ED WESTWICK, ALEXA CHUNG AND MOBY TO PRESENT IN NEW YORK, ON NOVEMBER 23RD
New York, November 19, 2009 – The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today that actor Ed Westwick will join MTV’s Alexa Chung and artist Moby on stage in New York at the 2009 International Emmy® Awards.
British Television personality Graham Norton will once again host the international event which will also feature an international cast of celebrity presenters including: Actor Matthew Rhys, (Brothers & Sisters), Actress Keke Palmer (True Jackson, VP), CSI’s Robert Joy, Actress Stephanie March (Law & Order: SVU), Fashion Designer Rachel Roy, Discovery ID’s Paula Zahn, Spanish Actress and Model Mar Saura and Brazilian Telenovela Star Juliana Paes.
Special Awards include Barbara Walters presenting the 2009 International Emmy® Founders Award to Sir David Frost and Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger presenting the 2009 International Emmy® Directorate Award to ZDF German Television Director General Prof. Markus Schächter.
The International Emmy® Awards recognize excellence in television programming produced outside of the United States. 1,000 international entertainment decision-makers attend the International Emmy® Awards Gala in New York every year.
This year’s partners include: Phoenix Satellite TV, TV Globo, Microsoft, Dori Media, Ascent Media, The Hollywood Reporter, Reed Midem, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, Ernst & Young and Variety. Chip Quigley, Kingdom Entertainment, will produce the show for the 9th year in a row.
HOST
Graham Norton
Graham is one of the best-known presenters on British television. His Channel 4 chat shows So Graham Norton and V Graham Norton became some of the channel’s highest-rated shows and picked up nearly every award going, including 4 BAFTAS. Graham then moved to the BBC where he has had a string of successful series including Strictly Dance Fever, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, Any Dream Will Do and I’d Do Anything. He recently returned from Moscow after presenting the UK coverage for The Eurovision Song Contest. He has also finished a 4 month run in the West End production of La Cage Aux Folles playing the flamboyant Albin. A new series of The Graham Norton Show will start on BBC1 in the Fall.
PRESENTERS
Alexa Chung
Alexa is a supremely talented TV Presenter and model with an already impressive list of credits given her short time on screen. She is currently based in New York where she is fronting her own brand new show for MTV. The magazine style show, It’s On With Alexa Chung, is live from Times Square Mon-Thurs and is the highlight of the channel’s new season of programs. It replaces the hugely popular TRL. Before leaving the UK in May, she presented several high profile shows including Frock Me, which ran on Channel 4 at the end of 2008.
Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters has arguably interviewed more statesmen and stars than any other journalist in history. Her career began over 3 decades ago on NBC’s Today show as a writer, and within a year became a reporter-at-large, developing, writing and editing her own reports and interviews. In 1963 she became a co-host of the program without the official title, but in 1974 NBC officially designated her as the program’s first female co-host. Ms. Walters joined ABC News in 1976 as the first woman to co-host the network news, and then as co-host of 20/20 for 25 years. She has interviewed such world figures as Russia’s Boris Yeltsin, China’s Premier Jiang Zemin, Great Britain’s former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, Libya’s Muammar al-Qaddafi and Iraq’s President Sadaam Hussein. She was also the first American journalist to interview Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and the first interview with President and Mrs. Bush following September 11th.
Ed Westwick
Ed Westwick stars as Chuck Bass in The CW’s hit drama Gossip Girl, from Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (The O.C.), based on the tremendously popular book series about privileged teenagers in New York City. Westwick will star opposite Gemma Arterton in Ecosse Films’ adaptation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. The film is due out in 2010. Earlier this year Westwick had a guest star role on the Showtime comedy, Californication as Balt, a vampire-obsessed student of Hank’s, played by David Duchovny. Recently he was also seen in Son of Rambow, an independent film directed by Garth Jennings. Westwick played Lawrence, a bully and surrogate father figure to his devoted younger brother. Son of Rambow, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, caused quite a buzz at the festival, selling to Paramount Vantage for the highest amount at the festival. Westwick was awarded the Young Hollywood Breakthrough Award at the 2009 Young Hollywood Awards. An emerging young British actor trained at The National Youth Theatre in London, Westwick has been seen in 100 Feet starring Famke Janssen and Bobby Cannavale and S. Darko a sequel to the hit movie Donnie Darko. He also played the role of Alex in Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, opposite Clive Owen and Julianne Moore. Westwick was also seen playing the role of Zoran in Anthony Mighella’s Breaking and Entering, opposite Jude Law, Juliette Binoche and Robin Wright Penn. Additional credits include guest leads in Afterlife for ITV1, Casualty for the BBC, Doctors for the BBC and Dream Team for Sky One. When not filming Gossip Girl in New York City, Westwick resides outside London.
Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger was sworn in on September 22, 1973, as the 56th Secretary of State, a position he held until January 20, 1977. He also served as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from January 20, 1969, until November 3, 1975. In July 1983 he was appointed by President Reagan to chair the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America until it ceased operation in January 1985, and from 1984-1990 he served as a member of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. At present, Dr. Kissinger is Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm. Among the awards Dr. Kissinger has received have been the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973; the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian award) in 1977; and the Medal of Liberty (given one time to ten foreign-born American leaders) in 1986. Dr. Kissinger was born in Fuerth, Germany, came to the United States in 1938 and was naturalized a United States citizen in 1943.
Juliana Paes
Juliana Paes is a 30 year old Brazilan actress and model. She debuted at TV Globo in 2000 as the housemaid Ritinha in the telenovela Laços de Família. Since then Juliana has acted in six other telenovelas, including India – A Love Story where she played Maya, her first leading role. During her short career, Juliana has acted in several series and mini-series for TV Globo. Juliana has also worked in plays and has performed in three movies. She was considered one of the 100 most sensual women in the world according to People Magazine in 2006.
Keke Palmer
At the age of sixteen, Keke Palmer has already established herself as one of the fastest-rising young stars of her generation. Her talents span film, television, and music alike. Palmer is currently starring as the title character in the hit Nickelodeon series True Jackson, VP, playing a high-school student who becomes the head of a major fashion label. True Jackson, VP premiered in the fall of 2008 bowing at 9:30pm with 4.8 million viewers, setting a record for Nickelodeon’s largest audience for a live-action premiere. It is now the number two kids’ program on television with kids ages 6-11 and teens ages 9-14. True Jackson, VP will begin its second season Fall 2009. Palmer was last seen on the big screen in the Lionsgate drama, Shrink, where she starred alongside Kevin Spacey and Robin Williams. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival where Keke received rave reviews for her performance.
Mar Saura
Mar Saura is currently one of the main actresses in the Spanish TV series, Escenas de Matrimonio (Scenes of a Marriage), Antena 5’s prime time television series with one of?the highest audience ratings in the country. Her beauty, personality and aura undoubtedly make her one of the most recognizable faces in Spain and with future endeavors in the US planned, a rising star. Mar also appeared in television series’, La Casa de los Lios (The House of Troubles) for Antena 3 in Spain, Medico de Familia (Family Doctor) for Antena 5, and Una De Dos (One of the Other) for TVE Television Espanol.
Matthew Rhys
Matthew Rhys’ passion, creativity and attitude have helped him solidify his place in the industry as a reputable and versatile actor. Matthew is best known for his role on ABC’s hit drama Brothers & Sisters, where he plays Kevin Walker. He was recently seen in the BBC Film, The Edge of Love, opposite Kiera Knightly and Sienna Miller. The film is about the legendary poet, Dylan Thomas (Rhys) and his love of two women. The film premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival and was released in the U.S. earlier this year. Matthew recently wrapped production Marc Evan’s independent film Patagonia depicting two parallel groups who travel to Argentina and the Welsh settlements of Patagonia. He is currently producing a documentary for UK television, charting the volatile life of Griffith Jenkins Griffith – one of the founding fathers of Los Angeles. Rhys will continue his work on the other side of the camera this fall when he makes his directorial debut directing an episode of Brothers & Sisters.
Moby
Moby was born in New York City, but grew up in Connecticut, where he started making music when he was 9 years old. He released his first single, ‘Go’ in 1991 (listed as one of Rolling Stone’s best records of all time), and has been making albums ever since. His own records have sold over 20,000,000 copies worldwide, and he’s also produced and remixed scores of other artists, including David Bowie, Metallica, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, among others. Moby has toured extensively, playing well over 3,000 concerts in his career and has had his music used in hundreds of different films, including ‘Heat’, ‘Any Given Sunday’, ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, and ‘The Beach’, among others. Currently he’s touring in support of his most recent album, ‘Wait for Me’, as well as working closely with a variety of different charities, including the Humane Society and the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function.
Paula Zahn
Paula Zahn is currently the host of Discovery Channel’s On The Case with Paula Zahn. Paula was the co-host of a new series on WNET/Channel 13 New York called SundayArts, a weekly television magazine for news covering the arts in New York City. She also hosted the highly acclaimed two hour documentary for PBS called The Retirement Revolution, taking a look at the consequences of mass retirement by Baby Boomers, which premiered in the Spring of 2008. Before that, Paula was a news anchor for CNN, where she was based in the network’s New York bureau and hosted the primetime show Paula Zahn Now. A 30-year news veteran, Zahn joined the network in September 2001. On her first day with CNN, Zahn began continuous on-scene coverage of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York. In the course of that reporting, she interviewed rescue workers, survivors, dignitaries and officials, including Jordanian President King Abdullah, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Secretary of State Colin Powell and N.Y. Gov. George Pataki, just to name a few.
