59th annual accolade to be presented during the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
The legendary actor, singer, producer, writer, and director Barbra Streisand has been named the 59th recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievements and humanitarian accomplishments. Streisand will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will stream live on Netflix on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall.
Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will be the latest of Streisand’s esteemed catalog of international industry and public distinctions recognizing her masterful performances on screen and the stage. Her ability to captivate audiences with her multifaceted talents has solidified her status as one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Throughout her career, she has received numerous honors including two Academy Awards, ten Grammys including the Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards, five Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, a Tony Award, and numerous other accolades.
Before her debut on the silver screen, Streisand’s groundbreaking TV specials set new standards in originality.
Her directorial debut, Yentl, earned five Academy Award nominations. Her second directorial feature, The Prince of Tides, was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Her third directorial feature, The Mirror Has Two Faces, was also nominated for two Oscars.
Streisand recently released her memoir, My Name is Barbra, which immediately became a New York Times best seller. The book captures her extraordinary life and career in her own words.
“Barbra Streisand is an icon and unparalleled talent, a force of nature who has seamlessly woven her brilliance through the fabric of our industry. From her earliest days captivating audiences on Broadway to her unforgettable roles in cinematic classics like Funny Girl, The Way We Were, and A Star Is Born, Barbra’s ability to inhabit her characters with authenticity is nothing short of extraordinary,” says SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
“Her enduring career is a testament to her genuine performances, connecting with audiences profoundly. She is a colossal icon with a relentless work ethic, evolving with each stage of her remarkable journey. We celebrate Barbra Streisand not just for her achievements but for the enduring legacy she has carved.”
Streisand says, “Ever since I was a young girl sitting in the Loew’s King’s Theatre in Brooklyn, I dreamed of being one of those actresses I saw on the screen. The movies were a portal to a world I could only imagine. Even though I was an unlikely candidate, somehow my dream came true. This award is especially meaningful to me because it comes from my fellow actors, whom I so admire.”
Her foray into acting began with the musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1962, where Streisand’s stage presence garnered immediate attention, earning her a New York Drama Critic’s prize and a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1964, she returned to the stage with Funny Girl, earning critical acclaim for her portrayal of Fanny Brice, a role that has become synonymous with her name. Her first film was a reprisal of her breakthrough role in Funny Girl, for which she earned an Academy Award for Best Actress.
One of Streisand’s most memorable roles during this period was in the drama The Way We Were (1973), earning her an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress. Her second Academy Award came for composing the music for Best Original Song, “Evergreen” from A Star Is Born (1976), a film in which she also starred, marking her as the first woman to receive an Oscar in that category.
Streisand’s influence on the film industry extends beyond her on-screen performances, demonstrated by her prowess behind the camera as well. With Yentl, she became the first woman to direct, produce, write, and star in a major motion picture, and the first woman to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Director.
With a career spanning over six decades and 80 albums, Streisand has influenced generations of musicians who continue to draw inspiration from her unparalleled vocal range and emotive delivery. Her debut, The Barbra Streisand Album, released in 1963, established her as a vocal powerhouse, earning her two Grammy Awards for Best Female Vocalist and Album of the Year. It established her penchant for interpreting her lyrics as an actor would approach a script. Always experimenting, Streisand’s repertoire spans a mix of genres, from Broadway standards to pop, jazz, and even classical music. The self-described “actress who sings” is the only recording artist to achieve a No. 1 album in each of the last six decades.
Over the years, Streisand has demonstrated a deep commitment to various causes. In 1986 she established The Streisand Foundation, which has been a force for positive change, supporting a wide array of critical issues, including the environment, women’s rights, civil liberties, and nuclear disarmament.
Her dedication to women’s cardiovascular health is evident in the establishment of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. In response to an invitation from the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Streisand became an ambassador for the UNITED24 platform in September 2022 and played a vital role in raising funds for medical care.
Recently, she endowed the Barbra Streisand Institute at UCLA to examine the critical issues of our time such as Truth in the Public Sphere, the Impact of Climate Change, the Dynamics of Intimacy and Power between Women and Men, and the Impact of Art on the Culture.
Nominated and voted on by members of the SAG-AFTRA National Honors and Tributes Committee, the Life Achievement Award is bestowed for outstanding achievement in fostering the best ideals of the acting profession. The recipient of this award is a well-established performer who has contributed to improving the image of the acting profession and has a history of active involvement in humanitarian and public service endeavors.
