Norman Lear is now the oldest ever Emmy winner at 97

The title was previously held by Sir David Attenborough

Norman Lear is now the oldest ever Emmy winner at 97 after taking home a gong for Outstanding Variety Special.

The 71st Emmy Awards kicked off yesterday (September 14) with night one of the two-night Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony taking place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Winning for his sitcom special Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons – which stars Woody Harrelson and Jamie Foxx – Lear took home the Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special.

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The 97-year-old producer overtakes Sir David Attenborough, 93, who also won an Emmy last night, as the oldest Emmy winner. He also beat Carl Reiner for the title of oldest nominee ever by six months.

“The fact of my life is, I don’t think about it a lot,” Lear said backstage at the Emmys, discussing his age. “I suppose I’m thinking about it more now… I’m 96 [fellow executive producer Jimmy Kimmel corrected him, saying he was 97]. I like waking up in the morning… ”

Lear has been nominated 15 times over his career, winning four Emmys for All in the Family: two in 1971 and again in 1972 and 1973. Lear has also been honored by the Television Academy with a Hall of Fame induction in 1984.

Elsewhere at the Emmys, Leaving Neverland, the documentary that looks into abuse allegations made against pop star Michael Jackson, won a Creative Arts Emmy Award.

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