Chances are, you’re already a Greg Berlanti fan, and you don’t even know it! The producer behind some of the biggest shows on TV like Supergirl, The Flash, Riverdale, All American, The Flight Attendant, and You, just to name a few, is being honored with the Television Academy’s Governors Award at 2024 Emmys!
From writing and directing to producing, Berlanti has been working behind the scenes in television since the 90s. Getting his big break as a writer and producer on the late 90s classic Dawson’s Creek, Berlanti has been a pioneer in the industry for decades.
Berlanti has made including LGBTQ people in his stories a priority since the start of his career. He played a quintessential role in bringing a gay character into primetime television on Dawson’s Creek, which also featured the first ever same-sex kiss between two men on U.S. network television, according to Deadline.
Bringing unprecedented representation to mainstream media has become commonplace for Berlanti. His work has introduced the world to the first transgender superhero on his series Supergirl, the first same-sex legal marriage on network television on Brothers and Sisters, and most recently the first single gay lead in a U.S. medical drama on Brilliant Minds.
Berlanti also produced the GLAAD Media Award winning film Red, White, and Royal Blue and directed Love, Simon.
According to Deadline, Berlanti Productions is once again making history with a record-breaking 15 shows on the air all at the same time.
“Greg is an extraordinary creator, who consistently delivers characters and stories that are in dialogue with the real world,” said Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego. “From the beginning of his career, his commitment to representing three-dimensional LGBTQ+ characters in particular has paved the way for greater cultural understanding and acceptance of a community that is often under attack in both social and political discourse. For seizing the power of television to move our culture forward, the Academy is honored to select Greg Berlanti for this year’s Governors Award.”
“I am beyond grateful to be receiving this overwhelming and humbling honor from the Board of Governors and the Television Academy. Every minute in this business has been the greatest gift that I’m eternally thankful for,” said Berlanti in statement. “It will be nice to have an opportunity to thank all the family, friends, showrunners, execs, cast, crews and audiences that have made an honor like this possible.”
GLAAD received the Television Academy’s Governors Award at the most recent Emmys ceremony in January. The prestigious honor recognized GLAAD’s work over nearly four decades to secure fair, accurate and diverse representation of the LGBTQ community in the media and entertainment industries and to advocate for LGBTQ equality.
Read more about the Governors Award here and tune into the Emmys live on ABC on Sunday, Sept. 15, (8:00-11:00 PM EDT/5:00-8:00 PM PDT) and stream the next day on Hulu.