Frank Welker to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 43rd Daytime Emmys

Frank Welker

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) today announced that Frank Welker, legendary performer of the voices of Scooby-Doo and many others will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy® Awards on Friday, April 29th 2016 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites in downtown Los Angeles.

“Every child in America has grown up listening to Frank Welker bring the adventures of Freddy Jones and Scooby-Doo to life,” said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS. “Frank is an audible magician. He has made an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of us all with his ability to bring these and so many other characters into our lives and make them real. It is with great pleasure that the National Academy bestows the prestigious Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement to him for his great body of work.”

"I have been a fan of Frank Welker's work my entire life," said David Michaels, SVP, Daytime (NATAS). "He is a unique person creating very unique characters such as Curious George, Wonder Dog, Shmoo, Megatron and his body of work over the last 40 years is remarkable. It is our great pleasure to acknowledge his long career in front of his many peers at the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy gala.”

Responsible for creating the voices and sound effects of hundreds of animated characters over a span of nearly fifty years, Welker has garnered the respect of audiences and peers alike for his unparalleled skills as a voice actor. While he has also appeared on television series, variety and talk shows, in pilots and commercials, it is because of his invaluable work behind the camera that Frank Welker has been chosen to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's 43rd Annual Daytime Emmys.

Sonia Manzano to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 43rd Daytime Emmys

Sonia Manzano

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) today announced that Sonia Manzano, legendary performer of “Maria” from Sesame Street, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards on Sunday, May 1, 2016 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites.

“My children and just about every child in America has grown up learning their ABC’s from the iconic character of “Maria,” on Sesame Street played by Sonia Manzano,”said Bob Mauro, President, NATAS. “Sonia not only brought the life events of marriage, having a baby, and being a mother to viewers young and old, she also brought a seldom-seen diversity, a Latin role-model, unlike anything on television at the time. She is one of the most beloved female performers in the history of Sesame Street, and the National Academy is proud to be honoring her with our prestigious Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement.”

"Honoring Sonia Manzano has a special meaning for me - as we both started our professional careers doing the play, Godspell, though in different casts when we were practically children," said David Michaels, SVP, Daytime (NATAS). "Her talent both in front of the camera and as a writer, bringing the themes of diversity to a national audience on Sesame Street, is an extraordinary achievement worthy of this well-earned recognition!"

Emily Squires Dead at 71

Six-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning director and writer Emily Squires died on November 21 in New York City. She was 71.

Squires directed and wrote for SESAME STREET from 1982 to 2007, receiving a Humanitas Prize for her writing. The prize recognizes television programming that explores the best instincts of the human spirit.

For several years, while directing SESAME STREET, she also wrote for daytime soap operas GUIDING LIGHT, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, THE SECRET STORM and AS THE WORLD TURNS. She won a WGA Awards in 1985 as part of the SEARCH FOR TOMORROW writing team.