Mel Brooks, Quinta Brunson To Be Honored At Peabody Awards

Denise Petski
·3-min read

Mel Brooks will receive this year’s Career Achievement Award at the 84th Peabody Awards, and Quinta will be honored with the Peabody Trailblazer Award. Both received a unanimous vote of the Peabody Board of Jurors and will be recognized at the June 9 awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

“Mel Brooks is not only one of the most beloved comedians of all time, but he literally set the standard for television comedy from its earliest days. Across TV, film, theater, and recordings, Mr. Brooks is in a league of his own. And Quinta Brunson has emerged as a refreshingly creative force in network television comedy,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody. “Peabody is proud to honor Mel and Quinta not only for their extraordinary contributions as storytellers, but particularly for their use of comedy to tell stories that matter, enriching the lives of so many.”

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The Career Achievement Award is given to individuals “whose work and commitment to broadcasting and streaming media have left an indelible mark on the field and in American culture.” Brooks is being honored as “a pioneer in spoof comedy and one of the most influential figures in the history of American comedic television. Over the course of his career, he has received two Academy Awards, four Emmys, three Tonys, and three Grammys, amongother honors. Brooks joins Rita Moreno, Sam Pollard, Dan Rather, Lily Tomlin, and Cicely Tyson as recent winners of the Peabody Career Achievement Award.

Brooks’ first Oscar came in 1964 for writing and narrating the animated short The Critic and his second for the screenplay of his first feature film, The Producers in 1968. He followed with films including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, To Be or Not to Be, Spaceballs, Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

Brooks won his first Oscar in 1964 for writing and narrating the animated short The Critic and his second for the screenplay of his first feature film, The Producers in 1968. Many hit comedy films followed including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, To Be or Not to Be, Spaceballs, Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. He won three Emmy Awards for his guest starring role as Uncle Phil on the hit sitcom Mad About You. Brooks also was the recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award, The Kennedy Center Honors, and The National Medal of Arts – the highest award given to artists by the United States government.

Brooks joins Rita Moreno, Sam Pollard, Dan Rather, Lily Tomlin, and Cicely Tyson as recent winners of the Peabody Career Achievement Award.

The Trailblazer Award recognizes visionaries that are impacting our culture and affecting social change through their innovative storytelling. Brunson is the creator and star of the groundbreaking, Peabody Award-winning series Abbott Elementary. Peabody noted that Brunson’s “work as the series’ showrunner not only reflects Peabody’s mission to honor stories that matter, but also opens doors for the next generation of Black leaders in television.”

Brunson joins Issa Rae, the first ever recipient of the Peabody Trailblazer Award.

The winners of the 84th annual Peabody Awards will be announced on May 9 and recognized on Sunday, June 9 at a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles.

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