Lorne Michaels to Receive Cannes Lions’ Inaugural Entertainment Person of the Year Award (EXCLUSIVE)
By Variety Staff
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Lorne Michaels, creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live,” will be honored with ’ first Entertainment Person of the Year award.
The advertising festival is introducing the award to recognize the role entertainment plays in the marketing and communications industry, honoring an individual whose creativity inspires others to produce compelling, meaningful and entertaining content.
Michaels, a 16-time Emmy winner, has been a driving cultural force for four decades across TV, film and theater. He is best known for “SNL,” the longest-running weekly late-night show in TV history that is currently in its 44th season.
“We’re delighted to present this very special award to ,” Philip Thomas, chairman of Cannes Lions, said in a statement. “An esteemed industry legend, he is an individual who perfectly illustrates the impact of great storytelling and culture, which can support the marketing and communications industry to strive for creative excellence and engage and inspire audiences across the world.”
Michaels will be presented with the award at the 66th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity during the evening awards show on Thursday, June 20. Michaels also will be speaking on stage as part of the Cannes Lions content program on June 21 in the NBCUniversal-sponsored session “In a World of Disruption, Storytelling Wins,” along with Linda Yaccarino, NBCU chairman, advertising and partnerships.
Along with “SNL,” Michaels is currently the executive producer of shows including “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “Shrill,” “AP Bio” and “Documentary Now!” His motion picture credits include “Baby Mama,” Wayne’s World,” “Three Amigos” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.” On Broadway, he’s a producer of the Tony Award-nominated musical “Mean Girls” and previously produced and directed “Gilda Radner – Live From New York.”
In addition to his Emmy wins, Michaels has won a Peabody Award and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Michaels the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his significant cultural contributions. He also is a member of the Order of Canada.
Cannes Lions is set to run June 17-21, 2019. More info on the conference and programming lineup is available at canneslions.com .
