By Leah Hochbaum Rosner
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the winners of the 36th annual International Emmy Awards at a low-key gala event held earlier this week in Manhattan’s New York Hilton.
Both Argentina and Jordan made history by taking home their first-ever International Emmy prizes. Argentina’s Telefe won for Television Por La Identidad in the TV Movie/Miniseries category, while Jordan’s Arab Telemedia Productions picked up the award for its telenovela Al-Igtiyah in the category’s inaugural year. The Netherlands also fared well, taking home the Non-Scripted Entertainment award for its The Big Donor Show.
But, as usual, the United Kingdom was the evening’s big winner, taking home seven awards, including Best Arts Programming, Best Performance By an Actor, Best Performance By an Actress, the Children and Young People prize, as well as awards for Comedy, Documentary and Drama series.
Hosted by stage and screen actor Roger Bart, who can currently be seen in Mel Brooks’ new Broadway musical Young Frankenstein, the International Emmys featured a who’s who of international celebs who were on hand to see and be seen, including Law & Order’s Sam Waterston, Ugly Betty’s Judith Light, Fringe’s Lance Reddick and Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford.
Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of the Law & Order brand, was honored with the International Emmy Founders Award for his international success. Cast members from all three Law & Order series — including the original, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent — took to the stage to present Wolf with his statue. The Directorate Award was given to Liu Changle, chairman and chief executive officer of Phoenix Satellite Television by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao for being the catalyst behind the success of a multimedia empire that broadcasts in over 150 countries.
Below, please find a full list of winners:
2008 International Emmy Award Winners
ARTS PROGRAMMING
Strictly Bolshoi
Ballet Boyz Productions for Channel 4
United Kingdom
Nominees: Michael Nunn, William Trevitt
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
David Suchet
Maxwell
BBC
United Kingdom
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Lucy Cohu
Forgiven
Betty TV for Channel 4 and More4
United Kingdom
CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
Shaun the Sheep
Aardman Animations/CBBC
United Kingdom
COMEDY
The I.T. Crowd
A Thalkback Thames Production for Channel 4
United Kingdom
Nominee: Graham Linehan
DOCUMENTARY
The Beckoning Silence
Darlow Smithson Productions/C4/C4i
United Kingdom
Nominees: John Smithson, Louise Osmond
DRAMA SERIES
Life on Mars
Kudos Film & Television Ltd for BBC Wales
United Kingdom
Nominees: Ashley Pharoah, Cameron Roach
NON-SCRIPTED ENTERTAINMENT
The Big Donor Show
Endemol for BNN
The Netherlands
Nominees: Patrick Lodiers, Paul Romer
TELENOVELA
Al-Igtiyah
Arab Telemedia Productions
Jordan
Nominees: Talal Awamleh, Adnan Awamleh
TV MOVIE/MINISERIES
Television Por La Identidad
Telefe Contenidos
Argentina
