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Atsushi Nishijima/NetflixAva DuVernay will be honored by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation at its fourth annual Patron of the Artists Awards.
SAG-AFTRA is the union that represents film and TV actors, radio personalities, recording artists, voice actors and other media professionals worldwide.
On Thursday, the foundation announced that the critically acclaimed director will receive its Patron of the Artists Award for her ability to create “significant professional opportunities for performing artists to work and thrive.”
“As a director, producer and writer, Ava is a true patron of artists,” said SAG-AFTRA Foundation Board President JoBeth Williams in a statement.
“Her ensemble-based films and series have launched the careers of countless actors, and created exceptional opportunities for artists, both above and below the line. She has simultaneously ushered in greater diversity and new narratives in entertainment.”
Marvel movie star Mark Ruffalo and two others will also be honored during the non-televised annual event.
The event, scheduled for November 7 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, will benefit the nonprofit SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
Previous SAG-AFTRA Foundation Patron of the Artists Award honorees have included Oscar-winner Spike Lee and director Lee Daniels, among others.
DuVernay’s most recent work is the Emmy-nominated Netflix series, When They See Us, based on the Central Park jogger case. She’s also behind OWN’s popular TV series Queen Sugar.
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