The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, otherwise known as NATAS, has appointed a new person at the helm. The organization that puts on the Daytime Emmy Awards and its Board of Trustees has announced that Adam Sharp, former Head of News, Government and Elections at Twitter, has been appointed as its President and CEO.
In his new role, Sharp will lead NATAS' day-to-day operations, including sales, promotion, marketing, financial management, and planning of its Emmy Award programs.
Sharp, who has been working as the Academy's interim President and CEO since February 2018, has an impressive résumé that includes time at major organizations like NBC, C-SPAN, and the aforementioned Twitter. 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.
"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."
It's an honor to be a part of reshaping the definition and recognition of excellence in television (not to mention the definition of "television" itself) for the years to come. https://t.co/CtvbpaXQpv
— Adam Sharp (@AdamS) December 19, 2018
NATAS has been under fire recently following a threatened boycott from all four daytime dramas in response to claims of favoritism, ambiguous rules, and allegations that winners were known in advance at the Daytime Emmy Awards. As Soap Central previously reported, the organization ordered an independent review of the entire Daytime Emmys process, and as a result of the investigation, substantial changes have been made to the Emmy competition.
The 2019 Daytime Emmys ceremony is scheduled to be held on Sunday, May 5, though it's still unclear how the organization and the soaps will work together from here on out. After seeing the findings of the independent report, the soaps decided to lift their boycott but expressed still having concerns they want addressed.
"As a group, we are not in agreement with all of the conclusions that NATAS reached. However, in the spirit of working with NATAS and the TV Academy on improving the integrity of the Daytime Emmys, we have lifted our boycott," the shows said together in a statement. "We look forward to meeting with NATAS to discuss their findings and our concerns in greater detail."
Sharp, however, doesn't seem to believe those disagreements will cause future issues.
But @TheEmmys are well-poised for the road ahead, with creative entries, viewing audience, and sales for all our programs heading into 2019 with meaningful growth. The team is fired up, growing, and eager to partner. (DM me!)
— Adam Sharp (@AdamS) December 19, 2018
What do you think about NATAS appointing a new President and CEO? Do you think the Daytime Emmys will go on as normal this year? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
