The 26th annual PGA Awards are now history, with Birdman and The Lego Movie nabbing the top film prizes and Breaking Bad and Orange Is The New Black coming out on top on the TV side. Here’s how it all went down:
The ceremony kicks off at 8pm, first award up is Best Animated Feature presented by Reese Witherspoon and her producing partner Bruna Papandrea
Times when the PGA’s Darryl F. Zanuck has veered from Oscar: 1992. PGA went with The Crying Game, Oscar lauded Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. 1995: PGA embraced Apollo 13, AMPAS awarded best pic to Braveheart.
In 2001, PGA and AMPAs also differed. Producers gave it to Moulin Rouge, while A Beautiful Mind won best picture. Then there was three years 2004-2006 when PGA went their own way, and AMPAS in the other direction. In 2004, PGA went with The Aviator, Oscars gave best pic to Million Dollar Baby. In 2005, Brokeback Mountain won the Darryl Zanuck, while Crash took home Oscar’s best picture. Little Miss Sunshine was the top at the 2006 PGA, while The Departed won best picture.
2010’s PGAs are considered to be a game changer for The King’s Speech. That year, Social Network was considered the lead contender, having won best drama Golden Globe and best film at the Broadcast Film Critics. Then King’s Speech won the Darryl F. Zanuck, and its fortune changed during the course of that year’s Oscar race.
The show kicked off with an introduction by event chairs Todd Black (The Pursuit Of Happyness, The Equalizer) and Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Glee) who paid tribute to “tenacity” as the defining characteristic of a great producer. “Thank you for coming and thank you for fighting for projects you believe in,” Black said, “and for never taking no for an answer.”
In a sharp divergence from the Oscars, the Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures went to the Lego Movie. The film was notably (and controversially) snubbed for the corresponding Academy Award, a fact alluded to by producer Dan Lin, who noted in his acceptance speech that the film has had “its share of wins and losses.” But, he continued, “the real win has been the friends I’ve made along the way… so I thank my friends.”
In a sharp divergence from the Oscars, the Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures went to The Lego Movie. The film was notably (and controversially) snubbed for the corresponding Academy Award, a fact alluded to by producer Dan Lin, who noted in his acceptance speech that the film has had “its share of wins and losses.” But, he continued, “the real win has been the friends I’ve made along the way… so I thank my friends.”
Mark Gordon is getting the the Norman Lear TV Achievement award. Shonda Rhimes who worked with him on Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice introduced him. Gordon told Deadline before the show, ““yes, I am surprised by the honor. I’m always surprised when people say you’re terrific. I do my work. It’s nice to be recognized, but the joy for me is in the work,not the award.”
Said Gordon in accepting the Norman Lear,”Shonda is right, there’s no Mark up here tonight, if there’s no Shonda. I
promise you that. I wouldn’t be here tonight without Shonda or my parents. Alan and Selma Gordon. I have to tell you as
a kid, I fantasized of being the love child of these people” (And a photo of Dick Van Dyke and Lucille Ball popped up).
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television went to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The show is produced by Rob Crabbe, Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Josh Lieb, Brian McDonald, Lorne Michaels, and Gavin Purcell
Gordon: “Many people gave opportunities–some who believed in me, someone who showed me something new, someone who picked me up when I fell down.” Among some of those Gordon cites: Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones EP) who gave Gordon a shot at producing ABC Afterschool Special. Producer Donald DeLine who gave Gordon a shot at producing a DisneyTV film Double Switch. Chris Silverman introduced Rhimes and Gordon. “We pitched a few shows, and realized we couldn’t make it work without Betsy Beers and we came back to ABC with a medical…and the rest is history,” said Gordon.
The Voice took home The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television. It’s produced by Stijn Bakkers, Mark Burnett, John De Mol, Chad Hines, Lee Metzger, Audrey Morrissey, Jim Roush, Kyra Thompson, Mike Yurchuk, and Amanda Zucker.
Edward Norton delivering the David O. Selznick Award to producer Gale Anne Hurd. They worked together on The Incredible Hulk. “She is the queen of dystopian nighttime sci-fi land.”
Norton on his obsession for Hurd’s AMC TV hit : “I have a confession to make. At night when my wife is sleeping, I sneak into the living room, get my iPad, put on some headphones and watch The Walking Dead. It’s kind of an addiction. My wife thinks I’m reading a massive biography on John Rockefeller for the last year.”
