Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment have been named executive producers of the 95th Oscars.
Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry Entertainment have been named executive producers of the 95th Oscars, Academy CEO Bill Kramer announced on Sept. 17.
Weiss also will direct the show for his eighth consecutive year.
It will be Weiss’s second time and Kirshner’s first time producing the Oscars.
The 95th Academy Awards is set for Sunday, March 12, 2023. See the full timeline here.
"We are thrilled to have Glenn and Ricky at the helm," said Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a statement. "Their expertise in live television production is exactly what the Oscars needs. We look forward to working closely with them, our Board of Governors, and the Board's Awards Committee to deliver an exciting and energized show."
The Creative Team
The Academy also announced part of the creative team assembled "to help shape the vision and direction of the Oscars":
- Red carpet show executive producer David Chamberlin, a veteran of live television production
- Red carpet creative consultants Lisa Love and Raúl Àvila, creative contributor and creative director for the Met Gala, respectively
- Creative director and Academy member Kenny Gravillis, who has developed iconic key art and campaigns for legions of movies
- Production designers Misty Buckley, production designer of world tours and televised music shows for artists Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande and Coldplay, and Alana Billingsley, art director on previous Oscars, Emmys and GRAMMYS broadcasts.
About the Team
Glenn Weiss has directed numerous live televised events, including seven previous Oscars shows, for which he won two Primetime Emmys, and 21 Tony Awards shows, which earned him three directing and nine producing Primetime Emmys. He also has won eight DGA Awards for his work on the Oscars and the Tonys.
Ricky Kirshner has more than 30 years of entertainment production experience and has produced shows for every major network. He has received 26 Emmy nominations and has won nine Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and an Edward R. Murrow Award. Kirshner’s credits include many of the most watched and award-winning television specials, including the Tony Awards, 14 Super Bowl Halftime Shows, “Night of Too Many Stars,” “The Primetime Emmy Awards,” “The Democratic National Convention,” Presidential Inaugurals and many others.
David Chamberlin will return for the fourth consecutive year to executive produce ABC’s “The Oscars Red Carpet Show,” the official live lead-in to the 95th Oscars broadcast. Chamberlin leads Full Day Productions, with credits including the “Savage X Fenty Show,” “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration,” multiple “30 for 30” films, “Monday Night Football” with Peyton and Eli, NFL Honors and the ESPY Awards.
Lisa Love and Raúl Àvila will join the team for the first time to reimagine the Oscars red carpet aesthetic and guest experience. Àvila is the creative director for the Met Gala, and Love is a creative contributor overseeing various aspects of the event. They led the creative team for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ 2021 and 2022 galas.
Kenny Gravillis joins the team for the first time to conceptualize the key art for this year’s Oscars marketing campaign. His design agency, Gravillis Inc., recently rebranded Orion Pictures and has developed iconic key art and campaigns for legions of movies, including “Dune,” “Summer of Soul,” “Birds of Prey,” “Queen & Slim,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Free Solo,” “Iris” and so many more. A member of the Academy’s Marketing and Public Relations Branch, Gravillis also created posters and collateral materials for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ retail store.
Misty Buckley and Alana Billingsley join the team for the first time as production designers – and also the first women-led design team – for the 95th Oscars. Buckley has designed world tours and productions for such artists as Ariana Grande, Kacey Musgraves and Coldplay, including the band’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. She also designed the 2021 GRAMMYS, the London 2012 Paralympics Closing Ceremony, the 2015 Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony, the 2022 Commonwealth Games ceremonies, the Brit Awards and numerous television productions for the BBC and ITV. Buckley earned a BAFTA nomination for her work with Stormzy at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival and Emmy nominations for her production design of the 2021 GRAMMYS and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Live!.” Billingsley was an art director on six previous Oscars broadcasts, for which she earned five Emmy nominations and won two Emmys. Additional credits include “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “The Primetime Emmy Awards,” “GRAMMYS,” “CMA Awards,” “BET Awards” and numerous other live television productions.
Production Team (New)
The Oscars executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner announced on Feb. 9 key members of the production team for the 95th Oscars.
Co-Executive Producer
Rob Paine has worked on the Oscars telecast for over two decades and returns for his 28th year in a new role as co-executive producer. Paine has more than 200 credits to his name, spanning four decades, and is the recipient of 14 Primetime Emmy® Award nominations, a Peabody Award and the Emerson College Distinguished Alumni Award. He specializes in live, large-scale television events such as “Adele: One Night Only,” “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” Super Bowl Halftime Shows, “Primetime Emmy Awards” and “The Kennedy Center Honors.”
