David Attenborough has set a record at the Daytime Emmy Awards, becoming the oldest recipient in the ceremony's history.
The 99-year-old British naturalist, writer, and broadcaster won the 2024 award for Outstanding Daytime Personality — Non-Daily for his narration of Netflix's "Secret Lives of Orangutans," Variety reported.
The win was announced Friday at the 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California.
Attenborough's achievement surpasses the record established last year by Dick Van Dyke, who became the oldest winner at 98 for his guest performance on "Days of Our Lives."
Attenborough will mark his 100th birthday in May.
"Secret Lives of Orangutans" collected three awards in total, including a win for directing team in a single-camera daytime nonfiction program.
Attenborough beat a field of nominees that included Brad Bestelink ("Living with Leopards," Netflix), Andi Sweeney Blanco, Courtney Dober, Rob North, and Kirin Stone ("The Fixers," BYUtv), Anthony Mackie ("Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie: Gulf Coast," National Geographic), and Martha Stewart ("Martha Gardens," Roku).
Attenborough has been a leading figure in natural history broadcasting for seven decades.
He began his career in 1954 with "Zoo Quest"and went on to narrate many acclaimed documentary series, including "Planet Earth," "Blue Planet," "The Green Planet," "Frozen Planet," and "Wild Isles."
His distinctive voice and storytelling have become synonymous with nature programming worldwide.
Earlier this year, Attenborough released the feature-length film "Ocean," a project he has described as one of the most significant of his career, BBC reported.
The documentary explores the changing state of the world's oceans over his lifetime and the role they play in regulating the planet's climate.
"We are almost out of time," Attenborough warns in the film, calling for urgent global action to protect marine ecosystems.
Producer Toby Nowlan, who collaborated with Attenborough on "Ocean," said the film stands apart from his earlier work.
"This is not about seeing brand new natural history behaviors. It is the greatest message he's ever told," he told BBC.
Director Keith Scholey, who has worked with Attenborough for more than 40 years, praised his energy.
"Every time you work with David, you learn something new," he said.
"It's really good fun. But also, David keeps you on your mettle, because he is so on his mettle and so, you know, it's always a very creative process."
Attenborough has often recalled his first dive on Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 1957 as a moment that shaped his lifelong fascination with the ocean.
"I was so taken aback by the spectacle before me I forgot — momentarily — to breathe," he said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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