Hurd gives a history lesson on Selznick, how he quit producing in 1948 as TV became a threat, but ventured back to the small screen in 1954. She thanks her peers at the PGA, her production coordinators, The Walking Dead. She misses Dawn Steel, gives shout out to Sherry Lansing. It was Roger Corman who encouraged her to be a producer.
Hurd: “The question Roger asked me ‘what did I want to purses as a career?’.” Hurd said she was like a deer in headlights, didn’t know if it was a trick question. She thought long and hard and exclaimed, “Roger, I want to produce just like you do.”
“@producersguild: @TheLEGOMovie WINS for Best Animated Feature! #PGAawards”
Enjoy the victory. Won't see you at the #Oscars! #whew
— Alex Cardullo (@Bluezeph) January 25, 2015
Sharon Stone, AIDs activist introduced the Stanley Kramer award for HBO’s The Normal Heart. It’s the first time a TV movie has been honored with the award.
“Stanley Kramer shined a bright white light on prejudice, its victims and perpetrators…The Normal Heart started out as a loud and angry play chronicling those struggling with AIDs. It was written by Oscar nominee Larry Kramer and it proved daunting to be made into a movie. It languished for three decades until Ryan Murphy took it to HBO.” Matt Bomer, who just won a Golden Globe for his performance, is accepting the award.
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy went to Orange Is The new Black. The show is produced by Mark A. Burley, Sara Hess, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Neri Tannenbaum, Michael Trim, and Lisa I. Vinnecour.
Bomer after reading The Normal Heart: “I was upset, angry, informed and changed. And that’s how anyone feels after feeling The Normal Heart.”.
“Larry and Stanley Kramer used storytelling to change minds..they reminded us of the fundamental aspects we owe each other as human beings. Even in times of societal darkness and fear, Larry and Stanley used art to promote justice and understanding.”
“This is Common. “And this is uncommon” “That’s the extent of our banter”. So said Steve Carrell and Common as they presented The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television. COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey won. The show is produced by Brannon Braga, Mitchell Cannold, Jason Clark, Ann Druyan, Livia Hanich, Steve Holtzman, and Seth MacFarlane.
Accepting on behalf of the team, Mitchell Cannold dedicated the award to Carl Sagan, “who opened the eyes of many a generation to the wonders of the cosmos.”
“This is Common. “And this is uncommon” “That’s the extent of our banter”. So said Steve Carrell and Common as they presented The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television. COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey won. The show is produced by Brannon Braga, Mitchell Cannold, Jason Clark, Ann Druyan, Livia Hanich, Steve Holtzman, and Seth MacFarlane.
Accepting on behalf of the team, Mitchell Cannold dedicated the award to Carl Sagan, “who opened the eyes of many a generation to the wonders of the cosmos.”
Karen Sharpe Kramer, widow of Stanley Kramer, on why she selected Normal Heart this year. She told Deadline, “I don’t think it got its due at the Emmys. We are a
little complacent about AIDS today
because we think we have it under control. That’s not true. It’s about
education…the film is such a classic. It had to be recognized as the standard of the subject, it educates people on the early days of the AIDS crisis.”
Jennifer Lawrence is killing it in her intro to Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. Her candidness and abrupt sense of humor is just winning this room over.
Lawrence addresses the room, “Hello future employers.”
“I should have asked for a Xanax” said Lawrence before starting her into about Feltheimer, “When I heard they were giving him an award ,I thought I was contractually obligated to show up. Then when I found out I wasn’t, well, I already picked out this dress.”
Lawrence’s routine felt more like stand up than tribute at times, with her honoring of Feltheimer punctuated by self-deprecating zings. “Why am I here again? Did I win something?”, Lawrence joked, before settling into a stilted, but sincere tribute to the Lions Gate CEO. She noted his long tenure in the entertainment industry, his work bringing shows like Mad Men to television, and his upbringing and education.
Feltheimer in receiving the Milestone Award: “In 1973 I put together a band called Lightheart. We had a contract with A&M records. We got a big break to play at the Troubadour. My guitar went out of tune, and I was standing there thinking, ‘There’s gotta be a better way to make a living in the entertainment business.”
