Australian television producer John Edwards has been awarded an honorary degree by the Australian Film Television and Radio School as part of its 2011 AFTRS student graduation ceremony.
Edwards received the award for his 30-year contribution to Australian television, which includes producing and co-producing credits for TV series such as The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way, Offspring and the upcoming Beaconsfield. His shows have received 19 Logies and 30 AFI awards.
Actress Claudia Karvan, who most recently worked on Edwards' TV series Spirited, handed the award to the acclaimed producer at the event last Friday.
“I’m so chuffed”, Edward said in a statement. “This work is huge fun, and to be honoured for it, well, that’s even better”. Other Australian icons to receive the honorary degree include filmmakers Baz Luhrmann and George Miller.
Also present at the ceremony was Minister of the Arts, Simon Crean, who delivered a key note speech to the audience.
Several AFTRS students were also bestowed with awards recognizing their talents, including Stephen McCallum who received the FOXTEL Scholarship for Exceptional New Talent as well as the European Union Travelling Scholarship. He will now attend the Krakow Film Festival next year.
Other student award winners include Cornel Ozies and John Harvey, who received the AV Myers Indigenous Award for Exceptional Talent, and Simon Cunich, awarded the Shark Island Foundation Award for Documentary. The Kenneth B Myer Scholarship for Exceptional Talent was presented to Flynn Wheeler, while the Kenneth B Myer Award for Project Development went to student Lisa Shaunessy.