With 38 awards and 128 nominations under its belt, Game of Thrones is no stranger to the International Emmy awards. But this one is special, for it celebrates the tremendous cultural significance GoT holds on a global scale.
Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will be honoured with the 2019 International Emmy Founders Award for adapting George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ for HBO, The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recently announced. The Founders Award honour creations that have made contributions to the history of television production have had a significant cultural impact throughout the world.
Game of Thrones has been shot in multiple locations of Northern Ireland, Morocco, Croatia, and Iceland. It airs in over 207 countries all over the world and is widely regarded as the most popular TV show ever. Academy President & CEO, Bruce L. Paisner agrees in his interview with Indiewire:
“David and D.B. are absolute game changers, visionary storytellers who have created, with their first foray into television, a record-breaking global cultural phenomenon with an international following like no other. We look forward to honouring their extraordinary talent and the ‘Game of Thrones’ legacy with our Founders Award.”
Weiss-Benioff with the cast of “Game of Thrones” while accepting the award for Outstanding Drama Series during the 70th Emmy Awards 2018. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)
Benioff and Weiss have expressed their gratitude with a recent statement on this as well:
“The International Academy does us all a great honour. From cast to crew to locations, the ‘Game of Thrones’ effort was truly international, and this award rightly belongs to all the people who worked so hard for so many years to bring the show to life”.
In receiving the Emmy Founders award, Benioff and Weiss join a list of illustrious television writers and creators including Mathew Weiner (Mad Men) and Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey).
The award will be presented to the showrunners on the Annual Emmy Gala set to be held on November 25th in New York. From the little we have seen of Game of Thrones Season 8 so far, that does not seem like the only award Team Game Of Thrones is going to take home that night!
Game of Thrones Season 8 premiers on April 14th on HBO worldwide.
