Jordan Peele to Receive John Schlesinger Britannia Award For Excellence In Directing

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles (BAFTA Los Angeles) is pleased to announce that writer, director, producer Jordan Peele, whose films Us and Get Out have created a new genre of socially-conscious horror, will receive The John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing. He joins previously announced honorees Jane Fonda, who will receive the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film Presented by Cunard, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who will receive the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year, Jackie Chan, who will receive the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment, and Steve Coogan, who will receive the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy Presented by Jaguar Land Rover.

The British Academy Britannia Awards is BAFTA's biggest event outside of the U.K. This year's ceremony will take place on Friday, October 25, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and will be presented by American Airlines and Jaguar Land Rover.

"Jordan Peele has earned record-breaking success and critical acclaim through work that pushes boundaries and shines a light on stories of important social relevance," said BAFTA Los Angeles CEO, Chantal Rickards. "His imaginative storylines, inclusive casting, and bold style evokes John Schlesinger's spirit of independence, integrity and commitment to excellence. We are honored to celebrate Jordan's talents at this year's ceremony."

The John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing is presented to deeply respected, distinctive directors whose contribution as both technicians and artists represents the zenith of the directing profession. Past recipients have included Steve McQueen, Ava DuVernay, Ang Lee, Sam Mendes, Mike Newell, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, David Yates, Quentin Tarantino, and Kathryn Bigelow.

Jordan Peele is an Oscar and EMMY Award-winning writer, producer, director and actor. His first feature film, Get Out, was released by Universal Pictures in 2017 and quickly became an international phenomenon. The film received widespread critical praise for twisting the genre of horror into a thought-provoking commentary on race in America. Get Out was recognized with four Academy Award nominations - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay. Peele became only the fifth African American to be nominated for Best Director and was the first to ever win the Oscar for original screenplay. In 2019, Peele wrote, produced and directed his second feature for Universal, Us, which tells the story of an African-American family encountering terrifying doppelgängers of themselves while on vacation. Like Get Out, the film instantly became a smash hit with audiences and critics alike, posting the largest box-office opening for an original horror movie in history.

Prior to Get Out, Peele was the co-star and co-creator of "Key & Peele" on Comedy Central. The sketch comedy show unabashedly lampooned Pop culture and social issues in America, particularly ethnic stereotypes and race relations, and continually pushed the boundaries for television comedy. Across five seasons, the show's unique take on sketch comedy became a viral sensation online and collectively its sketches garnered more than 1billion views.

Peele formed his company, Monkeypaw Productions, to champion unique perspectives and artistic collaborations with traditionally underrepresented voices, while embracing unconventional storytelling through genre. Under the Monkeypaw banner, Peele produced Spike Lee's feature, BlackKKlansman in 2018, about an undercover policeman who infiltrates the KKK. The film received six Oscar Nominations, winning Lee his first-ever Oscar (Adapted Screenplay) and earning Peele his fourth nomination in two years. Monkeypaw and Peele currently produce the Tracy Morgan series, "The LAST O.G." and the reboot of the cult classic "The Twilight Zone" for CBS All-Access, in which Peele also portrays the role of the narrator that was originally played by "Twilight Zone" creator, Rod Serling. In 2019, Monkeypaw also produced Us and the Amazon docuseries, "Lorena," an exposé of the real story behind the infamous Lorena and John Wayne Bobbitt domestic-violence case.

For the second year, BritBox will stream the annual British Academy Britannia Awards live to U.S. and Canada as part of a multi-year partnership between BAFTA Los Angeles and the subscription service from BBC Studios and ITV. World-renowned television and event production company Done + Dusted will produce the ceremony.

The Britannia Awards are BAFTA Los Angeles' highest accolades, recognizing both outstanding British talent, and exceptional international talent by virtue of their strong connection to British entertainment through their body of work. Known to be an enjoyable evening that captures a unique blend of sincerity and British irreverence, the evening also serves to celebrate the long-standing collaboration between the British and American industries. Proceeds from the event support BAFTA's Access for All campaign, a range of impactful educational initiatives created to provide a foot-in-the-door and a pathway to success for talented individuals, uninhibited by background, demographics or personal circumstance.

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / Claudette Barius

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