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Bryant Gumbel, a veteran American journalist with a career spanning over 50 years in America’s broadcasting industry, will be honored with a Sports Emmy.On March 28, 2023, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced that the award-winning journalist will receive the Sports Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming 44th Annual Sports Emmy Awards ceremony on Monday, May 22, at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall in New York.
“I’m humbled by this announcement and grateful to the folks at NATAS for this prestigious award. After 50 years in the business, sharing the same honor with men like Jim McKay, Howard Cosell, and Vin Scully is heady stuff indeed,” said Gumbel.
The Sports Emmy Awards are part of the Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit bestowed by the NATAS on the American broadcasting industry, and are presented in recognition of broadcasting excellence in sports television programming.
The veteran journalist will become the first black journalist to receive a Sports Emmy Award.
“Bryant has a storied career, from his start as a sportscaster in Los Angeles to five decades of celebrated work — every bit cementing him as an icon and trailblazer in sports and entertainment,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “Bryant‘s incredible resume spanning Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, NBC Sports, NBC News, CBS News, and many other projects have brought dramatic and human news and sports stories to life for audiences throughout his career, making him a clear front runner for this distinct honor.”
Gumbel, one of America’s most accomplished television broadcasters, has had a distinguished career spanning the country’s leading media platforms, including NBC, CBS, and HBO. He began his career as a sports anchor with KNBC in Los Angeles before moving to NBC Sports in 1975, where he worked for more than 20 years. For 15 years, he was the host of NBC’s “Today” show.
Since 1995, he has hosted HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” a monthly program that has earned 36 sports Emmys in its 26-season run. To date, “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” is his longest-running show. Before retiring from television, he worked at CBS News, where he hosted “The Early Show” and his own prime-time program, Public Eye.
His remarkable career includes numerous records, including the longest-running host of NBC’s “Today” show (15 years). Gumbel has interviewed sports legends, world leaders, and Super Bowl champions, as well as reported on a wide range of current events. He has covered international conflicts, elections, international summits, presidential inaugurations, and events from all over the world.
Bryant has received numerous honors, including the Frederick D. Patterson Award, the Martin Luther King Award from the Congress of Racial Equality, the United Negro College Fund’s highest honor, three NAACP Image Awards, a Peabody, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the International Journalism Award from TransAfrica, Africa’s Future Award from the United States Committee for UNICEF, and the African American Institute’s leadership award.
Bates, Xavier, Holy Cross, Providence College, and Clark Atlanta University all bestowed honorary degrees on him. He has served on the boards of the United Negro College Fund, New York City United Way, Xavier University in New Orleans, and his alma mater.
