Legendary actor Barbara Eden will accept the Los Angeles Press Club’s Legend Award for venerable contributions to the industry and to society.
The ceremony will take place at the 16th annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Gala on December 3, 2023, at the historic Biltmore Hotel.
This is a fundraiser for the Los Angeles Press Club, a 501c3 charitable organization.
Previous Legend awardees include Carol Burnett, Ann-Margret, Angela Lansbury, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Marla Gibbs and Bob Barker.
“Barbara Eden charmed audiences in her starring role in I Dream of Jeannie, a show that endures as a bright spot in the history of television,” LA Press Club President Lisa Richwine said. “We are thrilled to honor her with our Legend Award.”
Barbara Eden’s iconic I Dream of Jeannie NBC Television series, launched in 1965, became an instant hit. The network series ran for five seasons (139 episodes) and has been airing continuously on cable and in syndication in the United States and abroad for more than five decades.
Barbara’s wildly popular memoir, Jeannie Out Of The Bottle, became a New York Times Best Seller in 2012. Published by Crown Archetype, a division of Random House, the autobiography chronicles Eden’s colorful life and remarkable Hollywood career, which now spans more than seven decades.
Barbara’s most recent venture has returned her to the world of publishing. In August 2021, Barbara teamed up with writer Dustin Warburton and renowned illustrator Jason Moore to release her debut children’s book Barbara And The Djinn published by Neighborhood Publishers. Barbara And The Djinn is a story of a little girl who takes a trip to her local library and finds herself transported into the book she’s reading and meets a genie (THE DJINN) who takes her on a magical adventure. The story is all about understanding people who are different and having empathy and love for them. One of the things the book emphasizes is selflessness.
During her illustrious career, Barbara has starred in 25 feature films, five network TV series, 19 top-rated network made-for-television movies, including the Hallmark Television special Always and Forever, and was a recurring guest star in Lifetime’s long-running Army Wives TV series.
She has appeared at many of the major hotel resorts and casinos including Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City and Las Vegas where she headlined at the MGM Grand, Caesar’s Palace, Riviera, Frontier and Landmark Hotels and Casinos. She also top-lined a number of dates at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and the Trump Resort Casino in Atlantic City among others.
The Los Angeles Press Club has a long and storied history as one of the oldest and most prestigious journalist organizations in the country, serving the Southland since 1913.
The club established the NAEJ Awards in 2008 to recognize and honor quality journalism in the fastest-growing segment of the modern media revolution. It remains the sole acknowledgment of its kind in the nation and has become a much-anticipated celebration for those covering the entertainment industry and its artists.
Ava DuVernay, LeVar Burton and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will also be honored this evening.
For tickets, advertising and sponsorship opportunities go to www.LAPressClub.org or contact NAEJ producer Diana Ljungaeus at Diana-AT-lapressclub.org.
Photo credit: Harry Langdon Jr.
