Joss Whedon

LOS ANGELES (November 23, 2009) – The Producers Guild of America (PGA), a national non-profit trade group committed to protecting the rights and credits of producers in film, television and new media, announced today that award-winning science-fiction and fantasy storyteller Joss Whedon will be honored with the 2010 Vanguard Award at the 21st Annual PGA Awards ceremony on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Hollywood Palladium.

Whedon is a producer, writer, director, and creator for such hit television programs as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” “Firefly,” and “Dollhouse.” He has written several feature film scripts including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Toy Story, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Alien Resurrection and Titan A.E. and is author of the cultish Dark Horse comic book series “Fray.” Whedon also created and produced an Internet sensation with the musical superhero spoof “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog,” which stars Neil Patrick Harris.

The PGA’s Vanguard Award recognizes achievements in new media and technology. Previous recipients of the prestigious Vanguard Award include George Lucas, James Cameron, and John Lasseter, who is also being awarded the 2010 David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures by the PGA this year, MySpace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe and president and co-founder Tom Anderson, YouTube founders Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Will Wright.

“Joss Whedon has mastered the art of melding the newest technology with inspired storytelling, truly exemplifying the spirit of the Vanguard Award,” said David Friendly and Laurence Mark, co-chairs of the PGA Awards.

“This is an honor I didn’t expect and probably don’t deserve,” said Joss Whedon. “The truth is, I’ve never actually guarded a van. But I am a super-total visionary, so that fits. I’m ready to take my place next to the guys who made ‘THX 1138’ and ‘Tin Toy’ (Did they ever do anything else, btw? They showed such promise.). This is a time of radical change in media delivery and content, and I’m honestly proud the PGA has singled me out as someone who sort of knows what’s going on.”