Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef to host International Emmy® Awards Gala in New York on November 23

Known as the “Jon Stewart of the Arab World”, Youssef is the Former Host of the Political Satire Al-Bernameg – the Most Watched Show in the History of Egyptian TV with a Weekly Following of 40 Million

NEW YORK, May 11, 2015 – The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today that Bassem Youssef, one of the most famous television personalities in the Arab world and former host of daily satire show Al-Bernameg (“the Program”), will host the International Emmy® Awards Gala, on Monday, November 23, 2015 in New York.

“Bassem Youssef has been dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab world but in fact his talent has no borders,” said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “Through his own show and his many appearances on the Daily Show, he has become a comedic force and important political commentator around the world.”

Youssef hosted the popular TV show Al-Bernameg (“the Program”) – which was the first-of-its-kind political satire show in the Middle East. Originally airing as an online 5-minute-show in 2011, Al-Bernameg became the most watched show in the history of Egyptian TV with an average of 40 million viewers every week, in addition to over 2 million subscribers on its official YouTube channel and over 184 million views.

“I am extremely honored to be chosen following the footsteps of incredibly funny and distinguished comedians like John Oliver and Matt Lucas who hosted the ceremony in the last two years,” said Bassem Youssef. “This is a great opportunity where television productions from outside the United States are recognized. Being the first host from the Middle East will put more responsibility on my shoulders to serve this position in the best way I can and I hope that this will shed more light on the vibrant entertainment industry in my region.”

The first live audience show in the Middle East received wide acclaim around the world with coverage in some of the biggest media outlets, topping it off with Youssef’s appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart four times in June 2012, November 2013, February and April 2015. Youssef and his team’s bold criticism of the ruling regime throughout the seasons stirred a lot of controversy. After three seasons Al-Bernameg stopped airing in June 2014 due to pressure on both the show and the airing channel.

In 2013 Youssef was one of four recipients of the International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists and in the same year he was named among Time Magazine’s most influential list for 2013 – under the “Pioneers” category. Youssef majored in cardiothoracic surgery, passed the United States Medical License Exam (USMLE) and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. He has recently joined the Harvard Institute of Politics at the John F Kennedy School of Government as a resident fellow for the spring semester and is working on a movie Comedy of Arabs.

Over 1000 international media and entertainment executives convene on New York each year for the International Emmy® Awards Gala. In addition to the presentation of Emmy® Awards for programming, the Academy will present two special awards. As previously announced, Downton Abbey Creator and Writer Julian Fellowes will receive the 2015 International Emmy® Founders Award. The 2015 International Emmy® Directorate Award recipient will be announced in the coming months.

This year’s Gala partners are: Phoenix Satellite Television, Grupo Globo, Dori Media Group, Ernst & Young, Deluxe, Mipcom, Sofitel Luxury Hotels and Variety.

About The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
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 and International Emmy® Kids Awards Ceremonies 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 twenty categories: Arts Programming; Best Performance by an Actress; Best Performance by an Actor; Current Affairs; Comedy; Digital Program: Children & Young People; Digital Program: Fiction; Digital Program: Non-Fiction; Documentary; Drama Series; Kids: Preschool; Kids: Animation; Kids: Factual; Kids: Non-Scripted Entertainment; Kids: Series; Kids: TV Movie/Mini-Series News; Non-Scripted Entertainment; Telenovela; TV Movie/Mini-Series. For more information go to www.iemmys.tv. The International Academy also recognizes Non-English Language US primetime programming, with a new category added to the 2014 International Emmy® Awards competition.

MEDIA CONTACTS

The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Eva Obadia, Senior Director, Communications & Partnerships
Tel: +1-212-489-6969
eva.obadia@iemmys.tv

The Lippin Group
Matt Biscuitti
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