Patrick Stewart Emcees 71st ANNUAL PEABODY AWARDS Tonight, 5/21

Sir Patrick Stewart, Peabody Award-winning star of stage and screen, Shakespeare plays and science-fiction blockbusters, will be the host of the 71st Annual George Foster Peabody Awards ceremony tonight, May 21, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

"Patrick Stewart, the first actor to host the Peabody Awards Presentation Luncheon, brings a career that perfectly illustrates the breadth of the Peabody Award," said Horace Newcomb, director of the Peabody Awards at the University of Georgia. "He starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was recognized with a Peabody in 1987. Just last year, he gave us his superb Macbeth, another Peabody Award-winning production. The Peabody recognizes excellence in journalism and news, documentary and public service, and in all forms of entertainment in electronic media. We are truly honored to have Sir Patrick as our host. "

The winners of the Peabody Awards for original broadcast, cablecast and Webcast programs presented in 2011 will be announced via Webcast on April 4 from the University of Georgia.
An internationally respected actor known for successfully bridging the gap between the theatrical world of the Shakespearean stage and contemporary film and television, Sir Patrick Stewart has demonstrated his versatility in a wide range of projects.

Sir Patrick has a long standing relationship with the Royal Shakespeare Company and is an Honorary Associate Artist, having been made an Associate Artist in 1967. With the RSC he has played roles such as King John, Shylock, Henry IV, Cassius, Titus Andronicus and Oberon. He has also starred in many contemporary works with the RSC, including plays by Tom Stoppard, Edward Bond, Howard Barker and David Rudkin. Stewart recently completed a run at London's Young Vic in the lead role of William Shakespeare in a revival of Bond's 1973 play Bingo.