KTLA’s Sam Rubin to posthumously receive Governors Award at L.A. Area Emmys
Longtime KTLA entertainment anchor Sam Rubin will posthumously receive a Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award, the Television Academy announced Tuesday morning. The Governors Award honors an individual, company or organization who has made innovations in the arts, sciences and television industry.
The veteran journalist died of a cardiac arrest in L.A. on May 10. He was 64.
“Sam was a trailblazer, a pioneer in the modern age of television news. His contributions to entertainment journalism in Los Angeles and around the world are unmatched,” Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego said in a press release. “We are honored to recognize him for his influence and impact to our television community.”
Rubin spent three decades working as an entertainment journalist with KTLA. He was a fixture at “KTLA 5 Morning News,” joining three months after its premiere in 1991. The program was unique, putting the focus on morning news rather than the standard focus on evening news.
Sam Rubin helped pioneer early morning TV broadcasts at Channel 5, and his coverage of Hollywood tended to be largely positive.
Rubin was a founding member of the Broadcast Film Critics Assn., which created the Critics’ Choice Awards. The organization introduced the Sam Rubin Award this year to honor the journalist.
Called “the Moses of Hollywood moguls” by Tom Hanks, Rubin was a mainstay of the Hollywood scene. Following his unexpected death, actors and filmmakers including Ryan Reynolds, Jamie Lee Curtis and Guillermo del Toro shared their admiration for the longtime entertainment journalist. John Mulaney concluded his final episode of “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.” with “a special L.A. goodbye” to Rubin.
Rubin received multiple Los Angeles Area Emmys during his career. He was also the recipient of a Radio and Television News Assn.’s Golden Mike Award and was honored as best entertainment reporter by the Los Angeles Press Club. He was the recipient of the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s impact award in 2013, celebrating integrity in broadcast journalism.
The Governors Award will be presented July 27 at the 76th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills.
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