Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Alex Gibney, Director of Sinatra Films, to Be Honored at 2024 Emmy Awards
Alex Gibney, an acclaimed documentary director known for his works on Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, and James Brown, is set to receive a lifetime achievement award at the 45th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The event, split over two nights, will see Gibney, aged 70, honored for his exceptional contributions to documentary filmmaking on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Jane Pauley, a veteran TV journalist, will also be recognized for her illustrious career in news broadcasting during the ceremony held the night before. Both celebrations will take place live at the Palladium Times Square in New York City.
“I am grateful, humbled, and deeply honored by this award,” Gibney said. “While it has my name on it, it is also a powerful recognition of the work of my collaborators over the years, including my producers, cinematographers, and, most especially, editors. It reminds me of that great two-word poem, invented on the spot, at a speech at Harvard, by Muhammad Ali: ‘Me, We.’”
Gibney’s accolades include five Primetime Emmys, an Oscar, and a Grammy. In 2004, he won a Grammy for Best Historical Album for Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey . He was also nominated for Best Long Form Music Video the following year for the same project and for Best Music Film in 2016 for Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown .
His first Primetime Emmy nomination came in 2004 for Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues , which received a nod for Outstanding Nonfiction Series. He later gained nominations for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special in 2015 for Sinatra: All or Nothing at All and in 2020 for Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time .
Gibney’s extensive portfolio of music and pop-culture documentaries includes The Fifties (1997), AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies: Love Crazy (1998), Jimi Hendrix and the Blues (2001), 3 Doors Down: Away from the Sun, Live from Houston, Texas (2005), Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008), History of the Eagles (2013), and Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge (2017). His latest feature documentary, In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon , premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and is now available on MGM+.
The breadth of Gibney’s projects showcases his versatility, which isn’t confined to the realm of music. He won an Oscar for Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) and garnered five Primetime Emmys for Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2013) and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015).
Adam Sharp, president and CEO of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, expressed the significance of this recognition. “We are honored to pay tribute to these two revered icons of our industry. Jane Pauley and Alex Gibney continue to reach viewers while at the same time opening doors for those coming behind them. This honor is not only about impressive longevity in a competitive space, but also the broad and sweeping impact each has had on the business, their audiences, and the greater community. NATAS is proud to celebrate their enduring dedication to television excellence.”
Jane Pauley shared her sentiment, saying, “I am so grateful for this recognition. It is the honor of a lifetime. My career has been a shared experience made possible by partnerships with the best in journalism and collaborations with its most inventive minds. Change and opportunity have been the constants. My career has not been a steady ascent but a winding path leading to my crowning achievement as host of CBS News Sunday Morning .”
The 45th News & Documentary Emmy Awards will be streamed live on NATAS’ dedicated viewing platform powered by Vimeo, available on the web at watch.theemmys.tv and via The Emmys apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku.
Source: Variety
