Issa Rae Tapped to Join Television Academy's Executive Committee to Uplift New Thought Leaders

The Television Academy — simply known as the Emmys — has announced a new slate of TV visionaries joining as the chair’s appointees to its Executive Committee, including Hollywood vet Issa Rae.

The announcement came from the Television Academy this week, sharing that they’ve elected two creators and four executives total to the committee in an effort to bring more diversity to the company.

In addition to Rae, other appointees include One Day At a Time co-creator Gloria Calderón Kellett; Zack Van Amburg, Chief content officer and head of worldwide video for Apple TV+; Vernon Sanders, Co-Head of Television at Amazon Studios; Dawn Olmstead, CEO and partner of Anonymous Content; and Robert Mills, SVP, alternative series, specials and late-night programming, ABC Entertainment.

“We are thrilled to be able to leverage the collective expertise of this talented group of Television innovators as we navigate this extraordinary time in the history of our industry,” said Frank Scherma — Chairman and CEO of the Television Academy — in a statement. “Their leadership provides invaluable insight that will allow the Academy to play an integral role in shaping the evolution of the medium.”

News of Rae’s appointment to the academy arrives during what is expected to be a busy year for the media mogul.

In addition to filming season five of HBO’s “Insecure,” she also has her hands full with another comedy TV series on the network, “Nice White Parents.”

She’s also working alongside her production company, Hoorae Media, to uplift other artists of color and, encourage them to create their own individual ventures.

“It’s more about using the platform to build other mini-businesses and collaborations,” she told Bloomberg. “Hoorae Media consists of Raedio, a music label and audio company that works with artists and songwriters. We have ColorCreative, a management company dedicated to boosting and shaping the careers of writers and multi-hyphenates. And of course Hoorae Film & TV, which serves as the production company.”

This latest move for Rae comes as she continues to expand her profile as an industry figure, while also amplifying other Black creators in the industry and aspiring creatives.