Ellen DeGeneres, who was lauded as the host of the "The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards," giving the post-September 11th telecast audience a reason to laugh, is an entertainment pioneer whose distinctive comic voice has resonated with audiences from her stand-up comedy appearances through her work on television, in film and in the literary world. DeGeneres has made a home for herself with her nine-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning syndicated talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," which is embarking on its third season. This year, DeGeneres won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

Prior to the launch of her talk show, DeGeneres provided the voice for Dory in the blockbuster animated feature film "Finding Nemo." She also crossed the country on a 35-city stand-up comedy tour, entitled the "Here and Now" tour. The series included a performance taped for a highly-rated cable comedy special which was subsequently nominated for two Emmy Awards. Last year, DeGeneres' second book, The Funny Thing Is. hit the New York Times' bestseller list, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for the audio version of the book. Her first book, My Point. And I Do Have One, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

DeGeneres began her career as an emcee at a local comedy club in her hometown of New Orleans, which eventually led to her winning Showtime's Funniest Person in America. She went on to tape several acclaimed and award-winning cable specials. She began her acting career in television on the sitcom "Open House" and then on "Laurie Hill" before starring in "These Friends of Mine," which was later renamed "Ellen." Running from 1994-1998, "Ellen" garnered record ratings and numerous awards and nominations, including a Peabody and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. She followed with the CBS sitcom, "The Ellen Show" in 2001.

DeGeneres' other television credits include the Emmy nominated television movie "If These Walls Could Talk II," which she also executive produced, and an Emmy nominated guest appearance on "The Larry Sanders Show." Her feature film credits include "EdTV," "The Love Letter," "Goodbye Lover," "Coneheads" and "Mr. Wrong," among others. She has hosted such industry events as the "38th Annual Grammy Awards," for which she earned an Emmy nomination, the "39th Annual Grammy Awards," the "46th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards," for which she received an American Comedy Award, "VH1 Honors," which garnered her a Cable Ace Award, "VH1 Divas Las Vegas" and a "Saturday Night Live" Christmas special.