BTT in NYC
PHOTOS: MARCOS FURER / DORSEY PICTURES
9TH ANNUAL NEW YORK CITY AWARDS CEREMONY
Michael Keaton and Tom Brokaw during filming of Buccaneers & Bones.
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TT awarded the Lefty Kreh Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation to Tom Brokaw in a special virtual presentation of the 9th Annual New York City Awards Ceremony on September 17, 2020. An Emmy award-winning journalist and best-selling author, Brokaw served as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for 22 years, during which time he reported on the most historic events of the time. Blending his passion for angling and conservation, Brokaw narrated the acclaimed fly-fishing series Buccaneers & Bones and co-starred alongside Lefty Kreh, Michael Keaton, Liam Neeson, Huey Lewis, Jimmy Kimmel, Tom McGuane, Yvon Chouinard, Jim Belushi and some of the world’s top flats anglers. “We are honored to present Tom Brokaw with the Lefty Kreh Award for Lifetime Achievement in Conservation,” said BTT President and CEO Jim McDuffie. “Throughout his celebrated career, Tom has been a tireless advocate for conservation. His role on Buccaneers & Bones was no exception as he helped to raise awareness of the threats facing the flats fishery as well as our science-based approaches to address them. We thank Tom for all he has done to help advance our conservation mission.”
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Steve Burke, Chairman of NBCUniversal, introduced his longtime friend and colleague. “Tom really was the heart and soul of NBC News for many, many years, and is to this day,” Burke said. “Tom means a lot to me. He means a lot to NBC news. He certainly means a lot to anybody who’s ever picked up a fly rod and cast. He’s a great angler. He’s a great lover of this country and the American West. And it is my privilege to introduce our honoree, Tom Brokaw.” In accepting the award, Brokaw called on anglers to be engaged in fisheries conservation. “What we need to do as individuals, and collectively, is to organize ourselves around something in which we can have an impact,” he said. “And nothing is more important than the impact we can have on the fisheries—freshwater and saltwater, especially. It’s a great honor. I’m not entirely deserving, but I’m thrilled to be associated with Lefty Kreh.” As part of the star-studded evening, BTT also honored the cast of Buccaneers & Bones with the Curt Gowdy Memorial Media Award, which is presented to individuals who advance the cause of conservation through media and outreach to others. The 2020 recipients were actor Michael Keaton, singer-songwriter Huey Lewis, author Tom McGuane, Patagonia Founder Yvon Chouinard, and BTT board member Bill Klyn, a co-creator of the show.
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