BAFTA honours 'Saturday Night Live' with Special Award

BAFTA will present the award at a private event, in partnership with Cadillac, on Thursday 4 October to Saturday Night Live’s creator and producer Lorne Michaels. The event will see past and present cast and crew in attendance to celebrate the occasion at DUMBO House, New York. Video highlights will be available on BAFTA’s website and social channels during and shortly after the event.

As one of BAFTA’s highest honours, the Special Award is presented to celebrate exceptional achievement in film, games or television. Recent recipients of the award include Downton Abbey, the Monty Python team and the Harry Potter film franchise.

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “Saturday Night Live has discovered, nurtured and celebrated generations of comedy talents. It has also brought the very best of British talent to a global audience.  We are delighted to be presenting this hugely popular show with a Special Award, one of the Academy’s highest honours.”

Arianna Bocco, Chair of BAFTA New York, said: “We are delighted that Saturday Night Live is receiving the BAFTA Special Award. This is a fantastic achievement for a show synonymous with New York and we are honoured to be presenting it in this city to celebrate the huge talents that have influenced and inspired countless people across the world. “

Andrew Lipman, Global Communications Director of Cadillac, said: “Cadillac has always had a natural tie to the film, television and music industries given the brand’s iconic history on the big and small screens. Our long-standing relevancy in pop culture makes this partnership a perfect fit as the entertainment community celebrates and honours SNL.”

The announcement comes just days after the 70th annual Emmy Awards, hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost and Michael Che. Saturday Night Live received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

Saturday Night Live has had a huge influence on British television, with a whole range of British comedy and entertainment inspired by the Saturday Night Live formula.

It has also showcased the best of British talent to US audiences through guest hosts from Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in the first season to Benedict Cumberbatch and Emily Blunt in 2017.

Broadcasting on NBC since 1975, the show has been a launchpad for a host of comedic talents including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Kate McKinnon, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

For the last few years, Saturday Night Live’s archive of sketches, including all-new material, has been made available to British audiences online, significantly raising the profile of the show in the UK. The show’s satirical sketches have also brought US politics to a worldwide audience.

The announcement comes in a week that BAFTA recognises international talent and strong connections to British entertainment, following the news that Marvel Studios President and Producer Kevin Feige will receive the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment in October at the 2018 British Academy Britannia Awards in LA.

For further information and interview requests, please contact:

Jonaid Jilani

BAFTA

T: +44 (0) 20 7292 5863

E: [email protected]

Lauren Roseman

NBCUniversal

T: (212) 664-5236

E: [email protected]

For accreditation, photography, press releases and transcripts visit:

www.bafta.org/media-centre

Notes to Editors

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.

About Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live (SNL), NBC's Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase, enters its 44th season. The program has won 72 Emmy Awards, the most for any show in television history.  SNL also holds the title for the most nominated television show in Emmy history with 264 nominations.  "SNL" has been honored twice, in 1990 and 2009, with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and cited as "truly a national institution."  "Saturday Night Live" was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame by the National Association of Broadcasters, and the show continues to garner the highest ratings of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week. Saturday Night Live, which premiered Oct. 11, 1975, is broadcast live from NBC's famed Studio 8H in New York City's Rockefeller Center. The program is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer.

About Cadillac

Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.