Sam Rubin receives posthumous honor at 76th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards 

Legendary KTLA 5 entertainment reporter Sam Rubin was honored with a posthumous award at the 76^th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards. 

The L.A. Area Emmy Awards, which honor locally produced programs in categories including live and breaking news coverage, crime and social issues, the arts and more, was hosted by Michaela Pereira at the Four Seasons Hotel Beverly Wilshire on Saturday night. 

KTLA was the winner of two awards: Best Live Special Events News Coverage for the 2023 WeHo Pride Parade (given to 14 distinguished KTLA producers, directors, hosts and reporters) and Best Entertainment News Story for KTLA 5 Morning News’ coverage of the SAG-AFTRA strike; the latter award was bestowed upon the late Sam Rubin. 

In addition to taking home the award for entertainment news story, Sam was also honored with the 76^th Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award, which recognized his legacy of more than 30 years of entertainment news reporting for KTLA. 

KTLA 5’s Jessica Holmes and Eric Spillman presented the Governors Award to Sam’s children, Darcy and Colby, during Saturday night’s ceremony. 

“What he did every morning on the air was amazing,” Spillman said.  “I would ask him ‘Please save the show’ and he would joke ‘I’m not sure I can,’ but invariably, he did.”  

Spillman then thanked the Academy for honoring Sam before Darcy and Colby were introduced to a standing ovation.