Joel Gallen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Rhode Island |
| Occupations | |
| Title | Founder and president, Tenth Planet Productions |
| Board member of | University of Rhode Island Harrington School of Communications and Media Executive Advisory Board |
| Awards |
|
| Website | www |
Joel Gallen is an American director and producer. He is the founder of Tenth Planet Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company.
In addition to the 2025 concertFire Aid, which raised $100 million for wildfire relief in Los Angeles, Gallen has produced and directed charity telethons and concerts that have cumatively raised more than $540 million for victims of theSeptember 11 attacks;Hurricane Katrina; the2010 Haiti earthquake and cancer research. In 2025, he produced and directed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony -- his 22nd -- and executive produced theIHeartRadio Music Awards for the fifth time.
Gallen created theMTV Movie Awards and the comedic short films that became their signature. He also produced and directed stand-up shows and comedy specials for Comedy Central and HBO, directedNot Another Teen Movie, and executive produced the filmZoolander, which was based on a VH-1 Fashion Awards short film.
He has been nominated for 14 Emmy awards, from a 2001 nomination for Ellen DeGeneres' HBO special,The Beginning, to two 2023 nominations forChris Rock's livestreamed Netflix special,Selective Outrage.
Gallen was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised inRockville Centre, New York. He attended theUniversity of Rhode Island where he, as a member of the school's entertainment committee, booked on-campus concerts by artists includingCharlie Daniels,The J. Geils Band andAndy Kaufman. He also DJ'd on the school's radio station,WRIU. He graduated with a BS in marketing.[1][2][3]
After working in the mailroom atICM,[4] Gallen was hired by a television syndication company, George Back and Associates (later known asAll-American Television). Over the next four years, Gallen marketed, syndicated and produced television shows, including theUncle Floyd Show, a New Jersey basic cable program that Back and Gallen syndicated to NBC affiliates. Gallen's first job in production, his role included booking musical guests such as theRamones,Paul Simon[5] andBlue Öyster Cult.[6][7]
Gallen believed there was a substantial audience for music videos by artists from the 60s and 70s, and as MTV (and the videos by new artists it programmed) became increasingly popular, he created and producedDeja View, two one-hour specials composed of original music videos for older hit songs, often featuring the original artists.[8] The video forSly and the Family Stone'sEveryday People" starredSly Stone; "Good Lovin'" starredFelix Cavaliere; "Bus Stop featuredGraham Nash; and theBeach Boys hit "Don't Worry Baby" starredBrian Wilson. Actors also appeared inDeja View videos -- "A Whiter Shade of Pale" featuredHarry Dean Stanton (as well asBernie Taupin), andShe's Not There starredTeri Garr. Hosted byJohn Sebastian ofThe Lovin' Spoonful, the specials were sponsored byLincoln-Mercury.[9][10]
Gallen subsequently producedA Soul Session: James Brown and Friends; aCinemax special taped at a small club in Detroit, it featured Brown andAretha Franklin.[11] He also produced the American version of the long-running UK music show,Top of the Pops. Unlike the British program, where bandslip-synced to their music, he had the artists play live. Among others,David Bowie,Bryan Adams,Sting,INXS,Belinda Carlisle andDepeche Mode performed on the show, which aired on CBS for 26 weeks.[12]
In 1989 Gallen was named head of production for MTV. During his first year at the network, he served as the producer of theVideo Music Awards and the executive producer ofMTV Unplugged, which he helped to develop. Gallen said: "The real big win forUnplugged (was) we got the big arena acts to strip down and go acoustic." Among others,Paul McCartney,Eric Clapton,Pearl Jam,R.E.M.,Elton John andLL Cool J performed. McCartney released anUnplugged album, as did Clapton, whoseUnplugged album went 26x platinum and became the best-selling live album of all time.[13][14]
Gallen produced the VMAs from 1990-1993. Approaching the broadcast as "a rock n' roll show first and a television show second,"[15][16][17] the 1992 VMAs featuredNirvana,Guns N' Roses,Pearl Jam,The Black Crowes, andDef Leppard, among others. In his bookYour Favorite Band is Killing Me,Steven Hyden wrote: "The 1992 VMAs were the fulcrum between the ’80s and ’90s, a show where you could actually watch one era end and another begin in real time."[18][19]
