Nigel Lythgoe to Receive Founders Award at 2011 International Emmys

NEW YORK: Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of American Idol and co-creator and executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance, is to receive the 2011 International Emmy Founders Award, accepting the honor at the International Emmy Awards Gala on November 21 in New York City.

Lythgoe was a judge on the hit show Popstars in 2002, before leaving for Bob Geldorf’s TV company Planet 24, where he executive produced and directed the U.K. version of Survivor. He developed and produced Pop Idol. He is co-creator and executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning So You Think You Can Dance. He executive produced NBC’s Superstars of Dance and FOX’s Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special. In 2010 he brought So You Think You Can Dance to the U.K. and in 2011 he launched CMT’s Next Superstar. He is also involved in a number of charities, including the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which provides assistance for young and talented dancers.

Lythgoe will accept the award at the 39th International Emmy Awards Gala on November 21 in New York City.

“Starting as a TV executive in London, Nigel Lythgoe has made big jumps across oceans and formats to become one of the major television producers of our time,” said Bruce L. Paisner, the president and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “The Founders Emmy recognizes these accomplishments, and Nigel’s deep commitment to the art of dance and to the dancers who bring it to life.”

“This is a true honor,” Lythgoe said. “The world of television is becoming increasingly more global, and I am grateful that The International Academy is recognizing the growing importance of performing arts and dance on television throughout the world.”