The award has previously gone to Shonda Rhimes, Steven Spielberg, and other major players in the television entertainment industry.
Industry titan Ava DuVernay is set to receive a major honor at this year’s International Emmy Awards.
The International Emmy Founders Award is given to recipients who display “excellence” in television entertainment across all fields, according to The Hollywood Reporter. DuVernay — a past winner of Emmy, BAFTA and Peabody Awards — joins fellow honorees Shonda Rhimes and Steven Spielberg, among others, who previously received the prize.
DuVernay — the director, writer and producer known for work on the acclaimed Netflix miniseries When They See Us, the hit OWN drama Queen Sugar, and films like Selma and A Wrinkle in Time — will receive the award at the official 50th International Emmy Awards Gala in New York on Monday, Nov. 21.
In an official statement released with the announcement, Duvernay responded to the news.
“This honor from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is unexpected and wildly appreciated,” said DuVernay. “I thank the organization for recognizing my work and salute their efforts to ensure that storytellers of all backgrounds are amplified and celebrated.”
Bruce L. Paisner, the International Academy president and CEO, shared a statement praising DuVernay and hailing her impact on the industry.
“Ava DuVernay is a force of nature, and this is reflected in the remarkable scope and volume of her work,” he said. “She makes significant films and television programs, she uses her platform to reshape our industry and continues to lead a career-long effort to bolster women and people of color in entertainment and ensure inclusivity.”
As theGrio previously reported, DuVernay remains incredibly busy with various projects in the works, including a romantic drama series for Starz. The show is set to feature 30-minute episodes and will star Lauren Ridloff and Joshua Jackson in an “opposites attract” love story.
She is also set to direct Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, a film adaptation of the 2020 Isabel Wilkerson book of the same name, for Netflix.
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