Eddie Redmayne and Kerri Washington presented The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television, which went to Fargo. The series is produced by Adam Bernstein, John Cameron, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Michael Frislev, Noah Hawley, Warren Littlefield, Chad Oakes, and Kim Todd. Accepting on behalf of the production team was Warren Littlefield, who thanks his colleagues and noted “the brilliance of Noah Hawley”.
Feltheimer, “I’ve been lucky to have friends and mentors along the way. Harry “Sloane gave me my first job at New World. He told me, ‘There’s always someone in show business who knows more than you do.’ Peter Guber at Sony taught me that whenever an employee has a problem, let them come into your office with it — but make sure they leave with their problem. My dad who never went to college but became a successful Wall St. executive taught me that a great salesman doesn’t start selling until the customer says ‘No’….I’ve leared in entertainment to stand aside and let the incredibly talented people do their job.”
Norman Lear giving the Visionary Award to Plan B’s Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner
Lear shared a story that drew great laughs from the room. He was one of the first inductees in the TV Academy’s Hall of Fame with Lucille Ball, Edward R. Murrow, William S. Paley and Paddy Chayefsky. When he called his mother to tell her, she said, “That’s what they want to do? Who am I to say?”
Brad Pitt accepted the Visionary Award on behalf of his Plan B colleagues, first paying tribute to presenter Norman Lear. “When I was a kid, television for me, my parents, was still a relatively new invention. We would watch Reggie Sanford, Archie Bunker… this became part of my upbringing. Week after week, my life was affected by Norman Lear. I can’t quantify how that affected my worldview, my political views, but growing up in the bible bet – the buckle of the bible belt – it was powerful. I can’t thank [Lear] enough”.
His thanks to the guild were more understated. “Thank you for honoring our little garage band tonight,” Pitt said, adding tributes to the employees and partners who have worked on Plan B productions.
Life Itself which follows late film critic Roger Ebert takes best feature docu
Life Itself director/producer Steve James, ““I’ve been a member of the academy for about 10 years. Now I think I want to join the PGA.””
Chaz Ebert: “Roger loved this industry and worked as a film critic for 46 years. He believed that movie are the key
to developing empathy and compassion for other people. I think the operative word
is love. Love of the cinemas, love other people, romantic love. I just love
that you gave us this award.”
Nothing was as moving as 2013’s ceremony when the Weinsteins were given the Milestone Award. It was epic. Harvey teared up. They shared stories about their early, risky days starting Miramax. Bob Weinstein thanked New Line execs Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, saying,“If Macys needed Gimbels, if Ali needed Frazier, then we needed them.” When the two took the stage, they got a huge standing ovation. You can read the recap here: https://deadline.com/2013/01/producers-guild-2013-awards-winners-list-413781/
After Bryan Cranston accepted best TV drama series for Breaking Bad, he turned around presented the Darryl F. Zanuck award.
BIRDMAN!!!!!! WINS DARRYL F. ZANUCK AWARD!!!
Shocking no one, The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama goes to Breaking Bad, which completed its run in 2013 with one of the most acclaimed series finales in television history. The show was produced by Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, and Moira Walley-Beckett.
Star and coproducer Bryan Cranston accepted on behalf of the team. “I am the least qualified of the producers of this show to be speaking,” he said, “but apparently I have the least cowardice…We are so grateful and thankful to the PGAs for this award.”
Cranston singled out “the partners who had the vision and support to allow this crazy concept of a show to go on the air,” noting what he called the courage of Sony Pictures Television and AMC.
He closed by thanking series creator Vince Gilligan. “We were guided by our captain who could not be here tonight, Vince Gilligan, who had the vision of a world of possibilities in which a simple man becomes a monster. He would want to thank you for your love and support.”
Alejandro Inarritu director/writer/producer accepted the Darryl F. Zanuck award. “They want me to talk so that I make you laugh with my bad English. On behalf of all of us, our only ambition was to make a risky and experimental exploration of the cinematic language, of an artist’s complexity played by the incredible Michael Keaton.” Inarritu thanks John Lesher (“He was brave enough to believe in the idea”), Clauda Lewis at New Regency, Chivo Lubezki his DP, Antonio Sanchez…”
“It’s a hard to get in touch with what we believe in,” said the Birdman helmer about filmmaking today, “so that we don’t get swallowed in the financial of what we’re living in. All the films that are nominated have such an individual voice, the expression behind them, only the people who
made them, could have made them.”
