NATPE to Honor Idol Gives Back

LOS ANGELES, June 17: Idol
Gives Back, the music celebration
and fundraising event that aired on FOX from American Idol producers 19 Television and FremantleMedia North
America, will be honored with the inaugural Reality Innovator Award at the
NATPE LATV Festival on July 31.

Nigel Lythgoe, the
executive producer of American Idol and the president of 19 Television, will accept the award on behalf of
the show’s producers during a presentation at The Annex in the Hollywood &
Highlands Entertainment Complex. The award honors outstanding achievement in
reality programming, and is given to recipients that have leveraged their
platform in new and innovative ways.

Hosted by Ryan Seacrest,
with judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, Idol Gives Back features international talent performing from the American
Idol stage to raise money for
various U.S. charities that deliver support to underprivileged children. Last
year’s event raised $76 million, while this year’s special is expected to exceed
that figure.

“Idol Gives Back is an extraordinary example of the ability of
television to combine the power of celebrities and the corporate community in
raising awareness and money for social enterprise,” said NATPE’s president and
CEO, Rick Feldman. “We’re honored that Nigel Lythgoe will be on hand to accept
this award.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski