There are many awards out there that recognize film and television artists in their craft. Some of the most prestigious ones include the Academy Awards and Emmy Awards. There’s one award that is just in the same ranks even though it may not be as easily recognized outside the industry. The International Emmy Founders Award is one of the most prestigious recognitions anybody can get in the television industry. This award is given to individuals and organizations whose accomplishments have somehow increased the global quality of television productions. Some of recipients of the award from the most recent years include J.J. Abrams for 2013, Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner for 2014, Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes for 2015, and Shonda Rimes for 2016.
This year, the organizers of the Founders Award are recognizing another great in television history. Greg Berlanti has been announced as this year’s recipient, and no one else is as deserving. Berlanti currently holds the all-time record for the number of shows on air across multiple networks at the same time. He has 11. Most of us are familiar with his work, especially since his career on television started in 1998. His first ever work was the hit TV series Dawson’s Creek, for which he was credited as writer and producer. The success of that show undoubtedly propelled his career, opening many opportunities for Berlanti after Dawson’s ended after 5 years in 2003. Some of Berlanti’s writing and producing works that followed in the early 2000s include Everwood, Brothers & Sisters, and Eli Stone among a few others.
Berlanti’s next biggest break came in 2012 with CW’s Arrow, for which he was writer and producer yet again. Arrow was a huge success, resulting to the creation of an entire Arrowverse–a large superhero universe on the same network. After Arrow, the other shows that became part of Arrowverse include The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow. All of Berlanti’s other current shows since 2012 include Blindspot, Riverdale, Black Lightning, Deception, and the new shows, Titans and You. Berlanti also has a couple of big movie hits under his belt. He was the director for 2010’s Life As We Know It and this year’s Love, Simon. He was credited as writer for 2011’s Green Lantern and the successful Wrath Of The Titans from 2012. Lastly, he was credited as producer for the 2015 Peter Pan remake that starred Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, and Rooney Mara–Pan.
Berlanti says he is “humbled and honored” to be this year’s recipient, but there’s no doubt that he has put in his heart and soul into his craft. He has created and given us some of the best television series on screen today, and not even talent can give us all everything that he’s produced. It takes a lot of dedication to do what Berlanti does everyday and what he’s done for almost two decades now. As we said, no one is as deserving now than Berlanti, and recognize his hard work as we continue to watch his shows everyday.
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