Bassem Youssef, the Egyptian who shot to fame with his satirical show "Al-Bernameg" after the 2011 revolution, has received yet another international honor. And this time the man dubbed “the Jon Stewart of Egypt” will be hosting the International Emmy Awards Gala this year.
"I am extremely honored to be chosen following the footsteps of incredibly funny and distinguished comedians like John Oliver and Matt Lucas who hosted the ceremony in the last two years,” Youssef said in a press release from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which organizes the Emmys. "Being the first host from the Middle East will put more responsibility on my shoulders to serve this position in the best way I can and I hope that this will shed more light on the vibrant entertainment industry in my region."
The announcement of Youssef as host was made Monday evening, and the awards ceremony will be held in New York on November 23.
"Bassem Youssef has been dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab world but in fact his talent has no borders," Bruce Paisner, head of the International Academy, said in the press release. "Through his own show and his many appearances on the Daily Show, he has become a comedic force and important political commentator around the world.”
Despite no longer being on the air – Youssef ended his run on Al-Burnameg last year after the election of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al Sisi – the accolades have continued to pour in for the man who was credited with starting a “humour assault” on the previous (now ousted) President Mohammed Morsi.
Last month, Youssef won the silver medal in the “best host” category at the New Work Festival’s World Best TV and Film awards. He has also received the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Youssef is currently a resident fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics and is working on a documentary about comedy in the Middle East.