UPDATE: Hall of Fame Presenters AnnouncedLate night legend Jay Leno, TV/film actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus (star of HBO's Veep, current big-screen release Enough Said and syndie classic Seinfeld) are among six television legends to be inducted into the 23rd Television Academy Hall of Fame on March 11, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California.
"The six individuals being inducted into the Hall of Fame have all made a profound impact on the landscape of television, leaving their own mark within our industry and with audiences around the world," said Television Academy chairman/CEO Bruce Rosenblum, who announced the honorees today.
"Their groundbreaking contributions will last for generations," he continued, "making them true icons who could not be more deserving of the Television Academy's highest honor."
The 23rd Hall of Fame class includes:
Four-time Emmy Award-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Prolific writer-producer David E. Kelley
Late night legend Jay Leno
FOX Broadcasting Company founder Rupert Murdoch
Iconic ABC Network executive Brandon Stoddard
Additionally, sound pioneer and innovator Ray Dolby will be inducted posthumously
The Hall of Fame gala will once again be produced in partnership with the Television Academy Foundation, which celebrates past, present and future industry leaders through its educational outreach and archival programs.
The 2014 honorees join the more than 130 individuals previously inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984.
Recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the medium, candidates are submitted by the Television Academy's membership and the industry at large to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, chaired by Warner Bros. Television President and Chief Content Officer Peter Roth.
In addition to Roth, this year's selection committee included Marcy Carsey, Emmy Award-winning producer; Bonnie Hammer, Chairman, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group; Rick Rosen, board member and Head of Television, WME; Fred Silverman, founder of the Fred Silverman Company and former executive at ABC, CBS and NBC; and Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment.
Founded by former Television Academy president John H. Mitchell, the Television Academy's Hall of Fame has honored on-camera legends and pioneering directors, producers, costume designers, writers, animators, executives, reporters and documentarians/explorers.
Past honorees include Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Walter Cronkite, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara Walters, Dan Rather, Oprah Winfrey, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Lorne Michaels, Ron Howard, Carl Reiner, Leslie Moonves, Katie Couric, Bob Mackie, Mario Kreutzberger, Bob Barker, Bea Arthur, Regis Philbin, William Shatner, Bob Stewart and Candice Bergen.
