Illumination’s Chris Meledandri Honored With PGA’s David O. Selznick Award

Emiliana Betancourt

24 October 2024 at 2:59 pm·2-min read

The Producers Guild of America is honoring Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination, with the 2025 David O. Selznick Achievement Award for his “extraordinary producing accomplishments.” Melendandri is the second animation producer to receive this recognition in the 36 years the awards have been running. The ceremony will take place at the annual Producers Guild Awards on Feb. 8 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Meledandri founded Illumination Studios in 2007. Before then, he was president of 20th Century Fox Animation. His credits include “Despicable Me,” “The Lorax,” “Hop,” “Minions,” “The Secret Life of Pets,” “Sing,” “The Grinch,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Ice Age” and more.

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“The extraordinary vision and innovation Chris brings to animated feature films has not only captivated audiences of all ages but also been instrumental in reshaping the entertainment landscape,” said Producers Guild of America Presidents Donald De Line and Stephanie Allain in a joint statement. “His hands-on, meticulous approach to producing has resulted in the rare accomplishment of record-breaking films and beloved franchises. We are proud to honor Chris with this prestigious award as a leader in both the animation industry and our industry as a whole.”

Meledandri credited past filmmakers for their inspiration and mentorship. He also acknowledged the cast, crew members and colleagues of past projects for aiding him in the accomplishment. “Being recognized by my peers with the David O. Selznick award is one of the most meaningful moments in my career,” said Melendandri in a statement.

The Selznick Award has recognized distinguished producers like Steven Spielberg, Barbara Broccoli, Mary Parent, Charles Roven, Brian Grazer, David Heyman, Kevin Feige and most recently Martin Scorsese.

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