NATPE Honors ‘Idol Gives Back’

By Vlada Gelman
The National Association of Television Program Executives will honor Fox’s “American Idol” fundraiser “Idol Gives Back” with the inaugural Reality Innovator Award at the NATPE LATV Festival in Los Angeles July 31.
The Reality Innovator Award recognizes outstanding achievement in reality programming, with recipients displaying passion, leadership and innovation in their platforms.
The award will be accepted by Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of “American Idol” and president of its co-production company 19 Television, at a gala reception held at the The Annex in the Hollywood & Highland Entertainment Complex.
“Idol Gives Back is an extraordinary example of the ability of television to combine the power of celebrities and the corporate community in raising awareness and money for social enterprise,” NATPE President & CEO Rick Feldman said when making the announcement.
“Idol Gives Back” raised $76 million last year for various U.S. charities, in addition to supplies for underprivileged children in disadvantages communities and funds for organizations that battle poverty in Africa.