Jeff Margolis, Legendary Oscars and Emmys Director, Dies at 78

Jeff Margolis, the award-winning TV producer and director of the Oscars, Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the American Music Awards, has died. He was 78.

Margolis’ family shared that he died on Friday morning. No cause of death was given.

“Jeff Margolis created some of the most unforgettable moments in awards show history, and we are grateful that the Screen Actors Guild Awards was among them. For over 16 years, Jeff helped shape the telecast into a celebration worthy of the actors it honors. We are profoundly grateful for his contributions and will miss him dearly,” the SAG Awards Committee, made up of JoBeth Williams, Daryl Anderson, Jason George, Elizabeth McLaughlin and Woody Schultz, said in a statement on Friday.

Margolis’ career over four decades began from the ground up, as he started out holding cue cards for his uncle Monty Hall on Let’s Make a Deal. But, his expertise in live TV allowed him to go on to direct and produce major TV events like the Academy Awards, the American Music Awards, and even presidential galas and iconic holiday celebrations.

When asked for the secret to his success in a Feb. 2024 interview in Medium, Margolis answered: “I believe a significant part of my success is rooted in kindness. I’ve maintained a principle of never raising my voice, yelling, embarrassing anyone or losing my temper. On every show I work on, I focus on building a family-like atmosphere. I want everyone to feel involved and consider the project as important to them as it is to me. Collaboration is key for me. There are times when someone suggests an idea better than mine, and I happily use it, giving them full credit. Building a collaborative family where everyone feels valued and essential to the project’s success is important to me.”

Margolis directed in all 22 American Music Awards, eight Oscar ceremonies, seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Emmys, three Golden Globes Red Carpet Specials and two Academy of Country Music Awards telecasts.

His work also included Richard Pryor: Live in Concert, two Christmas in Rockefeller Center specials and a variety of specials for performers like Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Midler and Cher.

Along the way, he earned two Directors Guild of America Awards for directing the Oscars, six Emmy nominations for helming the Academy Awards between 1991 and 1996, and Emmy wins for the 1995 Oscars and Sammy Davis Jr.’s 60th Anniversary Celebration. Margolis executive produced the Screen Actors Guild Awards for 16 years, a major awards season event for which he headed up the creative team.

Through his company, Jeff Margolis Productions, which launched in 1976, Margolis also packaged and produced entertainment and reality series for network, syndication, and cable television. Those credits included NBC’s Fame and VH1’s In Search of the Partridge Family.

In 2020, he released his memoir We’re Live in 5: My Extraordinary Life in Television, with a foreword by longtime collaborator Billy Crystal. Margolis is survived by his children, Adam, Erin and Samantha and grandchildren Max and Milo.