She deserves it!
The International Emmys are honoring Ava DuVernay with its 2022 Founders Award, Deadline reports.
DuVernay is an accomplished filmmaker and founder of Array, a nonprofit collective that creates, produces, and distributes works in TV and film by women and people of color. Array’s works include OWN’s Queen Sugar, Netflix’s Colin in Black and White, HBO Max’s DMZ, and CW’s Naomi. Now DuVernay is being honored for her work, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences set to present her with the 2022 Founders Award.
The group noted DuVernay’s vast accomplishments, including her 2019 Netflix miniseries When They See Us, which earned her an Emmy, and Array’s monumental works like Selma, 13th, and Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, which made DuVernay the highest box office grossing Black woman director ever.
“Ava DuVernay is a force of nature and this is reflected in the remarkable scope and volume of her work. She makes significant films and television programs, she uses her platform to reshape our industry and continues to lead a career-long effort to bolster women and people of color in entertainment and ensure inclusivity. We look forward to honoring her extraordinary talent and prolific decade of leadership at Array, with our Founders Award,” said International Emmys president and CEO Bruce L. Paisner.
DuVernay also sits on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ board of governors. Currently, she’s working on the film adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s nonfiction book Caste for Netflix, fresh off her deal for a romantic drama at Starz. DuVernay said she is grateful and honored for the Emmys award.
“This honor from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is unexpected and wildly appreciated. I thank the organization for recognizing my work and salute their efforts to ensure that storytellers of all backgrounds are amplified and celebrated,” said DuVernay.
She is set to be honored during the academy awards gala in November.
Congratulations, Ava!
Photo Courtesy of Jordan Strauss/Invision/Associated Press