Taika Waititi to be honoured with Norman Lear award at Producers Guild of America

Award-winning New Zealand producer, director and writer Taika Waititi is to receive the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Norman Lear Achievement award at the 36th Annual Producers Guild Awards to be held in February.

The highly coveted Norman Lear Award recognises a producer or producing team for an “extraordinary body of work in television and whose leadership and creativity have made profound contributions to the television industry.”

Waititi joins former recipients including Mindy Kaling, Marta Kauffman, Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, Chuck Lorre, J.J. Abram, Lorne Michaels, Dick Wolf, Jerry Bruckheimer, Aaron Spelling, David E. Kelley and the late Norman Lear himself.

Waititi’s credits include co-writing, co-directing and starring in the horror comedy movie What We Do in the Shadows, later adapted into the FX TV series of the same name; directing two Thor movies for Marvel and an episode of The Mandalorian, as well as black comedy Jojo Rabbit.

“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. We are honoured to recognise him for his significant contributions to television, continuing Norman Lear’s legacy of enriching the craft of producing,” the PGA added.

The recognition represents the first NZ and Maori honouree and Waititi said the honour was 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 recognising the importance of storytelling that connects.

(Original source HERE)