Mississippi State filmmakers, content creators and their digital stories won five Southeast Emmys at last month’s National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ regional awards ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia.
MSU’s Division of Strategic Communications, which includes the Office of Public Affairs, the University Television Center, MSU Films and the university’s overall social media efforts, received 10 Emmy nominations this year from the NATAS Southeast Chapter for compelling stories from across the Magnolia State and in Starkville.
“Mississippi State is blessed to have an exceptionally talented group of professional communicators who produce outstanding content that advances the university and its research,” said MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications Sid Salter. “Working collaboratively, these professionals are redefining how the world sees and experiences the university. The stories they tell and the history they record are important threads in the fabric of MSU.”
One such project honored with a Southeast Emmy was the historical and cultural documentary film “Ring Your Bell and Tell Your Tale,” produced in concert with a group of MSU’s Black Alumni who were among the pioneers who enrolled at MSU in the 1960s. The film captures the challenges, struggles and ultimate triumphs of their experiences and preserves vital history that would otherwise be lost.
“Without the involvement and passion of many of our first-generation Black alumni, this project would not have enjoyed this level of success,” Salter said. “University Television Center Director David Garraway, an associate director of OPA, had a vision for developing what would become MSU Films and deserves recognition for guiding our visual digital content development into Emmy-worthy positions with strong support from MSU President Mark E. Keenum.”
Award-winning projects include:
— “The Fisher People”: Documentary—Topical; MSU Films; James Parker, Olivia Aylsworth, Garraway
— “Ring Your Bell and Tell Your Tale”: Historical/Cultural—Long-form; UTC, Brett Thornburg, Garraway
— “Under Fire”: Societal Concerns—Short-form; MSU Films, Aylsworth
— “Welcome to Starkville”: Content Shorts; OPA social media; Sarah Kirk, Austin Bever and Colin Cooper
Parker also won a Southeast Emmy for best long-form content photographer.
“Mississippi has a rich storytelling tradition, and the combined UTC and OPA creative staff develops projects that consistently live up to this standard,” Garraway said. “It’s a testament to their dedication and drive that this work receives high praise and recognition from our industry peers, with MSU winning more Emmys this decade than any other Mississippi media organization.”
The Southeast Chapter is one of 19 in the U.S. identifying and celebrating television excellence at local and regional levels of the NATAS. It includes Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. For more information, visit www.southeastemmy.com.
The Division of Strategic Communications’ award-winning staff provides leadership in strategic and crisis communications; marketing and branding; news and media relations; universitywide publications, including MSU’s Alumnus magazine; and digital and social media content development, including the university’s website. In addition, the organization provides administrative leadership for the UTC and the campus radio station WMSV-FM 91.1, The Junction. OPA and its services are available online at www.opa.msstate.edu.