Ava DuVernay is set to receive the Television Showman of the Year award from the International Cinematographers Guild in February.
The prolific writer, director and producer will be presented the award as part of the 57th Annual ICG Publicists Awards luncheon set for Feb. 7 at the Beverly Hilton. Before she made her mark as a writer and director, DuVernay worked in entertainment PR as the head of her own firm.
“Ava DuVernay is the talented force behind some of the most acclaimed works in television and film. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, Ava was an entertainment publicist for 12 years with her own firm,” said Publicists Awards co-chair Sheryl Main in a statement. “She appreciates the importance of creative strategic marketing campaigns and supports the roles of publicists in making a movie. We are proud to honor Ava, her expanding career and growing body of work.”
Related Stories
DuVernay’s acclaimed Netflix limited series “When They See Us” earned 16 Emmy nominations earlier this year, nabbing wins for star Jharrel Jerome and for casting.
Popular on Variety
At present, DuVernay is working on production for the fifth season of the OWN drama “Queen Sugar” and the upcoming romance anthology “Cherish The Day,” also for OWN. DuVernay heads the multi-media company and arts collective Array which champions work by people of color and women.
“This honor means something very special to me. It comes from a tribe of professionals that I was proud to call myself a part of for over a decade. I’m more thrilled to be recognized by the publicist community than I can express,” said Ava DuVernay in a statement.
DuVernay’s past film work includes the Oscar-nominated “Selma,” “A Wrinkle in Time” and the Netflix documentary “13th.” “Wrinkle in Time” ranks as the highest-grossing movie ever to come from an African American female director.
Previous recipients of the Television Showman of the Year award include Greg Berlanti, Ryan Murphy, John Landgraf, Ted Sarandos, Shonda Rhimes, Chuck Lorre, Nina Tassler, Fred Silverman, Steven Bochco, Aaron Spelling, Bob Hope and others.