David Frost to receive International Emmy

The long and distinguished career of Sir David Frost will be honoured with a special International Emmy at a ceremony tonight.

The British TV legend will be presented with an International Emmy Founders Award by ABC's Barbara Walters during the 37th Annual International Emmy Awards at the Hilton hotel in New York.

"When they're up there on the stage, you are going to be looking at two of the greatest interviewers in the history of television paired together," said International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences president Bruce L. Paisner.

The Founders Award will celebrate Frost's acclaimed broadcasting career, ranging from pioneering satire show That Was The Week That Was in the 1960s to interviewing former US president Richard Nixon in the late 1970s.

"He's had an amazing and unique media career. One of the really interesting things about David is that he's made a lot of comebacks," Paisner told The AP.

"I think a lot of people had stopped thinking about him and then [Oscar-nominated film] Frost/Nixon appeared and you really saw how good he could be."

Among nine other British nominees for an International Emmy - which honour excellence in TV programming from outside the US - is Julie Walters for her performance in euthanasia drama A Short Stay In Switzerland.

The BBC's espionage series Spooks is up for 'Best Drama' and spoof talent show Peter Kay's Got The Pop Factor is in the running for 'Best Comedy'.