Amy Pascal, the trailblazing producer and former studio executive, is set to be honored with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award at next year’s Producers Guild Awards in Los Angeles. She’s the first woman to receive the prestigious award, which recognizes bodies of work in motion pictures, since Mary Parent (the Dune franchise) in 2022; more recent recipients include Martin Scorsese and Tom Cruise. The news also comes in advance of Pascal likely returning to the awards conversation as a producer on one of the year’s starriest contenders, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly.
“Amy exemplifies the essential qualities of a truly great producer: impeccable taste, a keen eye for extraordinary talent both in front of and behind the camera, and an unwavering determination fueled by deep passion,” PGA presidents Donald De Line and Stephanie Allain said in a statement. “Her films are masterclasses in storytelling — seamlessly blending compelling entertainment with thought-provoking ideas — and many have become lasting cultural touchstones.”
From 2003 to 2015, Pascal served as the Chairperson of the Motion Pictures Group of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), and she was also co-chairperson of SPE from 2006 to 2015. After leaving Sony, she founded Pascal Pictures, receiving Oscar nominations for best picture for producing Steven Spielberg’s The Post and Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. Pascal has also produced the recent smash Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland and the animated Spider-Verse films, both of which were nominated for the Oscar for best animated feature (with the first one winning).
“Producing has been the great joy of my professional life, and to receive this honor from the Producers Guild, among so many legendary peers I deeply respect, is incredibly moving,” Pascal said in a statement. “David O. Selznick was the kind of producer who believed in ambition, imagination, and taking risks, and to be awarded in his name is a reminder that producing isn’t just about making movies — it’s about championing bold stories and carrying forward a legacy of daring, visionary filmmaking. I’m so grateful for the PGA and its commitment to protecting and celebrating the craft of producing, and for the extraordinary collaborators, colleagues and mentors who’ve supported me on this journey.”
Most recently, Pascal produced Jay Kelly, which stars George Clooney and Adam Sandler, alongside Baumbach and David Heyman. It hits Netflix in December. And she has a slew of big-ticket productions coming up, including the next James Bond film, which Denis Villeneuve is set to helm for Amazon MGM studios, as well as Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew and the fourth Spider-Man film in the current series.
The 37th annual PGA Awards will take place on Saturday, February 28, at the Fairmont Century Plaza.
