Tyler Perry will be honored with the Governor’s Award at the 2020 Emmy Awards, which he will receive for his dedication to “philanthropic initiatives.”
The 50-year-old actor, writer, producer, and director is set to receive the prestigious honor alongside his company, The Perry Foundation, at this year’s annual awards ceremony, which is due to take place virtually on September 20.
Tyler and his foundation will be receiving the award for “achievements in television and his organization’s commitment to offering opportunities to marginalized communities through its programs of inclusion, engagement, employment and other philanthropic initiatives.”
Governors Award selection committee Chair Eva Basler said in a statement: “Tyler Perry has changed the face of television and inspired a new generation of content creators. He pioneered a new brand of storytelling that engages people of color both in front of and behind the camera, and his shows have resonated with a global audience.”
Tyler is no stranger to charitable deeds, having previously donated a van to a charity helping the homeless, as well as offering to pay for the funeral of police brutality victim Rayshard Brooks, and of eight-year-old Secoriea Turner, who was fatally hit by gunfire last month.
And the A Madea Family Funeral star recently admitted he is “exhausted” by racism, following the death of George Floyd, who was killed when a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
He said: “When I was asked to write this essay, I initially said no, and that is so strange for me because I’m a man of faith, and I believe greatly in hope. It was simply because I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted from all the hate and the division, the vitriol that I see online from one to another. I’m exhausted from seeing these kinds of senseless murders play out over and over again with nothing changing in our society.”
