York Honored as the IPA's 2009 Mary Pickford Award Winner. Los Angeles, CA, October 14, 2009 --The International Press Academy today announced that actor Michael York will receive the 2009Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Entertainment Industry at this year's 14th Annual Satellite Awards™ on Sunday, December 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA.

Spanning 45 years in entertainment, Michael York's career began on stage in his native England with the National Youth Theatre. After graduating from Oxford University, he joined Laurence Olivier's National Theatre in 1965 and made his film debut the following year in Franco "Zeffirelli's The Taming of the Shrew" with legendary screen couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. He also appeared as Tybalt in the Zeffirelli remake of "Romeo and Juliet".

York's movie career now includes more than 60 credits. He dazzled with Liza Minnelli in Bob Fosse's "Cabaret" (1972), found heartthrob status as d'Artagnan in The "Three Musketeers" (1973) and its sequels.York played Logan 5 in cult classic "Logan's Run" (1976) opposite the late 70's icon Farrah Fawcett. Other classic credits include the all-star "Murder on the Orient Express"(1974), "The Island of Doctor Moreau "(Burt Lancaster version), The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977) and Billy Wilder's "Fedora" (1978).

Michael York broke through to a new generation as Basil Exposition, Mike Myer's boss, in the first installment of the Austin Power's trilogy in 1997. He played that memorable character in all three of Myer's spy send-ups, most recently in "Goldmember" (2002), which was released the same year that York received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This year the distinguished actor stars in "The Mill and the Cross" (with Rutger Hauer and Charlotte Rampling) and narrates the documentary "Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies". Besides playing himself recently in Larry David's wry sitcom "Curb Your Enthusiasm", York has appeared on "The Simpsons" and in the 100th episode "of Law and Order: Criminal Intent". The veteran entertainer's more 80 television credits include several Emmy nominations.

A multi-talented performer with international appeal, York has appeared on Broadway, and performed at music festivals worldwide. An accomplished author, he is also a Grammy-nominated audio book narrator, as well as a sought-after lecturer on Shakespeare and the history of acting. His distinctive voice is most recently in evidence as the narrator of a new audio version of the entire Bible.

Previous awards and honors recognizing the actor's influential talent include Britain's OBE and France's Arts et Lettres. Married to the celebrated photographer, Pat York, he lives in Los Angeles where he is the long-time Chairman of the California Youth Theatre. Michael York's lifetime contribution to the industry will be celebrated with the IPA's presentation of the Mary Pickford Award on Dec. 20, with the venue to be announced shortly.

Past recipients of the International Press Academy's Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution tothe Entertainment Industry include: Louis Gossett, Jr., Kathy Bates, Martin Landau, Gena Rowlands, Susan Sarandon, Arnon Milchan, Robert Evans, Karl Malden, Francis Ford Coppola, Maximilian Schell, Alan J. Pakula, Jodie Foster, and Rod Steiger. Michael York will be the fourteenth recipient of the Mary Pickford Award The International Press Academy(IPA) is among the largest and most diverse associations of professional entertainment journalists representing both domestic and foreign markets inprint, television, radio, cable, new media outlets. See www.pressacademy.com for more information.