In 1992, Gallen created theMTV Movie Awards. Irreverent in tone, Gallen said it was the opposite of theOscars. "We wanted to have some fun with it and come up with categories that our audience cared about.” The categories included "Best Kiss", "Best Villain" and "Best Fight."[20][21] "A hilarious spoof of the Oscars and a celebration of movies,"[22] Gallen developed, directed and produced the short film parodies that became a signature of theMTV Movie Awards; they includedSarah Jessica Parker inSex andThe Matrix andBen Stiller asTom Cruise's stunt double inMission: Improbable.[23][7] Jack Black, Will Ferrell, Samuel L. Jackson and Justin Timberlake, among others, also appeared in the MTV Movie Awards film parodies.[7][24]
Mainly interested in directing and producing, Gallen's management role at MTV kept him from working in the trenches of production. In December 1993, he left MTV and moved from New York to Los Angeles, where he founded Tenth Planet Productions. At the time, he had two series in development—one for HBO and one for ABC—and a special in development at Fox. He continued to work in association with MTV, executive producing and directing the Movie Awards from 1995 through 2006 and in 2018.[25] He also executive produced and directed theVH1 Fashion Awards from 1996-1998. Gallen and head writerDrake Sather created the "professionally good-looking supermodel Derek Zoolander" forBen Stiller for aFashion Awards short film.[26]
Four days after theSeptember 11 attacks Gallen was enlisted by the heads of the four major television networks to produce and directAmerica: A Tribute to Heroes, a benefit to raise money for victims of the 9/11 attacks.[27] 22 artists performed on candle-lit soundstages in New York, Los Angeles and London, and 20 actors spoke briefly from the stage. Other actors and celebrities—organized byGeorge Clooney—manned phone banks to collect donations. Put together in six days, the telethon aired live on September 21, 2001.[28] Gallen said: "I did not want the show to feel celebratory. I did not want a live audience...no introductions, no applause, no fanfare."[29]A Tribute to Heroes was simulcast commercial-free by more than 35 broadcast and cable networks and 8000 radio stations. Seen in 120 countries, it raised an estimated $150 million in two hours.[30] Gallen won an Emmy (Outstanding Producing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program), a Peabody Award, and a Director's Guild Award. He also won the first Producers Guild Visionary Award.[31]
On September 9, 2005—again enlisted by the heads of several broadcast networks—Gallen produced and directedShelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast. A benefit for victims ofHurricane Katrina, the tone of the concert was similar to that ofA Tribute to Heroes: solemn. The one-hour show aired live and commercial-free on 30 broadcast and cable networks and raised $30 million forRed Cross andSalvation Army relief efforts.[32][33]
In 2010, in association with MTV, he executive produced and directedHope for Haiti Now, a concert telethon that raised money for victims of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. Developed by Gallen, Clooney, andWyclef Jean, the show was broadcast live from stages in New York, Los Angeles, and London.Anderson Cooper reported live fromPort-au-Prince.[34] Airing on 60 broadcast, cable, and online outlets, it was then the most widely distributed telethon in history.[35] The telethon raised $61 million for Haitian relief through seven non-profit organizations.[36] An album that included all of the live performances from the event debuted at #1 on theBillboard charts.[37]
Gallen produced and directed theStand Up to Cancer telethons in 2012 and 2014. It was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Informational Series or Special category in 2013 and raised $100 million for clinical trials in 2014. Gallen executive produced the live broadcasts withGwyneth Paltrow.[38][39] In 2014, he directed and producedThe Concert for Valor. Created to raise awareness and money for veteran's charities, HBO broadcast the concert live from theNational Mall in Washington DC onVeterans Day.[40] He produced 'Eric Clapton and FriendsIn Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads Centre at Antigua;[41]Paul McCartney and Friends Live:PETA's Millennium Concert;[42]The Concert of the Century: A Benefit for VH-1 Save the Music;[43] and produced and directedCNN Heroes from 2007-2010.[44]