Rachel Roy
Rachel Roy approaches the design of her eponymous collection with a feminine and modern point of view. Her goal is to create clothing for women who embrace fashion and dress with an effortless elegance and confidence. The results encapsulate a fresh version of glamour that evades the standard protocol for dressing today. Michelle Obama, Eva Mendes, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Iman, Lucy Liu, Sharon Stone and Penelope Cruz among others have worn ‘Rachel Roy’ at Hollywood’s most prestigious events, and in January 2007 Rachel was invited to appear as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, a milestone in a still young career. Also in 2007, Roy was inducted into the CFDA as a new member where she stands alongside other esteemed fashion industry individuals. ‘Rachel Roy New York’ has grown to include four full collections each year, and in June 2008, created a joint venture with Jones Apparel Group Inc. in the hopes of expanding the wholesale business globally, introduce new product categories and open stand-alone stores in the United States and abroad.
Robert Joy
As a teenager, Robert Joy worked in the pathology lab of a pediatric hospital (his father was a pediatrician), so playing medical examiner Sid Hammerback on CSI:NY comes more naturally to him than it would to most. In 1978 came another “big break”: Bob landed the role of Peter in a Toronto production of The Diary of Anne Frank with Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, and their daughter Roberta. He earned enthusiastic reviews. Nine months later, when the production was remounted in New York, Bob’s good reviews kept coming. He was named one of the New Faces of the Theater Season by the New York Times, and his New York career was off and running. Film roles followed. His first three (in Atlantic City, Ragtime and Ticket To Heaven) were so different from each other that he was hailed as a character actor, and included in photo spreads in Esquire and the New York Times (again as a “New Face”, this time in the Film category). Since then Bob has played a wide variety of roles on stage, screen, and television.
Stephanie March
Stephanie March is an actress noted for her sharply intelligent and sympathetic portrayals of a variety of female characters in television, film and theater. She has reprised her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot on Law & Order: SVU. Last season she appeared on the show for 6 special episodes beginning March 10th and will be returning in the 11th season beginning October 21, 2009 for 10 episodes. SVU airs on NBC Wednesday nights at 9pm and is consistently one of the highest rated shows on television. March created the enormously popular role of Alex Cabot in 2000 and continued in that capacity until the end of 2003. She returned to TV in 2006 as Alex Cabot in NBC’s Conviction. March can currently be seen starring on the big screen in The Invention of Lying written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson. Other recent TV credits include a role as tortured mother on ABC’s hit show Grey’s Anatomy and a psychic opposite Dennis Leary in Rescue Me. March was also recently seen opposite Tina Fey on the multiple award winning show 30 Rock and has also appeared in the thriller Mr. and Mrs. Smith as well as in the hit comedy Head of State, co-starring Chris Rock and Bernie Mac.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Sir David Frost
Sir David Frost is one of the preeminent television figures of the 20th century – not to mention the 21st! Sir David has been producing and hosting his own shows for more than 40 years and began his fourth year of hosting and producing Frost Over The World for Al Jazeera English this September. The program is received in more than 140 million homes in over 100 countries. Over the years, Frost has interviewed hundreds of celebrities and newsmakers. He is the only person to have interviewed all seven British Prime Ministers serving between 1964 and 2009 and the seven US presidents in office between 1969 and 2008. His ground breaking satirical show That Was The Week That Was and its follow-up, The Frost Report, served as a launch pad for many modern British comics (including most of the cast of Monty Python’s Flying Circus) and propelled Frost into the limelight. By the end of the 1960s he was producing shows in England and the US, and enjoying as much celebrity as those he was interviewing on TV.
Markus Schächter
Over the last 25 years, Markus Schächter has been instrumental in positioning ZDF as a leader both in the highly competitive German television market and throughout the world. He also provided leadership for ZDF’s participation in the digital transformation. Prof. Schächter’s career at ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) spans over 25 years, with a succession of key roles in production, programming and management. He was elected Director General by ZDF’s governing body, The Television Council, in 2002 and has since overseen the group’s operations which include the main channel and three special interest channels in its digital bouquet, as well as cable and satellite channels 3sat, ARTE, Kinderkanal and PHOENIX.
About the International Academy
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a membership based organization comprised of leading media and entertainment figures from over 50 countries and 500 companies from all sectors of television including internet, mobile and technology. The Academy’s yearly schedule of events includes the prestigious International Emmy® Awards Ceremony held in New York, The International Digital Emmy® Awards at MIPTV and a series of industry events such as Academy Day, The International Emmy® World Television Festival and Panels on substantive industry topics. The Academy was chartered with a mission to recognize excellence in television produced outside of the United States and it presents The International Emmy® Awards in the following fifteen categories: Arts Programming; Best Performance by an Actress; Best Performance by an Actor; Current Affairs; Children & Young People; Comedy; Digital Program: Children & Young People; Digital Program: Fiction; Digital Program: Non-Fiction; Documentary; Drama Series; News; Non-Scripted Entertainment; Telenovela; TV Movie/Mini-Series. For more information go to www.iemmys.tv.
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