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George Stevens Jr. comments on Kennedy Center Honors Emmy nomination

By April MacIntyre Jul 19, 2012, 18:10 GMT

Recipients of the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors pose for a photo following a dinner hosted by United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (bottom L) at the US Department of State in Washington, DC, USA, 03 December 2011. The 2011 honorees are US actress Meryl Streep, Us singer Neil Diamond, US actress Barbara Cook, musician Yo-Yo Ma, and US musician Sonny Rollins. (Back row, L-R) George Stevens Jr., creator of The Kennedy Center Honors, Yo-Yo Ma, Meryl Streep, Neil Diamond and David M. Rubenstein, Chairman, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. (Front row, L-R) US Secretary Clinton, Sonny Rollins, Barbara Cook and Michael M. Kaiser, President of John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. EPA/RON SACHS

George Stevens Jr., a 15-time Emmy winner, has earned his 18th Emmy nomination this morning in the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special category for the Kennedy Center Honors. 

The Honors have boasted three consecutive wins in the category and have been awarded a total of eight Emmys. George also received a nomination for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special with the Kennedy Center Honors.

Mr Stevens co-created the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978 with Nick Vanoff.  He  has produced and co-written the show for the past 34 years. 

Mr. Stevens holds one of the longest-running engagements for a TV-special producer for Kennedy Center Honors.  His son, Michael Stevens, has produced and co-written the show for the past five years.

He is also an accomplished Hollywood filmmaker and an influential Washington arts figure with an extraordinary career spanning almost 50. He is a writer, director, producer, playwright and author as well, who has enriched the film and television arts as a distinguished filmmaker and public servant.

Mr. Stevens is also the founder of the American Film Institute, produced the historic We Are One concert at the Lincoln Memorial to begin the Obama inauguration, has seen his first play, Thurgood, presented on Broadway starring Laurence Fishburne.

Mr. Stevens shared his comments with Monsters and Critics today regarding his nomination.

"We're thrilled that the Academy recognized, once again, the 'Kennedy Center Honors' tradition.  Michael Stevens and I are proud of our great production team and our exceptional honorees, Meryl Streep, Yo Yo Ma, Sonny Rollins, Barbara Cook and Neil Diamond."