Gallen directed and executive produced the 2022 London and Los Angeles concerts in honor ofTaylor Hawkins following his death. Produced in partnership with the Hawkins family and the Foo Fighters, it was "one of the most emotional, eclectic and joyous celebrations of rock music in recent memory: a fitting tribute for one of rock's most beautiful souls."[45] The London concert, which was broadcast live worldwide, featured Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Queen, Rush, Pretenders, and Wolfgang Van Halen, among others. In 2019, he producedI Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell. Hosted byJimmy Kimmel, it featured performances by artists includingMetallica,Miley Cyrus, Miguel,Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton in addition to Cornell's daughter, Toni, and his bandmates fromTemple of the Dog,Audioslave, andSoundgarden.[46][47]
Gallen signed on to executive produce and directFireAid two days after the2025 California wildfires began. "Part-concert, part-fundraiser and part-community-building," he worked with a team that includedShelli and Irving Azoff,[48] who conceived of and initiated the benefit.FireAid was put together in three weeks. It took place in two venues, featured 30 artists,[49] and streamed live on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, iHeart, KTLA+, Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock/NBCNewsNow, SiriusXM, TikTok, Veeps and YouTube on January 30, 2025. As of February 7,FireAid had raised more than $100 million for wildfire relief.[50]
Gallen executive produced and directed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Induction Ceremony from 1993-1997—when it aired on MTV and VH1—and from 2003-2014, when it aired on HBO.[51]The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert took place over two nights at Madison Square Garden in October 2009 with performances by artists includingSimon & Garfunkel,Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,Stevie Wonder,Jerry Lee Lewis,B.B. King,Bonnie Raitt,U2,Metallica,Aretha Franklin,Annie Lennox,Jeff Beck andMick Jagger.[52] Broadcast as a four-hour special on HBO in November, Gallen was nominated for Emmy awards in both the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special and Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Special categories. He returned to executive produce and direct the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies from 2020-2025, with the 2023 and 2024 ceremony airing live on Disney+ and as a three-hour special on ABC.[53] The 2025 induction ceremony streamed live and on-demand on Disney+. A special was scheduled to air on ABC on January 1 and on-demand on Hulu beginning on January 2nd, 2026.[54]
George Harrison was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. In planning that year's induction ceremony, Gallen wrote a letter to Prince—also a 2004 inductee—asking him to play the guitar solo during a performance of Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Gallen said it was his dream to "get everybody up onstage at the end of the night to do 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and have Prince come out and do the guitar solo."[55] Gallen met with Prince several times before he agreed to join the ensemble, which also includedTom Petty,Steve Winwood,Jeff Lynne, andDhani Harrison. "A legendary moment in rock history,"[56] Prince's solo closed the 2004 induction ceremony. Gallen re-edited the original footage in 2021, releasing a director's cut of the performance that was "subtly transformed...to illuminate the solo that shook the hall."[57]
In addition to the VMAs, theMTV Movie Awards, and theVH1 Fashion Awards, Gallen executive produced and directed theIHeartRadio Music Awards (2019-2024) and theFilm Independent Spirit Awards (2015-2022).[58] He produced theAcademy Awards pre-show in 2000 and 2004[59] and in 2002 directed theSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, which he produced in partnership withJimmy Iovine.[60]
