Ellerbee to Receive Banff Lifetime Achievement Award

TORONTO: Linda Ellerbee will be the first recipient of the Banff World Media Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Kids & Animation, honoring her career in children’s TV.

Ellerbee is the executive producer, writer and anchor of Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The program is the longest-running kids’ news program in TV history and has won three Peabody Awards, including a personal Peabody given to Ellerbee for her coverage of the Clinton investigation; a DuPont Columbia Award; and eight national Emmys for outstanding children’s program. The show received the Edward R. Murrow Award for best network news documentary in 2009, making it the first children’s TV show to receive the award.

Marjorie Cohn, who has been with Nickelodeon for 24 years, will present the award; Ellerbee and Cohn will also discuss the current state of children’s TV during the festival.

Ferne Cohen, the executive director of the festival, said: "This year, Kids & Animation, hosted by TELETOON Canada, will really be taking center stage at Banff. For the first time, kids’ programming will be having its star turn at the Rockies Gala, and we are so pleased to have such a deserving recipient as the winner of this inaugural award. Linda Ellerbee’s work in engaging children in issues and ideas that matter is both totally unprecedented and incredibly valuable. We are very proud to have her at the Festival and to be recognizing her accomplishments in this way."

Len Cochrane, the president of TELETOON Canada, added: "As a leader in Canada’s animation industry, and with our continued commitment to developing high-quality original productions and bringing the best of animation to kids audiences across the country, TELETOON is proud to once again return to Banff this year as a key sponsor and host of Banff Kids & Animation. This year’s Kids & Animation program promises to be very informative, and we look forward to another successful festival."