Taika Waititi‘s run of small screen achievements has snagged the attention of the Producers Guild which has selected the prolific creator to receive the Normal Lear Achievement Award at its upcoming gala.
The Oscar and Grammy Award-winning Waititi will be feted at the 36th Producers Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 8. Past honorees of the prize named for the late legend include Lear, Mindy Kaling, Greg Berlanti, Marta Kauffman, Amy Sherman-Palladio, Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, Chuck Lorre, J.J. Abram, Lorne Michaels, Dick Wolf, Jerry Bruckheimer, Gail Berman, Aaron Spelling and David E. Kelley.
“Taika Waititi has profoundly transformed the television landscape with his imaginative work as a producer, bringing to life groundbreaking series What We Do in the Shadows, Our Flag Means Death and Reservation Dogs,” said PGA presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line in a joint statement. “His remarkable ability to explore cultures through a lens of humor and humanity makes these narratives not only relatable but also deeply engaging for audiences. Through his unwavering commitment to diverse narratives and the amplification of Indigenous voices, Taika redefines the art of storytelling, grounding cultural experiences in mainstream media.”
Waitit weighed in on the honor as well. “To be included alongside legends and so many I look up to, like the great Norman Lear himself, is truly humbling. My work as a producer has always been about telling stories that reflect the world as it is — messy, diverse and full of humanity. I’m lucky to work with an amazing team of people who help bring these stories to life, and I’m grateful to be able to give a voice to storytellers that deserve to be heard. This award is for all of us — thank you for recognizing the importance of storytelling that connects us.”
As co-founder of Piki Films, Waititi has a long list of credits as he has navigated from screens big and small. His Reservation Dogs, created with Sterlin Harjo, received widespread critical acclaim and accolades including a Gotham Award, Independent Spirit Award, Peabody Awards and an Emmy nomination. Another show for FX, What We Do in the Shadows, has been received near-equal critical success and just wrapped up its six season run. His other TV credits include Our Flag Means Death, Time Bandits, Interior Chinatown and more.
Producers Guild Awards event chairs are Mike Farah and Joe Farrell. The awards are being produced by Anchor Street Collective with individual credits going to Branden Chapman as executive producer and Carleen Cappelletti as co-executive producer. Jody Lambert, Lauren Cortizo and Matt Oberg are writing. Sponsors of the 2025 installment include Cadillac, Delta Air Lines, Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky and GreenSlate.
Source: Hollywoodreporter