Gallen directed and produced three Ellen DeGeneres stand-up specials:The Beginning (2000; HBO),Here and Now (2001, HBO) andRelatable (2018, Netflix). He also directed DeGeneres 2024 special,For Your Approval (Netflix). He was Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Specials forThe Beginning andHere and Now. DeGeneres was nominated for her performances.Relatable—which Gallen co-directed withTig Notaro—marked DeGeneres' return to stand-up after a 15-year break.[61] He EP'd and directed Chris Rock's HBO special,Never Scared, receiving a second 2004 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special. In 2023, he executive produced and directed Rock'sSelective Outrage, the first livestream on Netflix. Gallen received two Emmy nominations for his work on the special, including Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special.[62][39]
Gallen executive produced and directed several one-offs and series forComedy Central, includingLast Laugh (2004-2007),Roast Battle (2016-2018),[63]Pete Davidson's stand-up special,SMD (2016) andThe Comedy Jam (2017). He EP'd and directedtheComedy Central Roasts from 2005 through 2019, receiving an Emmy nomination for theWilliam Shatner roast in 2007.[64][39] In 2013, he directed and producedThe Big Live Comedy Show, a special that kicked off the firstYouTube Comedy Week. Livestreamed globally fromCulver Studios, the show featured comics includingNorm Macdonald,Sarah Silverman andSeth Rogen.[65][66]
In February 2014 Gallen directedHoward Stern's 60th Birthday Bash. "Pretty much a Stern broadcast with a roster of stars as big as an awards show," it aired live from theHammerstein Ballroom onSirius XM.[67]
In 2001, based in part on the success of the character created for theVH1 Fashion Awards short,Paramount Pictures released the feature filmZoolander. Gallen executive produced the film. In a 20-years-later story inVanity Fair, Andrew Buss wrote that it was "one of those rare films that manages to unite all kinds of audiences for the simplest and best reason:Zoolander sends everyone home happy."[68] Gallen also directed the 2001 comedyNot Another Teen Movie, a parody of films targeted to teenagers. It received mixed reviews, withRichard Roeper writing: "It's stupid, it's obvious, it's scatological and violent -- but it made me laugh and I'm giving it thumbs up, God help me."[69]
Gallen executive produced and directed the live music seriesPepsi Smash forThe WB during the summers of 2004 and 2005.[70] He executive producedThe Sing-Off, an a cappella competition series forNBC from 2009-2011,[71] and MTV'sAmerica's Best Dance Crew, a dance competition series, for 7 seasons (2008-2012).[72]
| Year(s) | Title | Credit | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | MTV Video Music Awards | Producer | 1989-1993 MTV | [75] |
| 1990 | MTV Unplugged | Executive Producer | 1990-1993 | [76] |
| 1992 | MTV Movie Awards | Creator, executive producer short films director | 1992–93, 1995–2006, 2018-2019 MTV | [77] |
| 1993-1997 | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Executive producer, director | MTV and VHI | [78][79][80][55][81] |
| 1994 | Billboard Music Awards | Executive producer | Fox | [82] |
| Espy Awards | Executive producer | ESPN | [83] | |
| 1996 | VH1 Fashion Awards | Executive producer | 1996-1998 VH1 Directed Ben Stiller shorts in 1998 | [84][68] |
| Saturday Night Special | Co-executive producer | Fox Co-executive produced withRoseanne Barr | [85] | |
| 1997 | Jenny McCarthy Show | Executive producer | MTV, 22 episodes | [86] |
| 1999 | Eric Clapton and Friends in Concert | Producer, director | VH-1 and Warner Bros. Home Video | [87] |
| Paul McCartney & Friends: PETA's Millennium Concert | Producer, director | VH1 | [87] | |
| Concert of the Century: Save the Music | Producer, director | VH1 | [88] | |
| Mariah Carey's Homecoming Special | Producer, director | FOX | [87] | |
| 2000 | 72nd Annual Academy Awards Pre-Show | Producer | ABC 2000, 2004 | [89] |
| A Supernatural Evening with Santana | Producer, director | Emmy award(Outstanding editing) FOX | [90] | |
| Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning | Executive producer, director | Emmy-nominated HBO | [39] | |
| Dixie Chicks On The Fly | Executive producer | NBC | [87] | |
| A Very Special Christmas from Washington DC | Executive producer | TNT | [citation needed] | |
| 2001 | Not Another Teen Movie | Director | Columbia Pictures | [91] |
| The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show | Producer, director | ABC | [92] | |
| Zoolander | Executive producer | Paramount Pictures and Red Hour Productions | [93] | |
