Emmy-winning actress Cicely Tyson, Walt Disney Co. Chairman Bob Iger, Nickelodeon co-creator Geraldine Laybourne, longtime director Jay Sandrich and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane were named today as inductees into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame.
The hall honors people “who have made outstanding contributions in the arts, sciences or management of television over a lifetime career or via singular achievements.”
“These contemporary performers, content creators and executives have been pioneers and innovators in so many aspects of television, and they have had a profound impact on their art and on our culture,” Television Academy Chairman/CEO Frank Scherma said in a statement. “It’s an honor to welcome this distinguished group of individuals into the Hall of Fame and to acknowledge their remarkable contributions, which continue to shape our industry.”
The honorees will be inducted in a gala ceremony set for Jan. 28, 2020 at the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center in North Hollywood.
Tyson is a 15-time Emmy nominee and a three-time winner, for her work in “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and the miniseries “Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.” She received an honorary Oscar last year from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Iger has been leading The Walt Disney Co. since 2005, most recently overseeing the company’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox and last month’s launch of the Disney+ streaming service.
Laybourne led the team that created the kids TV network Nickelodeon, and also co-founded Oxygen Media.
Sandrich is a five-time Emmy winner, and has directed shows such as “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Soap,” “The Cosby Show” and “The Golden Girls.”
MacFarlane, a one-time Oscar host, created the animated series “Family Guy,” “American Dad” and “The Cleveland Show” and the sci-fi series “The Orville.” He previously worked as an animator for Hanna-Barbera Productions and Disney.
