The SAG-AFTRA Foundation has announced that it will honor director-writer-producer Judd Apatow, Academy Award-winning director-producer and Detroit helmer Kathryn Bigelow, and Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos with its Patron of the Artists Awards. The award honors industry leaders who are champions of the arts and whose history of fostering creativity and creating opportunities for actors has made a positive impact on the acting profession and the performing arts.
“We are excited to pay tribute to three extraordinary people whose creative impact on the performing arts has produced ground-breaking opportunities for a world-wide community of artists,” said SAG-AFTRA Foundation President JoBeth Williams in a statement. “As a director, writer and producer, Judd Apatow is known for discovering and nurturing some of the most beloved comedic actors and actresses on television and in film. Kathryn Bigelow is a trailblazing director and producer whose risk-taking gambles on unknown talent have expanded the careers of many artists both in front of and behind the camera. Ted Sarandos is an innovator whose executive leadership has created and supported tens of thousands of industry jobs. Judd, Kathryn, and Ted are the epitome of what it means to be patrons of artists and we are proud to honor them.”
Apatow, Bigelow, and Sarandos are in good company as honorees of the award. Previous recipients include Oscar-nominated director-writer-producer Lee Daniels, director-producer Rob Marshall, and producer Megan Ellison.
The celebration is set to take place Thursday, November 9 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.