“Friends” co-creator Marta Kauffman will receive the Producers Guild of America’s Norman Lear Achievement Award for her impact on television.
Kauffman will get the award at the 31st Annual Producers Guild Awards on Jan. 18 at the Hollywood Palladium. Previous honorees include Ryan Murphy, James L. Brooks, Shonda Rhimes, Chuck Lorre, and J.J. Abrams. Amy Sherman-Palladino was the 2019 recipient.
“Marta is a singular talent who has created characters and stories that have resonated throughout the world and across generations,” said PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher. “Her deep understanding of emotion, comedy and human drama creates the perfect recipe for television, and audiences can’t get enough. Her impact on pop culture, and on television history, is undeniable.”
Kaufman and David Crane co-created “Friends” and executive produced the NBC sitcom with Kevin S. Bright. During its 10-season run between 1994 and 2004, “Friends” received 63 Emmy nominations and won for outstanding comedy series in 2002.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award from my peers at the PGA, particularly as it’s named for a legendary producer who has impacted my career from the beginning,” Kauffman said. “Thank you to the Producers Guild for this meaningful recognition.”
In 2015, Kauffman founded Okay Goodnight with industry veterans Robbie Tollin and Hannah KS Canter. She is the creator and executive producer of Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie,” currently in production on its seventh and final season, as well as the Gloria Allred documentary, “Seeing Allred,” now streaming on Netflix.