YDA JURY 2020: Laura Gregory


Laura Gregory
Founder/EP Great Guns
London, United Kingdom

Laura is founder and CEO of the global award-winning content and music video company Great Guns Global. Founded in London, she now spends more time in other parts of the world, tending and building new offices.

Her recent awards include; three Cannes Lions, Webbys, D&ADs, LIA's, APA Top 50, SHOTS, Epica, Sharks, Spikes, Clios, LIA, Sharks, One Show, Ciclope and Berlin MV Awards. Over the last 2 years Great Guns won the Epica Production Company of the Year and LIA Europe Production Company of the Year and was nominated by Shots as 2019 Production Company of the Year.

Laura has served on multiple juries. She was president of Cannes Lions Film Craft Jury 2016, foreman of D&AD next director and juror D&AD black pencil 2016, One show in 2018, speaker at the LIA Creative LIAsons ‘Journey to the Jury’ 2017. Her 2019 jury appointments included President of Euro Awards and in 2020 she is a juror on the Immortals and the 2020 YDA, Young Directors Award. Laura considers winning a YDA one of the most important awards a new director could receive. The names of directors who have won a YDA at the start of their career includes many of the most coveted directors in our industry today.

When it comes to mentoring, that has always been a huge part of Laura’s legacy. She has tirelessly helped young talent find their way, either through the early days of Young Guns at Great Guns, or though the courses and panels she speaks on with one voice. “If you don’t support young talent you will lose future creative thinkers who will force change and leave you in their wake”. She was juror on the first USA AICP-CDDP Diversity Awards 2017 and juror on the first Cannes 2017 Vowss, SheSays/ The Voice of a Woman Award. Laura continues to support young, diverse talent to establish themselves in film and advertising.

Laura was a D&AD board trustee and member of The Bigger Bounce committee which to date has raised over £2.5 million for Breast Cancer Now. She has produced four independent movies and prime-time television drama and is a firm supporter of #freethework.
Laura is a fully-licenced landlady and has her own pub, the Great Guns Social. The pub offers pop-up residencies to exciting young chefs mirroring the spirit of Great Guns.