Historian & Award-Winning Documentary Filmmaker
Ken Burns Biography
Ken Burns has been making documentary films for almost fifty years. Since the Academy Award-nominated "Brooklyn Bridge" in 1981, Burns has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including "The Civil War"; "Baseball"; "Jazz"; "The War"; "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea"; "Prohibition"; "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History"; "The Vietnam War"; "Country Music"; "The U.S. and the Holocaust"; "The American Buffalo"; and, most recently, "Leonardo da Vinci."
Future film projects include "The American Revolution," "Emancipation to Exodus," and "LBJ & the Great Society," among others.
Burns’s films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including seventeen Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations. In September of 2008, at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards, Burns was honored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In November of 2022, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Ken Burns and other top speakers and celebrities.
Ken Burns Speaking Topics
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On-Stage Conversation/Audience Q&A
This is a less formal, Inside-the-Actors-Studio type of event. Ken Burns responds to questions from a moderator on all his films (or film-specific) and issues in history and contemporary American culture. Audience Q&A to conclude if requested.
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Old Ghosts and Ancient Tones (Country Music)
This powerful, moving speech digs deep into the history and meaning of country music: its greatest stars and the words and music that touch on universal human experiences. (Clip(s) optional.)
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How do I book Ken Burns to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Ken Burns for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Ken Burns, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Ken Burns or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Ken Burns
Speaking fees for Ken Burns, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Ken Burns are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $50,000 - $100,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Ken Burns, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Ken Burns speak about?
Ken Burns is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Baseball, Business, College, Commencement, Creativity, Democrat, Disruptive Thinking, History, Innovation, Inspirational, Motivational, Music, Non-Fiction Authors, Political, Television & Film, Thought Leadership -
Where does Ken Burns travel from?
Ken Burns generally travels from Walpole, NH, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Ken Burns’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Ken Burns for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Ken Burns for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Ken Burns or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Ken Burns is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as On-Stage Conversation/Audience Q&A, Old Ghosts and Ancient Tones (Country Music), A History of the World (The Vietnam War), The Rising Road (The Roosevelts: An Intimate History), A Treasure House of Nature’s Superlatives (The National Parks: America’s Best Idea) and Sharing the American Experience (The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz). The estimated speaking fee range to book Ken Burns for your event is $100,000 - $200,000. Ken Burns generally travels from Walpole, NH, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Daymond John, Van Jones, Jon Meacham, Lynn Novick and Kal Penn. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Ken Burns for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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