Director and producer Ava DuVernay has been named recipient of the 2018 Visionary Award by the Producers Guild of America, the PGA announced on Thursday.
She will receive the award during the 29th Annual Producers Guild Awards, held January 20, 2018 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
DuVernay is being honored for her commitment to underrepresented filmmakers and for her topical work, from the narrative film “Selma” to the documentary “13th” and the television series “Queen Sugar.” Her next film, Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” is the first movie with a $100 million budget to be directed by an African American woman.
In a statement announcing her award, Producers Guild Awards chairs Donald De Line and Amy Pascal said, “The emergence of Ava DuVernay as a producer and filmmaker has been one of the great developments of the past several years. Whether in scripted features, television or documentaries, her unique voice, skill and passion have inspired countless audiences throughout our country and around the world.”
Past Visionary Award honorees include Megan Ellison, Laura Ziskin, Jeff Skoll and Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner’s Plan B Entertainment.
Producers Guild Awards nominations will be announced on January 5.