LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards 2023

Actress Barbara Eden with her Legend Award and actor Hal Linden who presented her with the award onstage

Los Angeles, California, USA. 3rd December, 2023. The Los Angeles Press Club (LAPC) held its16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The event honors the best in journalism in the entertainment industry and the arts - movies, theater, film, television, music, literature, fine art, and others. The National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards were founded in 2008, and recognize the finest in journalistic work across all mediums — print, radio, TV and online, and have expanded to include those working internationally. Many awards were given out with the highlights being the Legend Award to Barbara Eden, the Luminary Award to Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Distinguished Storyteller Award for Literacy to LeVar Burton, and the Distinguished Storyteller Award for Film to Roger Corman.

Legend Award for Lifetime Achievement

The Legend Award honors an individual within the entertainment industry for their venerable contributions to the industry and to society. Barbara Eden, best known for her role in the TV series "I Dream of Jeannie", is admired world-wide on both screen and stage, and did many appearances and charity work for the service men and women in the military. Eden has starred in

more than 25 films, 19 televison movies, and has performed in Las Vegas and around the world. She has worked with many stars, including Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Carol Burnett, George Burns, Jerry Lewis, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Tony Orlando, Elton John and Charley Pride. Her award was presented by actor Hal Linden.

Actor Richard Kind who presented Henry Louis Gates, Jr. with The Luminary Award for Career Achievement

Luminary Award for Career Achievement

The Career Achievement Award was instituted to honor a distinguished member of the entertainment journalism community. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a professor, noted author, literary critic and genealogist who teaches and Harvard University and is the director of the university’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research. He unearthed several of the oldest novels ever written by African American authors, and in 1981 he was part of the first class of MacArthur “Genius” grant recipients. Two films he executive produced, The Black church (for PBS) and Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches (HBO), earned Emmy nominations. His six-part PBS series “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” earned a Peabody Award. Actor Richard Kind presented him with his award.

LeVar Burton with his Distinguished Storyteller Award for Literacy

Distinguished Storyteller Award (Literacy)

The Distinguished Storyteller Award was instituted to pay tribute to those committed to important storytelling in ways other than journalism. LeVar Burton, actor, director, podcaster, and reading advocate received the LA Press Club’s Distinguished Storyteller Award. The award honored the

breadth of his work, the range of audiences he has reached, and the positive impact he has had on child literacy. His daughter, actress Mica Burton, gave a warm and heartfelt introduction and presented his award.

Roger Corman gives his acceptance speech for the Distinguished Storyteller Award for Film

Distinguished Storyteller Award (Film)

The Distinguished Storyteller Award was instituted to pay tribute to those committed to important storytelling in ways other than journalism. Over the decades, Roger Corman has been a director, producer, distributor and spiritual guru to an entire generation of moviemakers that might very well never have existed without him. At a time when the major studios had all but given up buying the work of the great international directors, his company New World distributed masterpieces by such legends as Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini and Francois Truffaut. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences cited this achievement and awarded him an honorary Oscar in 2009. His award was presented by director/filmmaker Joe Dante.

TV host Joey Zhou and founder of Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA)

TV host Joey Zhou, a new member of LA Press Club, attended the red carpet and awards ceremony. Joey Zhou (Joey Zhou Zheng) is an international TV host, event producer, founder of The Beverly Arts, the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) International Art Festival, TBA NEWS /The Beverly Arts News, the "Zhou Zheng Art Channel", and founder/host of the “Zhou Zheng Show” that was on the 62.2 Channel and 31.2 Channel in Los Angeles. He interviewed celebrities from Hollywood and distinguished guests from art, science, politics, business, and other fields. His show was an independent TV talk show with millions of viewers.

The Los Angeles Press Club exists to support, promote, and defend quality journalism in Southern California. Our task is to encourage journalists by involving the public in recognizing such journalism together in belief that a free press is crucial to a free society. In addition, the Los Angeles Press Club provides a place for journalists to gather, network and learn from one another, especially through the sponsorship of events. The LA Press Club is the only organization in Southern California that speaks for all journalists in newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the Internet.

The Beverly Arts is sponsored by The Beverly Arts Foundation