Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, to be Honored at 2025 PGA Awards
Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri is set to receive the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award.
Meledandri will be honored at the 205 PGA Awards, set for Feb. 8 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The boss of the animation company behind the Despicable Me franchise is only the second animation producer to receive the Selznick Award after John Lasseter received the honor in 2009.
Earlier recipients of the David O. Selznick Award also include Steven Spielberg, Barbara Broccoli, Mary Parent, Charles Roven, Brian Grazer, David Heyman, Kevin Feige and, most recently, Martin Scorsese. Meledandri, who launched Illumination in 2007, in a statement paid tribute to the filmmakers that came before him and paved the way for his own career.
“Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to work with legendary filmmakers who taught me the intricacies of storytelling, production and connecting with an audience. Their mentorship laid the foundation for everything I do today, instilling in me a deep appreciation for the craft and the collaborative effort it requires. My accomplishments in this industry have been enabled by countless filmmakers, artists, crew members, actors, studio colleagues and my fellow producers. I am deeply grateful to the PGA for this honor,” he said.
As the creator of animated secretive pets, chattering minions and the villainous Gru, Illumination is best known for the four Despicable Me movies, two Minions movies and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Meledandri’s producing credits include The Lorax, Hop, The Secret Life of Pets, Sing, The Grinch and Migration.
“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,” PGA presidents Donald De Line and Stephanie Allain said in a joint statement.
Illumination films have gross nearly $11 billion worldwide, while also earning an Academy Award nomination and several PGA Award nominations.
Before founding Illumination, which has an exclusive partnership with Universal Pictures, Meledandri was president of 20th Century Fox Animation, where he executive produced some of the studio’s most popular films, including the Ice Age movies, Robots and Horton Hears a Who.
Upcoming Illumination films include Sing 3 and a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros.