Widely successful filmmaker Ava DuVernay will be receiving the International Emmy Founders Award at the International Emmy Gala in New York City this year. DuVernay has commented that she feels this honor is “unexpected and wildly appreciated” and that she honors the Emmy’s “efforts to ensure that storytellers of all backgrounds are amplified and celebrated.”

DuVernay’s recognition at this year’s event is no surprise, she is truly a force in the film industry behind so many powerful pieces of media. The UCLA alumni is the recipient of so many nominations and awards it would be difficult to count, including an Academy Award nomination in the Best Documentary Feature category for her film 13th.

More of her work includes Selma, When They See Us, and A Wrinkle in Time — all of which she directed. A Wrinkle in Time grossed over $100 million in the domestic box office, which made DuVernay the highest grossing Black female director in the history of American cinema.

At the moment DuVernay is working on several new projects, including an adaption of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.

The 2022 International Emmy Gala will take place later this year on Monday, November 21.