be interested in.”
As founder and CEO of Society Awards, he quickly rose to the top of the industry and continues to set the standard, creating awards for the Golden Globes, Emmys, MTV, YouTube, the Academy of Country Music, “The Voice,” “Dancing with the Stars” and more. His first client was Billboard magazine, and the first award he created was for legendary singer Neil Diamond. While rubbing elbows with celebrities is just part of Moritz’s job, some of his favorite personal connections have come with artist Jeff Koons, jeweler David Yurman and his son Evan.
Moritz decided to move his family and his company from New York to Charlotte in 2020. He and his wife, Charlotte, had two young daughters and were looking to leave Manhattan, even before the pandemic. They wanted a home somewhere different, family-friendly and warmer. His wife had attended Wake Forest University and suggested Charlotte.
“I immediately fell in love with the city, the vibe, the lifestyle, the weather and the quality of life here,” Moritz says. “It was the perfect fit. Just what we were looking for.”
He and Charlotte just happened to stop in at Sycamore Brewery on their first visit. It proved to be a serendipitous spot.
“It was a beautiful, warm November day," Moritz said. "It was probably rainy, wet and cold in New York. The beer was delicious, and they had a bonfire going, along with live music. I thought that was really incredible.”
Moritz moved Society Awards to Atherton Mill in South End. By 2023, they needed more space, so they moved some offices to a separate location in The Line, a mixed-use tower in South End they now share with Sycamore's tap room. Society Awards and Sycamore recently collaborated to create “A Taste of Victory,” a limited-edition West Coast-style IPA.
Moritz also embraced the city of Charlotte in other ways. In the home of NASCAR, he’s developed a newfound passion for luxury cars. Society Awards has established a relationship with McLaren and Rolls-Royce dealers in Charlotte. Moritz attended a black-tie event in June celebrating the unveiling of Rolls-Royce’s new showroom and hospitality space.
Society Awards has also established a rapport with the Mint Museum. More than 150 of their custom-sculptured awards were featured in an exhibit there in late 2023 called “Beyond the Red Carpet.”
Moritz has thrived in Charlotte’s fashion scene as well. He says many of the brands he wears aren’t available here, so he does a lot of his shopping on international trips. But he says he feels more freedom to wear what he loves because Charlotte’s style hasn’t gone as “smart casual” as New York City has.
“[New York] has become less and less formal over time, and that is not very exciting to me,” he says. “Everyone tends to just dress the same, look the same. You're going to a new hip place that just opened, and [if] you wear a really nice suit, you’ll stand out like a sore thumb, maybe even get teased. If you wear Dolce & Gabbana, it'll look like you sell Dolce & Gabbana suits.”
He says Charlotte is more open to variety.
“I just wear whatever I want, wherever I want,” he says. “If I want to dress up, I do. If I want to wear a suit and tie to a restaurant for dinner, I do. No one bats an eye. Some people will be wearing polo shirts or golf shirts. That's fine. I don't care. It gives me an opportunity to be a lot more creative and have a lot more freedom. And I'm actually dressing a lot more upscale here than I did in New York.”
Moritz says he likes to integrate different brands into his looks .
“I like to combine a sleek and restrained style with, at times, exuberant flashes,” he says. “So my go-tos are very different brands. It would be Dolce & Gabbana on the one hand, which is sleek and sexy, and then Etro on the other hand, which is incredibly extra and over the top, with fantastic florals, paisleys and bright colors. I also wear a lot of John Varvatos, who's also someone I've met and worked with. I really like the cool, edgy men's style of John Varvatos.”
“I like to combine a sleek and restrained style with, at times, exuberant flashes,” So my go-tos are very different brands."