Presentation to Trailblazing Film Director, Producer, Actor, Screenwriter, and Activist
To Be Made During Live Broadcast on Friday, February 6, on TV One
LOS ANGELES, CA (January 21, 2015) – Spike Lee will be presented with the NAACP President’s Award at the
46th NAACP Image Awards, broadcast LIVE from 9-11 p.m. ET
(PT tape-delayed) on February 6 on TV ONE, it was announced today by the
NAACP.
The
NAACP President’s Award, chosen by NAACP President and CEO Cornell
William Brooks, is bestowed in recognition of special achievement and
distinguished public service. Past honorees
include Van Jones, President Bill Clinton, Soledad O’Brien, Ruby Dee,
Muhammad Ali, the Founding Members of the Black Stuntmen’s Association,
and most recently, Kerry Washington.
“Spike
Lee is a trailblazer and a champion for minorities. For nearly 40 years,
Lee has revolutionized the role of black talent in Hollywood,” states
Brooks. “While African-American
filmmakers have been a staple of the cinematic landscape, none have had
the same cultural or artistic impact as Spike Lee. His expansive body
of work examining race relations, colorism in the black community, the
role of media in contemporary life, urban crime
and poverty, and other political issues reflect the fullness of the
humanity of people of color--particularly African Americans. I note
with appreciation his renaissance versatility as a film director,
producer, writer, and actor.”
Spike
Lee is a Writer-Director, Actor, Producer, Author, and Educator who has
helped revolutionize Modern Black Cinema. Lee is a forerunner in the ‘Do
It Yourself’ school of independent
film. Spike has recently finished his Kickstarter funded “Da Blood of
Sweet Jesus.” An avid Knick fan, Lee will begin hosting a 1 hour
bi-weekly sports-talk “Spike Lee’s Best Seat In Da House” show featuring
discussions on various news and topics concerning
basketball and the NBA in January 2014. Lee has received a Peabody
Award for the Documentary “If God is Willing Da Creek Don’t Rise,” which
revisits the recently storm-ravaged Gulf Coast region as residents
attempt to rebuild in their cities while also demanding
assistance and accountability from their political leaders. His recent
critical and box office successes have included such films as Inside
Man, 25th House, The Original Kings of Comedy, Bamboozled and
Summer of Sam. Lee began teaching a course
on filmmaking at Harvard University in 1991 and in 1993 he began as a
Professor at New York University’s Graduate Film Program Tisch School of
the Arts where he received his Master of Fine Arts in Film Production.
Spike Lee has combined his extensive creative
experience into yet another venture: partnering with DDB Needham, he
created Spike/DDB, a full-service advertising agency.
Originally
from Atlanta, Georgia, Lee grew up in a relatively well-off
African-American family, Lee was making amateur films by age 20. His
first student film, Last Hustle in Brooklyn,
was completed when he was an undergrad at Morehouse College. Lee went
on to graduate from the New York University Film School in 1982.
The
NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishment of people of color in
the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors
individuals or groups who promote
social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be voted upon
by NAACP members and announced when the envelopes are opened on
Thursday, February 5 during the Awards Ceremony for non-televised
categories. The remaining categories will be announced LIVE
on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on Friday,
February 6 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT tape-delated). The telecast will also
include a one-hour pre-show airing live from the red carpet (8:00 p.m.
ET/PT tape-delayed).
The
46TH NAACP Image Awards are sponsored by: AT&T, Bank of America,
FedEx, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Gilead Sciences, Hyundai
Motor America, PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines
and Wells Fargo.
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