Robert De Niro will be honored at next January’s Golden Globe® Awards telecast with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for his outstanding contribution to the entertainment field. Philip Berk, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), was joined by Golden Globe Award-nominated actor Kevin Spacey in making the announcement this morning.

The Cecil B. DeMille Award will be presented to De Niro at The 68th Annual Golden Globe® Awards on Sunday, January 16, 2011, LIVE coast-to-coast on NBC from 5:00-8:00 p.m. (PST)/8:00-11:00 p.m. (EST) from the Beverly Hilton Hotel with host Ricky Gervais.

Chosen by the HFPA Board of Directors, the Cecil B. DeMille Award is given annually to the talented individuals who have made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment. Recent recipients include Martin Scorsese (2010), Steven Spielberg (2009), Warren Beatty (2007), Anthony Hopkins (2006), Robin Williams (2005), Michael Douglas (2004), Gene Hackman (2003), Harrison Ford (2002), Al Pacino (2001), and Barbra Streisand (2000).

De Niro takes pride in the development of his production company Tribeca Productions, the Tribeca Film Center – which he founded with Jane Rosenthal in 1988 – and in the Tribeca Film Festival, which he founded with Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 as a response to the attacks on the World Trade Center. The festival was conceived to foster the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music and culture. The festival’s mission is to promote New York City as a major filmmaking center and help filmmakers reach the broadest possible audiences.

The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards” will air on NBC on Sunday, January 16, 2011 from 5-8 (PST) and 8-11 (EST) live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

source: HFPA