Hot on the heels of releasing the list of actors pre-nominated for the 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced where the star-studded ceremony will take place and who will be honored with Lifetime Achievement awards.
Two legendary Hollywood icons, Mary Hart, former host of Entertainment Tonight, and Harry Friedman, producer of two of the most successful game shows in television history, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards this year. Friedman will receive his at the 44th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Friday, April 28, 2017. Hart will be honored on Sunday, April 30, 2017, at the 44th Daytime Emmy Awards.
"The entire country, including me, fell in love with Mary Hart from her very first broadcast of Entertainment Tonight," said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS. "Mary's charm, wit, smile and intelligence made her the most trusted anchor in the genre of entertainment news. Her ability to make even the biggest stars comfortable made audiences welcome her and ET into their homes. Harry Friedman has produced the two most iconic game shows in the country if not the world. His constant tweaking of show formats and the addition of the latest technologies has kept Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, at the top of syndicated television with no end in sight. The National Academy could not be prouder to honor both of these extraordinary television stars with our Lifetime Achievement Award."
"Harry Friedman is a force unto himself that has taken the game show world and reinvented it for the 21st Century as well as being, perhaps, the nicest man in show business," said David Michaels, SVP, Daytime (NATAS). "With Friedman joined by Mary Hart, the woman who set the bar for those that followed in the entertainment news genre, as our Lifetime Achievement honorees, we are looking forward to two incredible celebrations of the world of daytime television this year."
As for the location, both the Creative Arts ceremony and the Emmy ceremony will take place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
"The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is excited to be moving our signature show to the historic Pasadena Civic Center," said Chuck Dages, Chairman, NATAS. "With its grand lobby and world class architecture, it is a fitting location for the 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards."
"We are thrilled to welcome the Daytime Emmys to the City of Pasadena and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium," said Michael Ross, CEO, Pasadena Center Operating Company. "It is an honor to host this significant occasion as the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recognizes the exceptional work of daytime broadcasting."
Adds Michaels, "I believe this will be one of the most celebratory and exciting Daytime Emmy Award shows in a long time."
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