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Michael Schur Biography

Birth Name:Michael Herbert Schur

Birth Place:Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Profession Producer, Writer, Director, Actor, Soundtrack, Script department

Fast Facts

  • Was nominated for 13 Writers Guild of America Awards for "Saturday Night Live," "Parks and Recreation," and the U․S․ remake of "The Office," two of which he won
  • Was nominated for a PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy for "Parks and Recreation" in 2012
  • Graduated from Harvard University with an English degree in 1997, where he was the president of the Harvard Lampoon
  • Got his job at "Saturday Night Live" only a few months after graduating from Harvard
  • Discovered an interest in comedy writing during college when he watched "Saturday Night Live" and "The David Letterman Show․"
  • Quote: "I don't think it really matters what the setting of your show is or whether there's other shows that have the same setting or anything, it's just about how you execute it․"
  • Quote: "(On his show running philosophy): "Remain calm, no matter how desperately your brain is trying to convince you to freak out․""
  • Best known as the creator and executive producer of "Parks and Recreation" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" as well as a writer and producer on "The Office" and "Saturday Night Live․"
  • Once wrote for the sports journalism blog "Fire Joe Morgan" under the pseudonym "Ken Tremendous," which he now uses as his Twitter handle

Awards

  • 2001Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
  • 2001WGA Award (TV)-Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series: nominated
  • 2002Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: winner
  • 2002WGA Award (TV)-Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series: nominated
  • 2003Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
  • 2003WGA Award (TV)-Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series: nominated
  • 2006Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: winner
  • 2006Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2006WGA Award (TV)-New Series: nominated
  • 2006WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2007Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Broadband Program - Comedy: winner
  • 2007Gold Derby TV Award-Comedy Episode of the Year: nominated
  • 2007Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2007Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2007WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: winner
  • 2008Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2008WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: winner
  • 2008WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2009WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2010WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2011OFTA Television Award-Best Direction in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2011Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2012INOCA TV-Best Episode of a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2012OFTA Television Award-Best Writing in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2012PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy: nominated
  • 2012Peabody Award-Winner: winner
  • 2012Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2012WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2013Gold Derby TV Award-Comedy Episode of the Year: nominated
  • 2013OFTA Television Award-Best Direction in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2013OFTA Television Award-Best Writing in a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2013WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2014American Comedy Award-Best Comedy Writing - TV: nominated
  • 2014WGA Award (TV)-Episodic Comedy: nominated
  • 2014WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2015Gold Derby TV Award-Comedy Episode of the Year: nominated
  • 2015Gold Derby TV Award-Comedy Episode of the Year: nominated
  • 2015INOCA TV-Best Writing for a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2015INOCA TV-Best Directing for a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2015Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2016Gotham Independent Film Award-Breakthrough Series - Long Form: nominated
  • 2016Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2017Image Award-Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television): nominated
  • 2017Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2018Hugo-Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form: nominated
  • 2018PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy: nominated
  • 2018Bradbury Award-Outstanding Dramatic Presentation: nominated
  • 2018WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2019Jupiter Award-Best International TV Series: winner
  • 2019PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy: nominated
  • 2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2019WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2020Gold Derby TV Award-Comedy Episode: nominated
  • 2020Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2020Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2021Gotham Independent Film Award-Breakthrough Series - Shortform: nominated
  • 2021Hugo-Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form: winner
  • 2021Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2021Nebula Award-Best Dramatic Presentation: winner
  • 2022PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy: nominated
  • 2022Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated
  • 2022WGA Award (TV)-Comedy Series: winner
  • 2022WGA Award (TV)-New Series: winner
  • 2023PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy: nominated
  • 2024Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: winner
  • 2024Audience Award-TV Spotlight: winner
  • 2025Danny Thomas Award-Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy: winner
  • 2025Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Comedy Series: nominated