PRIMETIME EMMY� AWARD WINNER KATHY GRIFFIN TO HOST THE 2009 PRIMETIME CREATIVE ARTS EMMY� AWARDS

Lee Miller, Steve Venezia and Spike Jones, Jr. Return to Produce Show on Saturday, Sept. 12 at NOKIA Theatre, LA Live

North Hollywood, CA � Two-time Primetime Emmy� Award winner Kathy Griffin will host the 2009 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy� Awards on Saturday, Sept. 12 from the NOKIA Theatre, it was announced today by Lee Miller and Steve Venezia, executive producers of the Creative Arts show. The show will air as a two-hour special on E! Entertainment Television.

Spike Jones, Jr. will return to produce the show for the 15th year. "We're thrilled as Kathy's the first Emmy winner to host the Creative Arts show. She stole the show the last two years, so now, we�re giving her the opportunity to officially hijack it. We�re all very, very excited. And just a little bit scared," said Jones Jr.

A self-proclaimed "D-list celebrity," Griffin first gained recognition for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan as Vicki Groener, Brooke Shields' acerbic colleague. A multi-faceted performer with rapid fire wit, Griffin's My Life on the D-List debuted on Bravo in August 2005 to rave reviews. Now in its fourth season, Griffin received two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program Non-Competition, which was presented at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Ceremonies in 2007 and 2008.

A Chicago native, Griffin moved west and joined the famed Los Angeles Groundlings comedy improvisational troupe where she began building her resume with guest starring roles on such series� as ER and Seinfeld, where she created recurring character Sally Weaver.

After her various TV guest spots, Griffin began gaining notice as a stand-up comedienne and landed her own HBO Half Hour Comedy Special. In 1998, HBO gave Griffin her own one-hour special, A Hot Cup of Talk. She has co-hosted The Billboard Music Awards three years in a row and her passion for reality TV led her to participate in Celebrity Mole on ABC, which she won. She then hosted the NBC reality series Average Joe, as well as the MTV series Kathy's So-Called Reality. In addition, she has yearly performed a set of four very successful stand-up specials for Bravo -- Kathy Griffin Is�Not Nicole Kidman (2005), Kathy Griffin: Strong Black Woman (2006), Kathy Griffin: Straight to Hell (2008) and most recently Kathy Griffin: She�ll Cut a Bitch, which aired in April on Bravo. She also just returned for her second stint as host of Bravo�s The A-List Awards to which she garnered great reviews.

In June 2008, Griffin released her first comedy album "For Your Consideration," featuring tracks such as "Straight Guys Wake Up!" and "Hi Barbara Walters." The album received a Grammy nomination for "Best Comedy Album."

Griffin is very involved with the gay community and was presented with the prestigious Vanguard Award at the 2009 GLAAD Media Awards. She won the Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Lead in a Comedy Series and a Lucie Award. Griffin was also nominated for the PGA Award in the category of Television Producer of the Year Award in Non-Fiction Television.

Through his company SJ2 Entertainment, Spike Jones, Jr. has established himself as a leading player in the areas of awards shows and live TV variety shows. He has taken the Creative Arts ceremony from a dinner dance to a major annual event. He recently entered into the arena of reality TV by co-creating and executive producing Camping with the In-Laws, a reality show pilot for Lifetime Network. Jones, Jr. has a long list of credits with the major networks and has also produced and directed projects for HBO, Oxygen, Showtime, A&E Networks, MTV, VH1, The History Channel, Spike TV, Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite.

Lee Miller is co-chair of the 2009 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and has served on the Television Academy's Executive Committee. He has had a varied career in television with credits in series, specials, sitcoms and made-for-television movies. He has served as producer, director and associate producer on specials starring Cher, Doris Day, Garth Brooks and on such events as the Tony Awards, The Academy Awards, People's Choice Awards, Special Olympics and 19 Jerry Lewis MDA telethons.

Steve Venezia is co-chair of the 2009 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and serves on the Television Academy's Executive Committee. He is director of production services operations for Dolby Laboratories� Burbank office. Upon joining Dolby in 1995, he worked intensively on the adoption and launch of digital television and HDTV. His work in television sound extends across broadcast, cable and satellite networks, postproduction and industry standards organizations. Venezia began his career in audio in 1976 working with a variety of musical artists including Frank Zappa, Dire Straits, INXS and Tom Waits.

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About the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946 just one month after network television was born. It is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of telecommunications arts and sciences and to fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry.

In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through its Emmy� Award, the Television Academy publishes Emmy� Magazine and stages many industry-related programs, services and year-round events for the television community.