The 84th Annual Peabody Awards made its long-awaited debut at theBeverly Wilshire Hotel in Los AngeleswithOscar-nominated writer and Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani serving as the host.
Founded in 1940, the event was originally slated to make its premiere in LA in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic ended those plans, leading to it to be held on a virtual basis for two years and then canceled last year in support of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
During Sunday's ceremony the legendary filmmaker Mel Brooks received the Career Achievement Award for breaking 'ground through his use of comedy as a form of resistance'throughout his storied career, according to the Peabody Awards website.
This particular honor is 'reserved for individuals whose work and commitment to broadcasting and streaming media have left an indelible mark on the field and in American culture.'
Described as a pioneer in spoof comedy, full of farces and parodies, Brooks has received a slew of accolades during his seven-decade career, including, four Emmys, Three Grammys,two Oscars and three Tonys, which puts him in small and lillustrious list of just 19 people reach EGOT status.
Mel Brooks, 97, was honored with theCareer Achievement Award for breaking 'ground through his use of comedy as a form of resistance' throughout his storied career at the 84th Annual Peabody Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday
Brooks, who is actually turning 98 on June 28, stopped to pose for the cameras ahead of the ceremony all decked out in black double-breasted suit, a white dress short and gray-patterned tie.
He also wore a pair of black dress shoes and had his gray hair sut short.
And of course, while he sat down on a stool for the photos, the New York City native put his still fun and upbeat personality on display, which included lots of laughs.
The actor, comedian, filmmaker, songwriter, and playwright was born on a tenement kitchen table in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York in 1926, but grew up in the Williamsburg neighborhood on the borough.
He began his career as a comic and a writer for Sid Caesar's variety show Your Show Of Shows (1950-1954), which would lead to collaborative work with Carl Reiner, resulting in several comedy albums, as well asBuck Henry, who as a team created thetelevision comedy Get Smart (1965-1970).
During the years in the late 1960s Brooks hit a high note, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers (1967).
The New York City native then rose to prominence by becoming one of the most successful film directors of the 1970s withThe Twelve Chairs (1970),Blazing Saddles (1974),Young Frankenstein (1974),Silent Movie (1976),High Anxiety (1977).
His success continued with such movies as History of the World, Part I (1981),Spaceballs (1987),Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993), andDracula: Dead and Loving It (1995).
The Peabody Careen Achievement Award is 'reserved for individuals whose work and commitment to broadcasting and streaming media have left an indelible mark on the field and in American culture'
Brooks, who turns 98 on June 28, stopped to pose for the cameras ahead of the ceremony all decked out in a black double-breasted suit with a white dress short and gray-patterned tie
Established in 1940 by a committee of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Peabody Awards were created to honor excellence in radio broadcasting.
Eventually, television awards were introduced to the program in 1948, and then in the late 1990s additional categories were added for material distributed via the World Wide Web.
Reflecting excellence in quality storytelling, rather than popularity or commercial success, Peabody Awards are distributed annually to 30 out of 60 finalists after starting out with more than 1,000 entries.
Final Peabody Award winners are selected unanimously by the program's Board of Jurors.
During the evening Quinta Brunson was honored with the Trailblazer Award for shining 'a light on the challenges faced by public school teachers' through her ABC series Abbott Elementary, as well as opening 'doors for the next generation of Black leaders in television.'
Brooks is among just 19 people to ever reach EGOT status, which is the acronym for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards; the iconic filmmaker is seen accepting his Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers (1967)
Many fans know Brooks as the director of the classic film Blazing Saddles (1974); he is scene working with star CVleavon Little in between scene shoots
The Trailblazer Award recognizes visionaries who are impacting culture and affecting social change through innovative storytelling.
Brunson joins Issa Rae, as the only two recipients of the Peabody Trailblazer Award.
Brooks joins Rita Moreno, Sam Pollard, Dan Rather, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, and Cicely Tyson as recent winners of the Peabody Career Achievement Award.
Among his many accolades, such as the EGOT, Brooks hasreceived a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010, the 41stAFI Life Achievement Award in 2013, among many others.
