MUMBAI: Steven Spielberg is to recieve the 2006 International Emmy Founders Award at the 34th International Emmy Awards Gala. The event will be held on 20 November in New York City. Last year's recipient was Oprah Winfrey.

This Award is presented for outstanding work that crosses cultural boundaries and reflects the commonality of the human experience.

International Academy president and CEO Bruce Paisner said, "Steven Spielberg has a long and distinguished career in television. As in his movies, he has the ability to move us and entertain us in equal measure. The International Television Academy takes great pleasure in recognizing his contributions and his creative genius with our 2006 International Emmy Founders Award."

Spielberg's began his career, working on Night Gallery, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Name of the Game and Columbo, among others. His TV movie Duel was released theatrically in some international markets, and his feature film career took off with the release of Jaws.

He however continued to work in TV, creating the weekly anthology series Amazing Stories, Band of Brothers, Taken and Into the West.

Future projects include a long-form production about World War II in the Pacific, the sci-fi production Nine Lives and On the Lot, an unscripted series that will allow aspiring filmmakers to vie for a studio development deal at DreamWorks.

Spielberg's philanthropic causes include the Righteous Persons Foundation and the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, and he is the chairman emeritus of the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.