January 9, 2020
Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Thomas Schlamme today announced that Judd Apatow will be back to host the 72nd Annual DGA Awards, and Don Mischer will return as Awards Chair for the event, which will take place on January 25, 2020 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
“There is nothing more meaningful than being recognized by, and connecting with, your peers – that’s the hallmark of the DGA Awards. And in that vein, who better to lead the evening than two of our most prominent director members? As a top filmmaker, comic and massive industry force, Judd has such a special and unique perspective on where we are as an industry, and as a culture. He was just as brilliant as he was hysterical as host of our Awards two years ago – and we’re thrilled to welcome him back,” said Schlamme. “And behind the scenes, we are equally fortunate to welcome back as Awards Chair our secret weapon, Don Mischer – the undisputed master in live events, awards and specials.”
“I am so excited to host again as part of my campaign for the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Apatow.
"A great host for the DGA Awards needs to make the evening fun, give the audience a different perspective on the challenges of being a director and keep the show moving along in an entertaining way,” said Mischer. “Simply put, Judd is the perfect host for our event.”
Previously, Apatow hosted the 70th DGA Awards in 2018. The 72nd Annual DGA Awards mark Mischer’s third consecutive stint as Awards Chair.
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is one of the most sought-after comedic minds in the industry—having directed, produced and written many of the biggest comedy films and hit TV shows of the last two decades.
Apatow’s next feature film stars Pete Davidson and is inspired by events from Davidson’s own life. Apatow directed and produced the film and co-wrote the script alongside Davidson and Dave Sirus. The comedy also stars Marisa Tomei and Bill Burr. The currently untitled project will be released by Universal Pictures on June 19, 2020.
Judd executive produced comedian Gary Gulman’s HBO special, The Great Depresh which premiered on HBO on Saturday, October 5th, the eve of Mental Illness Awareness Week. Outside of film and television, Judd has gathered journal entries, photographs and essays for an intimate portrait of his mentor and legendary stand-up comic, Garry Shandling to create It’s Garry Shandling’s Book, a testament to the lasting impact Shandling had not only on Judd personally but in the world overall. Published November 12th via Random House, the book expands on Apatow’s HBO documentary The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. The documentary, which released on March 26th, 2018 won Apatow the 2018 Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Previously, Apatow and co-director Mike Bonfiglio followed folk rock icons The Avett Brothers through the making of their latest album May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers. Both documentaries premiered on HBO to glowing reviews. He also produced the romantic comedy, The Big Sick, starring Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano. The dark horse box office success earned a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, made AFI’s Top 10 list, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
In Television, Apatow executive produced the highly acclaimed Crashing on HBO, which starred comedian Pete Holmes in a semi-autobiographical look at his life and career. He also served as the co-creator of Netflix’s Love, which is streaming the complete series on Netflix, and executive produced the multi-award-winning series Girls, Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, The Ben Stiller Show and The Larry Sanders Show. His Netflix comedy special, Judd Apatow: The Return, marked his comeback to the stage after a 25-year hiatus.
Apatow directed the films The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People, This is 40, and Trainwreck. He produced Superbad, Bridesmaids, Pineapple Express, Anchorman, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Popstar.
Judd lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Leslie Mann, and their daughters Maude and Iris.
Don Mischer
Don Mischer is an internationally acclaimed director and producer of television and live events. He has been honored with a record 10 Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement and in 2019 was the recipient of the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction. Mischer has also won fifteen Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting, and the 2012 Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television from the Producers Guild of America.
As President of Don Mischer Productions, his credits range from We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, The Kennedy Center Honors, and the 100th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall; to Super Bowl Halftime shows (Prince, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen), the opening ceremonies of both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games, the Democratic National Convention, and events celebrating Hong Kong’s re-unification with China.
Other more recent projects include producing and/or directing The Oscars, the 9/11 Memorial Museum Dedication, and The Breakthrough Prize: Scientists Changing the World. Don also produced Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America for ABC, which celebrated through music, dance and the spoken word, the September 2016 historic opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mischer also produced, directed and wrote the recent two-hour ABC special, Mickey’s 90th Spectacular, a dazzling prime-time event that celebrated 90 years of Mickey Mouse.
The many performers with whom Mischer has worked include: Beyoncé, Bono, Prince, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Adele, Mary J. Blige, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Barbra Streisand, Justin Bieber, Jon Bon Jovi, and Carrie Underwood, among others.
Mischer is currently serving his third term on the Directors Guild of America National Board, has served two terms on the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, received the Governors Award from the National Association of Choreographers, and is a member of the Event Industry Hall of Fame and the Producers Guild of America.
He holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Texas in Austin.
To apply for a press credential to cover the DGA Awards,
please go to DGA.org/Awards to download an application.