Producers
NEW: Sarah Levine Hall joins the Oscars telecast for the first time. She is an Emmy Award-nominated producer known for her work in live and variety television specials. Her credits include working with White Cherry Entertainment on the “Tony Awards,” “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “Primetime Emmy Awards,” “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!” and “Celebrating America: An Inauguration Night Special.”
Raj Kapoor has been associated with the Oscars telecast for six years and returns as a producer. He has earned four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won a Primetime Emmy Award for executive producing the Outstanding Variety Special Pre-Recorded, “Adele: One Night Only.” Kapoor’s recent credits include “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter,” “GRAMMY Awards,” “Latin GRAMMYS,” several “The Disney Family Singalong” specials and “Stand Up to Cancer.”
Taryn Hurd rejoins the Oscars for the 10th consecutive year as talent producer. She also has served as talent producer on the past seven Governors Awards ceremonies along with numerous television variety specials and award shows.
Erin Irwin joins the Oscars production team as a producer. She is an executive producer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and has worked alongside Kimmel for 25 years, beginning with “The Man Show” on Comedy Central. Irwin has proven herself to be a staple at “Kimmel,” producing the show for nearly 20 years, rising from supervising producer to co-executive producer, before being elevated to executive producer in 2021. Irwin’s other producing credits include “The Emmy Awards,” “The Oscars,” “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show,” “Donny & Marie,” “Later” and “The Wayne Brady Show,” for which she won a Daytime Emmy in 2003.
Jennifer Sharron joins the Oscars production team as a producer. She serves as an executive producer on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and has earned 11 Emmy nominations for her contributions to the show. Sharron joined the show at its debut in 2003 and has ascended from executive assistant to executive producer over the past 20 years. As a show producer, she was tasked with leading the field production team responsible for all pre-taped and live comedy segments for the show. Sharron has lent her producing skills to other industry tentpole events, serving as a producer on both the “Primetime Emmy Awards” and “The Oscars.”
Music Director
Rickey Minor returns to the Oscars, having last been the music director in 2020. He has received 14 Emmy Award nominations and won twice for Outstanding Music Direction. Minor’s numerous television credits include “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “American Idol,” “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “GRAMMY Awards” and “Primetime Emmy Awards.” Minor has also worked with Adele, Jon Batiste, Beyoncé, John Legend, Ed Sheeran and many more.
Lighting Designer
Robert Dickinson returns for his 34th Oscars show. During his four-decades long career, he has won 18 Primetime Emmy Awards and has over 1,500 on-screen television credits. His credits include “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “GRAMMY® Awards,” “Primetime Emmy Awards,” “Tony® Awards,” “Golden Globe® Awards,” and “Academy of Country Music Awards”; Olympics ceremonies in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Athens, Vancouver and Shanghai; Super Bowl Halftime Shows and Democratic National Conventions. Dickinson has also worked on numerous television music specials for Christina Aguilera, Cher, Celine Dion, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Elton John, Ricky Martin, NSYNC, Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Taylor Swift, James Taylor, Justin Timberlake and U2. Dickinson has been recognized with an honorary degree of doctor of fine arts from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama for his body of work and influence.
Writers
Nefetari Spencer joins the Oscars production team as a writer. She began her career as a production coordinator and assistant to Bernie Mac. Her writing credits include material for Anthony Anderson, Deon Cole, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Leslie Jones, Niecy Nash, Craig Robinson and more. Spencer also wrote and performed in the one-woman show “I Am Willa.” Her past award show credits include “Primetime Emmy Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” “Soul Train Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “BET Awards” and more.
Agathe Panaretos returns as a writer for her third Oscars telecast. She was a writer-at-large for The Onion and has written for a variety of shows, including Netflix’s first late-night talk show, “Chelsea,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023,” “2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards,” “2021 MTV Video Music Awards,” “The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards,” “The Kennedy Center Honors” and “Crank Yankers.” Her work has also been featured on E!, “Funny or Die” and “Team Coco.”
Dave Boone is a three-time Emmy and three-time Writers Guild of America Award-winning writer and producer. Returning for his 13th Oscars telecast, he began his Oscars journey as a member of Billy Crystal’s team on the 70th Academy Awards. Boone reunited with Crystal on the 72nd, 76th and 84th Oscars. He has also written for show hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin, and served as head writer for Neil Patrick Harris on the 87th Oscars. The head writer of 18 consecutive Tony Awards telecasts, Boone’s other credits include “Primetime Emmy Awards,” “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “The Kennedy Center Honors” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” Boone is also a sought-after script doctor for Broadway.
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