| America: A Tribute to Heroes | Executive producer, director | Aired on 39 networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and HBO Emmy, Peabody, DGA and PGA Award winner | [94][95] | |
| 2002 | An Evening with the Dixie Chicks | Executive producer, director | ABC | [96] |
| 2003-2014 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inudction Ceremony | Exectuive producer, director | HBO, Disney+, ABC | [78][79][80][55][81] |
| 2003 | Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now | Executive producer, director | Emmy-nominated HBO | [39] |
| Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show | Producer, director | ABC | [97] | |
| 2004 | Chris Rock: Never Scared | Executive producer, director | Emmy-nominated, HBO | [39] |
| Pepsi Smash | Executive producer, director | 2004, 2005 The WB | [98] | |
| Last Laugh | Executive producer, director | 2004-2007 Comedy Central | [99] | |
| 2005 | Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast | Executive producer, director | ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX | [100] |
| TheComedy Central Roast | Executive producer, director | 2005-2019 Comedy Central | [101][102] | |
| 2007 | CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute | Executive producer, director | 2007-2009 CNN | [103] |
| 2008 | America's Best Dance Crew | Executive producer | 2008-2012 MTV | [104] |
| 2009 | 25th Anniversary Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Executive producer, director | HBO, 3 Emmy awards | [105] |
| The Sing-Off | Executive producer, director | 2009-2011 NBC | [104][106] | |
| Greg Giraldo: Midlife Vices | Executive producer, director | Comedy Central | [107] | |
| 2010 | Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief | Executive producer, director | 60 networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, MTV, HBO Emmy-nominated | [39] |
| 2011 | Give it Up for Greg Giraldo | Executive producer | Comedy Central | [108] |
| 2012 | Stand Up To Cancer | Executive producer, director | 2012, 2014 ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, HBO and 30 other networks Emmy-nominated | [39][109] |
| 2013 | The Big Live Comedy Show | Producer, director | Streamed live on YouTube | [110] |
| 2014 | The Concert for Valor | Executive producer, director | HBO | [111] |
| Howard Stern Birthday Bash | Director | Sirius | [112] | |
| 2015 | Film Independent Spirit Awards | Executive producer, director | 2015-2022 IFC | [113][114] |
| 2016 | Roast Battle | Executive producer, director | 2016-2018 Comedy Central | [93] |
| Pete Davidson: SMD | Executive producer, director | Comedy Central | [115] | |
| 2017 | The Comedy Jam | Executive producer, director | Comedy Central | [93] |
| DCX MMXVI Live (Dixie Chicks Live) | Executive producer, director | Theatrical and DVD releases | [116] | |
| 2018 | Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable | Executive producer, director | Grammy nomination (Best comedy album) Netflix | [117] |
| 2019 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Executive producer | 2019, 2021-2024 FOX | [118] |
| I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell | Producer | Live concert and benefit | [119] | |
| 2020-2024 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Executive producer, director | HBO, Disney+, ABC | |
| 2020 | iHeart Radio Jingle Ball 2020 | Executive producer, director | CW | [120] |
| Fox Presents:the iHeart Living Room Concert for America | Executive producer, director | Fox, iHeart stations | [121] | |
| Tiger King | Executive producer, director Season 1, episode 8 | Netflix | [122] | |
| Jersey 4 Jersey | Executive producer, director | ABC, Apple TV | [123] | |
| 2022 | Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts (London and Los Angeles) | Executive producer, director | Paramount+, CBS Emmy-nominated (Outstanding Sound Mixing) | [124][125] |
| 2023 | Grammy Tribute to the Beach Boys | Executive producer, director | CBS | [126] |
| Chris Rock: Selective Outrage | Executive producer, director | Netflix Livestream | [127] | |
| Preparing Music for Concerts (Foo Fighters) | Executive producer, creative director | Livestream | [129] | |
| 2024 | Ellen Degeneres: For Your Approval | Director | Netflix | [130] |
| 2025 | FireAid | Executive producer, director | Multiple broadcast networks and streaming platforms | [131] |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Executive producer, director | Disney+, ABC, Hulu | [54] |
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