Salford actor Tony Warren, the noted creator of Coronation Street, the longest-running soap in British history, is to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Salford Nations and Regions Media Conference.
The 79-year-old was born Anthony McVay Simpson in at Wilton Avenue in Pendlebury, and adopted Warren as a stage name in his early acting career.
In 1960, ITV Granada producer Harry Elton commissioned a script from Warren for a show about “a street out there”, and Warren wrote all 13 episodes of the serial.
55 years later, there have been 8,754 broadcast episodes of Coronation Street.
When the show became a success Warren continued to write scripts for the series until 1968 and contributed sporadically until the late 1970s.
Today he is kept on by ITV Studios as a consultant where he keeps a close eye on all aspects of the show.
Coronation Street helped establish Manchester and Salford’s place in British culture and is one of the most financially successful programmes ever on British TV.
Salford International Media Festival Director, the University of Salford’s Beth Hewitt said: “We’re delighted that the legendary creator of Coronation Street, Tony Warren, will be receiving the inaugural NARM Achievement Award at the Salford International Media Festival.
“Few people have done more for regional broadcasting; he helped to put Manchester and Salford on the cultural map.
“He is shows why regional television is vital to our country’s media landscape and was a trailblazer for so many people who will be attending our Nations and Regions Media Conference.”
The NARM Achievement Award will be presented to Tony Warren on Monday 16 November at the opening of the Salford International Media Festival.
Among the keynote speakers are Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP, former Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein, pioneering video journalist, Michael Rosenblum, and Director of BBC England and Radio, Helen Boaden.
