Les Stroud
Filmmaker, Outdoor Adventurer, Singer-Songwriter, Performer Best known as the Canadian Screen Award winning producer, creator and star of the hit TV series Survivorman (OLN Canada, The Science Channel US, Discovery Channel International, City TV (Rogers) Canada), Blue Ant Media (Canada), Les Stroud is the only producer in the history of television to produce an internationally broadcast series entirely written, videotaped and hosted alone. The original genre creator of ‘Survival TV’, Survivorman is one of the highest rated shows in the history of OLN Canada, the Science Channel US and Discovery Channel US and remains the highest rated repeat show on the Discovery Channel. Survivorman is licensed for broadcast worldwide, with ratings in the US hitting 2 million on individual episodes. He has been nominated for 12 Canadian Screen Awards (formerly the Geminis) Stroud has appeared in and/or produced numerous television specials including the 20th Anniversary of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week; I Shouldn’t Be Alive; Expedition Everest; Surviving Urban Disasters, and countless more. Les was Executive Producer/Host of the hit kids TV series Survive This (YTV, Cartoon Network) and made celebrity guest appearances on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Top Chef and MTV Cribs. He has made numerous talk show appearances including Piers Morgan Tonite, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson, Larry King Live, and The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos (CBC), to name but a few. A celebrated keynote speaker, storyteller and author, both his books Survive! – Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere–Alive! and Will to Live made the New York Times bestseller list. In Fall 2013, Les released his third novel Beyond Survivorman, featuring the photography of Laura Bombier. He is currently at work on his fourth novel. Musically, Stroud has shared the stage with the top in the business, including Slash, Alice Cooper, Steven Stills, Tommy Shaw, Robbie Krieger, Blues Traveler, Tesla, Jacob Dylan, Randy Bachman, Chicago and The Roots. Revered worldwide for his iconic harmonica playing, Les’s songwriting style runs an eclectic gambit, from art-folk-roots rock to contemporary art rock. He has written all the theme songs for his TV series and scored several independent films. He has won numerous regional music festivals, recorded three CDs (one in collaboration with the Northern Pikes) and is currently recording his fourth and fifth albums. His third CD, Wonderful Things, includes a feature documentary film entitled The Barn Sessions, produced by longtime collaborator Barry Farrell. In 2013, he performed at the prestigious Green Ball in Washington, DC where he met Vice President Joe Biden and was the MC for the inaugural Oceana Ball in New York with Susan Rockefeller. Les has received both the Distinguished Alumni award and was nominated for the Premieres award for excellence for work in his field. Les contributes to dozens of charities and benefits, and is an advanced survival trainer for the Canadian Military Armed Forces.
