Barbra Streisand to Receive the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award

Barbra Streisand will be honored with the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment in 2024.

Given annually to an actor who fosters the "finest ideals of the acting profession," the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Streisand's numerous accolades, including being one of only 18 EGOT winners.

Recent honorees include Sally Field, Helen Mirren, Carol Burnett, Morgan Freeman, Lily Tomlin, and more.

The SAG Awards will be Saturday, February 24, 2024. The two-hour ceremony will be streamed live on Netflix at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT) from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall. Nominations will be announced on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

Streisand says, “Ever since I was a young girl sitting in the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, I dreamed of being one of those actresses I saw on the screen. The movies were a portal to a world I could only imagine. Even though I was an unlikely candidate, somehow my dream came true. This award is especially meaningful to me because it comes from my fellow actors, whom I so admire.”

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said, "Barbra Streisand is an icon and unparalleled talent, a force of nature who has seamlessly woven her brilliance through the fabric of our industry. From her earliest days captivating audiences on Broadway to her unforgettable roles in cinematic classics like Funny Girl, The Way We Were, and A Star Is Born, Barbra's ability to inhabit her characters with authenticity is nothing short of extraordinary.”

“Her enduring career is a testament to her genuine performances, connecting with audiences on a profound level. She is a colossal icon with a relentless work ethic, evolving with each stage of her remarkable journey. We celebrate Barbra Streisand not just for her achievements but for the enduring legacy she has carved.”

Nominated and voted on by members of the SAG-AFTRA National Honors and Tributes Committee, the Life Achievement Award is bestowed for outstanding achievement in fostering the best ideals of the acting profession. The recipient of this award is a well-established performer who has contributed to improving the image of the acting profession and has a history of active involvement in humanitarian and public service endeavors.

The award comes after a momentous year for Streisand. The icon released her memoir, My Name Is Barbra, in November to rave reviews. The memoir was joined by the release of two albums – the deluxe edition of the Yentl soundtrack and "Evergreens: Celebrating Six Decades on Columbia Records," which was filled with classics and vault tracks.

About Barbra Streisand

With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).

Streisand began her career by performing in nightclubs and Broadway theaters in the early 1960s. Following her guest appearances on various television shows, she signed to Columbia Records, insisting that she retain full artistic control, and accepting lower pay in exchange, an arrangement that continued throughout her career, and released her debut The Barbra Streisand Album (1963), which won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Throughout her recording career, Streisand has topped the US Billboard 200 chart with 11 albums—a record for a woman—including People (1964), The Way We Were (1974), Guilty (1980), and The Broadway Album (1985). She also achieved five number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100—"The Way We Were", "Evergreen", "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", and "Woman in Love".

Following her established recording success in the 1960s, Streisand ventured into film by the end of that decade. She starred in the critically acclaimed Funny Girl (1968), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Additional fame followed with films including the extravagant musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), the screwball comedy What's Up, Doc? (1972), and the romantic drama The Way We Were (1973).

Streisand won a second Academy Award for writing the love theme from A Star Is Born (1976), the first woman to be honored as a composer. With the release of Yentl (1983), Streisand became the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major studio film. The film won an Oscar for Best Score and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Musical. Streisand also received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, becoming the first (and for 37 years, the only) woman to win that award. Streisand later directed The Prince of Tides (1991) and The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996).

With sales exceeding 150 million records worldwide, Streisand is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 68.5 million certified album units tying with Mariah Carey. Billboard ranked Streisand as the greatest female artist on the Billboard 200 chart and the top Adult Contemporary female artist of all time. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, 10 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Grammy Legend Award, five Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and nine Golden Globes.

Photo: Russell James