Adam Sharp appointed President & CEO, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

Former NBC/C-SPAN Broadcast and Twitter News & Government Elections Executive
to Lead 17,000+ Member Professional Media Service Organization

New York, NY – December 18, 2018 — The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and its Board of Trustees announced today that Adam Sharp, former Head of News, Government and Elections at Twitter, has been appointed President & CEO of the organization.  Mr. Sharp, who has had a distinguished career with stints at NBC and C-SPAN, has been working as the Academy’s Interim President & CEO since February, 2018. He will lead the organization’s operations including sales, promotion, marketing, financial management and planning of its various Emmy® Award programs.

“Adam Sharp’s story is truly a unique story of success,” said Terry O’Reilly, Chairman, NATAS. “Adam’s career in media began when he was awarded one of our very first National Scholarships, in 1996.  In the two-plus decades that have passed – through Adam’s years with NBC News and C-SPAN, his tenure as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA), and his role as Head of News, Government and Elections at Twitter – Adam developed the personal and professional acumen that makes him the ideal candidate to guide our iconic organization. I couldn’t be more pleased by his appointment.”

“It’s an honor to now be a part of reshaping the definition and recognition of excellence in our space for the years to come,” said Sharp. “The visual media industry is going through myriad, transformative changes on multiple fronts: shifting viewing habits, new technologies, and upended business models. I’m excited to be at the helm of the Academy as the future of our industry evolves.”

Adam Sharp

Adam Sharp has forged a distinctive career of more than twenty years at the intersection of media, politics and technology. From 2010 through 2016, Sharp was Head of News, Government and Elections at Twitter, advising journalists, news organizations, candidates and government officials in more than 20 nations. He became the longest-serving member of the company’s global media team, and its most visible broadcast spokesperson.

He appears regularly as a noted expert and speaker on digital communications and marketing, political affairs and strategy, and issues related to “fake news” and misinformation. Recent appearances include events hosted by the New America Foundation, the National Democratic Institute International Leaders Forum, the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, and the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.

Sharp served U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., from 2004 to 2009, first as a spokesman and later as Deputy Chief of Staff. He played an integral role in the creation of the Senate Centrist Caucus; the “Gang of 14” agreement to approve Supreme Court nominees and delay for nearly a decade use of the so-called “nuclear option;” bipartisan compromises on the federal budget and energy policy; and the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

He has also held leadership roles at NBC and C-SPAN, and is also currently a board member of the National Press Foundation and a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) is a professional service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and related media, and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy^® Award for News & Documentary, Sports, Daytime, Daytime Creative Arts & Entertainment, and Technology & Engineering, and with Regional Emmy^® Awards presented in 19 chapters across the country. Beyond awards, NATAS has extensive educational programs including its Regional Student Television Awards and its National Student Production Award for outstanding journalistic work by high school students, along with scholarships, publications, and major activities for both industry professionals and the viewing public.  For more information, please visit the website at www.theemmys.tv

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