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Directorate Award
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BRIAN COX
PRESENTING DRAMA SERIES
2021 INTERNATIONAL EMMY® DIRECTORATE AWARD
THOMAS BELLUT, DIRECTOR GENERAL, ZDF
Dr. Thomas Bellut, Director General of German national broadcaster ZDF, one of Europe’s major and most renowned public broadcasters, will receive this year’s International Academy’s 2021 Directorate Emmy® Award.
The special Emmy is presented in recognition of his outstanding leadership of ZDF and for his 30-year career as an outstanding journalist, broadcaster and executive, who has made an important mark on television in Germany and beyond.
Bellut became director general of German public television broadcaster ZDF in 2012, after serving as the company’s program director for a decade and before that as correspondent and managing editor in the news division, for over 25 years. Since his appointment at the helm of the channel and for the first time in history, ZDF is market leader - unchallenged for the last 10 years. With its classic and digital programs, ZDF reaches most of German society. Therefore, the public broadcaster is an important support for democracy in many ways, financially well-funded, but independent of politics and economy. Bellut strengthened information programs in all their guises. He also made quality dramas a priority while continuing to produce popular non-scripted shows, including major global success and International Emmy winner Generation War; the 1950s-set miniseries Ku’damm 59; and long-running natural-history and science
2021 INTERNATIONAL EMMY® DIRECTORATE AWARD
series Terra X. At the same time ZDF improved its on-demand platform continuously. ‘ZDFmediathek’ defines standards in relevance, variety and usability.
On behalf of ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, of which Thomas Bellut is Chairman, is responsible for worldwide program sales, the implementation of international co-productions, license purchasing for quality programs, marketing online rights and the merchandising of strong ZDF program brands. In addition to its commercial activities for ZDF, ZDF Enterprises has also been able to establish itself successfully as an independent market player in both national and international environments.
ZDF is based in Mainz, but also maintains permanent bureaus in the 16 Länder capitals as well as special editorial and production facilities in Berlin. For international coverage, ZDF has foreign correspondents operating in 19 permanent bureaus worldwide. ZDF offers fullrange generalist programming with a mix of information, education, arts, entertainment and sports. Its coverage provides both a broad view on the world and a comprehensive picture of Germany. ZDF also operates the two thematic channels ZDFneo and ZDF info. In partnership with other public broadcasters, ZDF jointly operates the internet-only offer funk, the German channels Phoenix and Kika and the European channels 3sat and Arte.
This year ZDF marks the 60th anniversary of the organization’s founding.
The Directorate Award is presented by Former NBA player, Dirk Nowitzki
Throughout his Hall of Fame-caliber career, Dirk Nowitzki helped globalize the game of basketball and redefined what it means to be a franchise player. The Würzburg, Germany native became the first European-born player to win MVP in 2007 and the first European to start an All-Star Game that same year. Four years later, he would earn Finals MVP honors after leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first championship. Nowitzki became the first player in NBA history to play 21 seasons for one franchise, breaking nearly every franchise record for the Mavericks along the way. Nowitzki’s impact off the floor, however, is just as great. In 2001, Nowitzki launched The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, which awards grants annually to organizations focusing on children’s wellbeing, health, and education. In 2019, he and wife Jessica Nowitzki were named honorary chairs of North Texas Giving Day, where they helped raise a record-setting $50 million for North Texas nonprofits. In 2013, Dirk was named German ambassador for UNICEF with a focus to promote a healthy lifestyle and fight malnutrition throughout the world.
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