Nigel Lythgoe, shown Nov. 22, 2009, is to be honoured at the Banff World Television Festival in June. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

Nigel Lythgoe, the British producer who was a driving force behind American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, will be given an award of excellence at this year's Banff World Television Festival.

Lythgoe is best known to audiences as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, but he also collaborated with Simon Fuller on Pop Idol, which later became American Idol.

His reality TV career also includes creating a U.K. version of Survivor and executive-producing So You Think You Can Dance.

Lythgoe began his career as a dancer with Young Generation and became a choreographer before getting into directing and production.

The four-day TV festival brings together industry professionals to strategize and network in Banff, Alta.

Lythgoe is to be a keynote speaker at the festival, which also features sessions with some prominent show producers and others. They include:

• Ricky Gervais of The Office.
• David W. Zucker of The Good Wife.
• James Manos Jr. of Dexter.
• Bill Prady of Big Bang Theory.
• Bryan Elsley of Skins.
• Peter Murrieta of Wizards of Waverly Place.
• Tom Chehak of ReGenesis.

The festival is scheduled for June 13 to 16.