EBU-IMZ Lifetime Achievement Award 2019

Third EBU-IMZ Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Gabrielle Babin Gugenheim and Anca-Monica Pandelea.

The EBU-IMZ Lifetime Achievement award is a joint initiative of the IMZ International Music + Media Centre and the EBU European Broadcasting Union together with the ITF Golden Prague in order to recognise excellence in music + dance in the audiovisual industry. The award was established in 2017 and already presented to the directors Brian Large and Bruno Monsaingeon at the respective Awards Ceremony of the ITF Golden Prague.

We are pleased to announce that the third EBU-IMZ Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to both Gabrielle Babin Gugenheim and Anca-Monica Pandelea at the 56th Golden Prague International Television Festival on 28 September 2019 at the New Stage of the National Theatre Prague.

After working for classical music radio and television, Gabrielle Babin Gugenheim became Head of Performing Arts + Culture at ARTE France in 1991, when the cultural TV network was founded. Her vision for the cultural channel was to showcase well-known as well as emerging contemporary artists from a huge variety of musical genres. Moreover, she always placed the audience at the centre of her work and aimed at further arousing their curiosity and enhancing their understanding and experience.

Anca-Monica Pandelea has produced over 100 cultural features, documentaries and artists’ portraits of luminaries like Jonas Kaufmann, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Anna Netrebko or Luciano Pavarotti, or the Emmy-awarded “Knowledge is the beginning” with Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra about the unifying power of music. Furthermore, she also created classical music event and show formats that reached huge audiences like “Echo – Classical Music Award” or “Classical Music – Live From The Club” during her tenure as Head of Music Department at ZDF – German Television.

“It is with utmost pleasure that we celebrate the contribution of two extraordinary luminaries to the cultural television landscape by awarding the EBU-IMZ Lifetime Achievement Award together with the EBU Music + Dance Experts Group”, says IMZ President Arild Erikstad.

“This year’s EBU-IMZ Lifetime Achievement Award recognises the work of two people that have not only produced stellar music + dance films but also significantly shaped and developed music broadcasting in Europe”, adds Jon Ola Sand from the EBU.

“The highest possible quality with regards to artistic excellence and production value has always been the primary focus for both of them. Broadcasters as well as producers from all over the world have cherished them for their creative ideas and valued them as strong and reliable partners in countless coproductions that would have never been realised without their tireless passion and determination”, as IMZ President Arild Erikstad further explains the decision. “Both Gabrielle and Anca-Monica played a key role in the EBU Music + Dance community and left a great legacy behind them. We’re delighted to be able to celebrate their great careers in arts broadcasting with this award”, continues Jon Ola Sand, Head of Live Events at the EBU.