THIRTEEN/WNET NEW YORK'S AMERICAN MASTERS WINS PRESTIGIOUS PEABODY AWARD FOR ANDY WARHOL: A DOCUMENTARY FILM, DIRECTED BY RIC BURNS
Cited Among Group Of Documentary Winners Described By The Peabody Board As Worthy, Diverse And Impressive
AMERICAN MASTERS won its eighth Peabody Award on April 4 when Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film was honored for broadcast excellence. Winners of the 66th Annual George Foster Peabody Awards for the best in electronic media for 2006 were announced by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. In Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film, director Ric Burns demonstrated how Warhol's art, life and notoriety influenced the culture of his times, said the Peabody Board in bestowing the honor upon the Thirteen/WNET production.
AMERICAN MASTERS Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film, which premiered September 20, 2006 on PBS, is a definitive film portrait of an artist whose signature works are still among the most recognized and sought-after in the art world. The four-hour film is a co-production of Steeplechase Films Inc., Daniel Wolf, High Line Productions, and Thirteen/WNET New York. Directed by Ric Burns, it is written by Ric Burns and James Sanders, and produced by Donald Rosenfeld, Daniel Wolf and Ric Burns. Executive producers are Peter Brant, Larry Gagosian, Diane von Furstenberg, and Susan Lacy. The film is narrated by artist and musician Laurie Anderson and features artist Jeff Koons as the voice of Andy Warhol. Susan Lacy is creator and executive producer of AMERICAN MASTERS.
The Peabody Board, a 16-member group comprised of television critics, broadcast and cable industry executives and experts in culture and the arts, judges the entries. Selection is made by the board following review by special screening committees of University of Georgia faculty, students and staff. The full list of winners is available at: www.peabody.uga.edu/news/pressrelease.asp?ID=143. The awards will be presented June 4 at a luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Bob Costas, one of television's most accomplished broadcasters, will host the ceremony.
AMERICAN MASTERS is produced for PBS by Thirteen/WNET New York. This acclaimed series, now celebrating its 21st season, has become a cultural legacy in its own right. The AMERICAN MASTERS film library is one of the most highly honored in television history with profiles of more than 140 artistic giants. In addition to eight Peabodys, an Oscar, a duPont-Columbia and two Grammys, AMERICAN MASTERS has won 17 Emmys, including Outstanding Primetime Non-Fiction Series for 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004.
AMERICAN MASTERS is made possible by the support of the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding for AMERICAN MASTERS is provided by Rosalind P. Walter, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Jack Rudin, The Marilyn M. Simpson Charitable Lead Trusts, The Andr