Andy Cohen to Receive Variety Creative Impact TV Award
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- Andy Cohen will receive the Variety Creative Impact in Television Award at the Newport Beach TV Fest on Friday, June 5, recognizing individuals who have made indelible contributions to the television industry.
- Cohen is an Emmy-winning and Peabody award-winning host, producer, and author best known as host and executive producer of Bravo's 'Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen' and as executive producer of the network's 'The Real Housewives' franchise.
- Cohen curates two SiriusXM channels, founded his own book imprint, is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, and annually co-hosts CNN's 'New Year’s Eve Live' with Anderson Cooper.
- Variety managing editor Kate Aurthur called Cohen 'there's no one in the entertainment business like Andy Cohen' and teased plans to grill him and possibly play 'Plead the Fifth' at the event.
- Newport Beach TV Fest CEO Gregg Schwenk said Cohen had 'an undeniable impact on the television landscape' and was 'redefining the talk show format for a new generation.'
- The Newport Beach TV Fest, presented by the Newport Beach Film Festival, runs June 4-7 at the historic Lido Theater and expects the largest gathering of Guild and Television Academy voters outside Los Angeles and New York.
Why it matters: Cohen's honor recognizes the rare dual influence he's built — producing Bravo's culture-defining Real Housewives franchise while reinventing the late-night talk show format with Watch What Happens Live, roles few TV figures hold simultaneously. With the Newport Beach TV Fest expecting the largest Guild and Television Academy voter turnout outside LA and NYC, the award carries unusual industry weight for a cable host-producer.
