The Saturn Awards issued the following statement to TrekMovie, explaining the honor they are bestowing:
“The Lifetime Achievement Award is usually presented to an individual for their contributions to genre entertainment. Top luminaries like Stan Lee and Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock himself, have received this top honor. It’s not new, but we extended this award to cover the entire cast of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ due to its continued influence on the face of general television. It was originally doomed to failure since it was following in the footsteps of the original ‘Star Trek,’ yet it carved its own identity, and its diverse cast was light years ahead of its time!”
That “doomed to failure” statement will ring true for those present in 1987 when “Next Generation” first aired. There was a lot of skepticism about a “Star Trek” spinoff that didn’t involve the cast of the original series in any way, and production on the show was notoriously rocky for its first two seasons. But, as stated, “Next Generation” forged its own identity quickly, and now might be considered the purer version of Gene Roddenberry’s initial vision; “Next Generation,” even more than the original series, is devoted to diplomacy, peace, and multiculturalism.
Various “Star Trek” shows have, in toto, been nominated for 15 Saturns just this year, a record for the series. Both “Star Trek: Picard” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” were nominated for Best Science Fiction Television Series, and “Star Trek: Lower Decks” was nominated for Best Animated Series. Trek actors Stewart, Frakes, Jeri Ryan, Celia Rose Gooding, Amanda Plummer, Paul Wesley, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Todd Stashwick, and Ed Speleers have also been nominated.