Producers Guild to honor Tom Hanks

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- The Producers Guild of America has announced plans to honor the producing team of Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman at an upcoming ceremony.

The pair are to share the guild's 2011 Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television. The prize will be presented to Hanks and Goetzman at the 22nd annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony Jan. 22, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

"Tom and Gary are extraordinarily talented producers who have changed the television landscape with extremely unique, award-winning programming," Paula Wagner, chair of the 2011 Producers Guild Awards, said in a statement Monday. "They consistently deliver intelligent, thoughtful entertainment that has made a tremendous worldwide impact on the industry; we look forward to honoring their remarkable achievements."

"We're flattered to be in the company of so many great filmmakers who have received this award from the Producers Guild," said Hanks.

"We'd be honored to receive anything with Norman Lear's name on it, but this is truly fantastic," Goetzman said.

The 2010 recipient of the Norman Lear Award was Mark Burnett.

Hanks and Goetzman formed Playtone Productions in 1998. Among their projects have been the celebrated TV miniseries "The Pacific," "Band of Brothers" and "John Adams."