Welcome, we come together as we do annually, to celebrate the best of television. But this year’s special; we’re celebrating a remarkable milestone - 50 Years of EMMY in the Southeast.
Evelyn Mims
Our Chapter, for 50 years, has showcased and celebrated “the best of the best” in our industry. When you reach for excellence, you grow taller and stronger. The skill and talent we see in each other’s work informs and inspires us to strive for excellence. The EMMY Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate your accomplishments among a community of your professional peers, and provide a step up for the next generation to achieve even greater feats.
In the past 50 years, we’ve seen tumultuous changes in our industry and in our workplaces - myriad changes that have no doubt affected us all. We rise to each new challenge, often unsure of what is on the horizon, but it’s our experience with each new project that makes us better able to face whatever is next.
As our world evolves toward ever-more avenues for the consumption of news, information and entertainment, it is your opportunity to enrich our society with accurate and compelling media. Through your work you put forth your talents, your skills and your heart to better our world. Thank you.
On this occasion, special recognition goes out to one member who has been a steadfast supporter of the Southeast Chapter since its inception - Darryl Cohen. Over the past 50 years, he has served as president, vice-president, trustee, and legal chair. His contributors have ensured the health of the Southeast Chapter as well as NATAS national, where he served as president.
As we move forward, I urge you to lean on the NATAS Southeast Chapter to help remind you to greet the future with excitement - with hope - knowing that through sharing the triumphs and tribulations of the human story, you have what it takes to be a navigator to help make sense of our interconnected world.
Thank you,
Evelyn Mims
President, NATAS
Southeast Chapter
Life Time Service Award Darryl Cohen & Evelyn Mims
“There is a legacy here, "It has increased people's ability to be creative. It has expanded their ability and their reach and it has made a difference.”
-Darryl Cohen
Looking Back
Few things over the past 50 years have defined the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences more than change. But there's also been one constant.
From the sound of typewriters, word processors and computers in the newsroom, to advances in video and microwave technology that ushered in a new era of newsgathering in the field, to the rise of the internet, digital journalism and, now, artificial intelligence, excellence has defined our chapter and its members.
“There is a legacy here," said Darryl Cohen, one of the chapter's founding members. "It has increased people's ability to be creative. It has expanded their ability and their reach and it has made a difference.”
In 1974, the general managers of several Atlanta television stations helped steer the early days of the chapter with the help of Cohen, the chapter's first legal chair, and Kathy Hardegree, who owned Atlanta Models & Talent for almost 40 years. “We would go from station to station every month and have a meeting, but people were always late because of the six o'clock news," said Cohen, who later became chapter vice president and president. "So we moved it to lunchtime to make it easier.”
The membership grew and over time drew professionals from local television stations across the region, CNN and The Weather Channel. Cohen, an entertainment attorney and host on Turner, eventually became chair of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
“The EMMY statuette means excellence," said Cohen. "From various stations to CNN, the statuettes are out there where the public can see them. People feel proud because it means they have done good work.”
Brendan Keefe is Chief Investigator for Atlanta News First Investigates. He's one of the most-decorated investigative reporters in the nation.
Moving Forward
The Southeast Chapter is one of 19 chapters throughout the United States identifying and celebrating television excellence at the local and regional level of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Our chapter represents television professionals from all disciplines of the industry in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina.
In addition to the EMMY® Awards, the chapter awards a crystal pillar to winners of the NATAS Student Production Awards and honors a lifetime of achievement to television pioneers by inducting them into the NATAS Gold & Silver Circle.
The Gold Circle honors 50 years or more of work in our industry in a performing, creative, technical or administrative position. The Silver Circle celebrates 25 years or more of work for people who have made significant contributions in the Southeast region, extending beyond professional excellence and commitment to their craft. These talented people are a force in the community as well, as mentors, educators and volunteers.
The Southeast Chapter holds special events for its members throughout the year and as it celebrates its golden anniversary is looking forward to growing its relationship with its members across the region.
“This chapter believes in class and we are going to build on this over the next 50 years," said Cohen. "Our members reach for the stars and when you reach for the stars you sometimes win an EMMY or two.”
