The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced the winners of the 31st Annual Sports Emmy Awards at a special ceremony at Lincoln Center in New York City. Winners in 32 categories including outstanding live sports special, live series, sports documentary, studio show, promotional announcements, play-by-play personality and studio analyst were honored. A special Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to John Madden.
The awards were presented by a distinguished group of sports figures and television personalities including Cris Collinsworth (sports analyst for NBC’s NFL coverage); Dan Hicks ( NBC’s primary Golf analyst); Jim Nantz (lead play-by-play announcer of The NFL on CBS and play-by-play broadcaster for NCAA college basketball and golf on CBS); James Brown(host The NFL Today on CBS and co-host of Inside the NFL on Showtime); Kenny Albert (play-by-play announcer for the NFL on FOX); Jon Gruden (analyst on ESPN’s NFL Monday Night Football); Hannah Storm (anchor on the new weekday morning editions of SportsCenter, ESPN); Mike Tirico (play-by-play announcer for ESPN’s NFL Monday Night Football, and golf on ABC); Ernie Johnson (host of Inside the NBA on TNT); Kenny Smith (studio analyst for Inside the NBA on TNT); Mary Carillo (an Emmy-Award winning correspondent on HBO’s Real Sports and a consultant for HBO Sports’ documentary unit); Max Kellerman (a boxing commentator for HBO’s World Championship Boxing and Boxing After Dark) and Andrea Kremer (a correspondent for Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel).
One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to John Madden, legendary sports broadcaster. Jerry Jones, owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, co-presented the award to Madden.
John Madden, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most honored NFL broadcaster of all time, retired from television broadcasting in 2009 after 30 years calling games for every television network. Madden has won an unprecedented 16 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Analyst/Personality, and is known by football fans nationwide for his ability to analyze the details of the game with wit, candor and an inimitable style.
“John Madden was the best analyst in the history of the National Football League and, in my opinion, the best analyst of any kind in sports television history,” said Ebersol. “John is much more than a football legend, he’s an American icon. He is the only sports television talent who resonates across all ages – kids grow up today playing his video game and watching him on TV, as their fathers grew up watching him on NFL sidelines every Sunday as the head coach with the best winning percentage in league history.”
Madden now serves as the Special Advisor to Commissioner Roger Goodell of the National Football League. Prior to joining the broadcasting ranks, Madden had an outstanding career as head coach of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. In 2006, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his distinguished coaching career.
Madden’s EA Sports video game “Madden NFL Football” is the No. 1 selling sports video game of all-time with more than 60 million copies sold since its release in 1989.
The Sports Emmy® Award recipients were chosen by a Blue Ribbon Panel of industry peers. The awards recognize outstanding achievement by individuals and programs broadcast throughout the 2009 calendar year.
Winners by Network
HBO Sports / HBO
9
CBS Mobile
1
CBS
4
ESPN.com
1
MLB Network
4
FOX
1
NBC
4
FOX Sports Net
1
ESPN
3
NBCOlympics.com
1
ESPN2
3
NFL Network
1
CBS / Showtime
2
Speed
1
Click here for the list of winners.
