The Producers Guild of America will bestow its Stanley Kramer Award on "Good Night, and Good Luck" in recognition of the feature's handling of provocative social issues, it was announced Monday.
Producer Grant Heslov will accept the award on behalf of the production on Jan. 22 at the 17th annual PGA Awards at the Universal Hilton.
The film chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s. Murrow and his staff, which included producer Fred Friendly, defied corporate and sponsor pressures to examine the truth behind the McCarthy-era "witchhunts."
"As Stanley Kramer was quick to recognize, even our most basic freedoms can never be taken for granted," PGA Awards co-chairs Bruce Cohen and Stacey Sher said. "Living as we do in an era in which scandal links major figures in the government and the media, it's more important than ever to recognize that a truly free and independent press requires constant vigilance and profound courage."
Heslov, who produced the Warner Independent release, said he was extremely proud to receive the honor.
"Stanley Kramer was a filmmaker whose films explored important and provocative social issues, and he was not afraid to take on the tough ones," Heslov said. "He did it with artistry and class. What an honor it is to be associated with the man who brought us 'Inherit the Wind,' 'Judgment at Nuremberg' and 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.' "
Previous recipients of the Stanley Kramer Award include "Hotel Rwanda" and "Innocent Voices" (2005), "In America" (2004), "Antoine Fisher" (2003) and "I Am Sam" (2002).
This year's PGA Awards also will honor Clint Eastwood with the Milestone Award, Roger Corman with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures and Norman Lear with the Producers Guild Achievement Award in Television.
Nominees for the PGA's producer of the year in theatrical motion picture, animated film, episodic drama, comedy, long-form, variety and nonfiction television will be announced Jan. 4 at the Universal Hilton.
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Jesse Hiestand writes for The Hollywood Reporter.
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