Arrowverse Producer Greg Berlanti To Receive Emmys Governors Award

Berlanti is being celebrated for his contributions to TV.

By Russ Burlingame

Greg Berlanti, director of Fly Me to the Moon and producer of dozens of TV series including The CW's DC Universe shows (colloquially known by fans as the Arrowverse), is set to receive the TV Academy's Governors Award at the 2024 Emmy Awards. Berlanti will be recognized for "his significant impact on television and culture by depicting the underrepresented in film," according to the Academy, who cited series like Dawson's Creek, Riverdale, All American, The Flight Attendant, and You. Berlanti is the first person to win the award since 2021, with the last two recipients being charitable organizations. Past winners include Tyler Perry, Star Trek, and America's Most Wanted creator John Walsh.

Berlanti will receive his award during the Emmys broadcast on Sunday, September 15th. The Governors Award is presented to someone "that has made a profound, transformational and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television."

"Greg is an extraordinary creator, who consistently delivers characters and stories that are in dialogue with the real world," said TV Academy chair Cris Abrego in a statement. "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."

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Variety, who first reported Berlanti's list of prime-time firsts, notes that the producer had, among other things, the first same-sex kiss between two men on U.S. network television (on Dawson's Creek), the first same-sex legal marriage on network TV (in Brothers and Sisters), the first recurring transgender character on primetime TV (on Dirty Sexy Money), the first transgender superhero (on Supergirl). In addition to LGBTQ+ representation, Berlanti oversaw the introduction of Zari Tomaz, the first Muslim superhero on American TV.

"I am beyond grateful to be receiving this overwhelming and humbling honor from the Board of Governors and the Television Academy," Berlanti said in a statement. "Every minute in this business has been the greatest gift that I'm eternally thankful for. 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."

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