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Sonya Winton-Odamtten

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Sonya Winton-Odamtten is an American playwright, executive producer, documentarian, professor, and television writer. She is for known her work as a writer on shows like NCIS New Orleans, The Whole Truth, Touch, and Oasis (Pilot), and as a co-executive producer of Lovecraft Country.[1][2]

Early life and education

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Winton-Odamtten grew up in Los Angeles, California. She later earned her Bachelor of Arts with honors from Spelman College, majoring in political science. Subsequently, she received her Master's in Public Administration from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs as well as a Master of Arts and a Master of Philosophy in African American studies and political science from Yale University.[3] She later earned her doctorate in African-American studies and political science from Yale University.[4]

Theater

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In 2001, Winton-Odamtten helped found the non-profit theater company Adam, Eve, & Steve Productions (AES) while at Yale. She directed and produced numerous theater productions and took a hiatus from her studies in 2003-2004 to complete the documentary Battleground for a New Generation.[5]

Career

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Transitioning from academia and theater to television, Winton-Odamtten attended the Warner Brothers Television Writers Workshop in 2010.[6][7]

In 2016, Winton-Odamtten NCIS New Orleans episode "Rock-a-Bye-Baby" was nominated for a GLAAD Award[8][9] and, in 2021, she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series for Lovecraft Country.[10]

In 2019, Winton-Odamtten signed an overall deal with HBO, continuing her work as a co-executive producers of the HBO series Lovecraft Country.[11] She was a finalist for the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Dramatic Presentation in 2021,[12] joined the Advisory Council of WarnerMedia Access Writers Program,[13] joined the LA Theatre Works Board of Directors,[14] and received a pilot order from HBO for their series adaptation of the novel Fledgling.[15] She was also engaged in the development, writing, and executive producing the limited series Say Their Names.[16]

Philanthropy

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Winton-Odamtten was involved in the initiative "Feed Black COVID-19 Health Workers Challenge". After partnering with Frontline Foods, she helped recruit over 40 other African-American Hollywood writers in order to support healthcare workers in underserved African-American communities around the country. The outreach helped to feed hospital, nursing home, and health clinic staffs in Downtown Los Angeles, St. Louis, New York, Dallas, Houston, Durham, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Providence, Inglewood, Boston, Memphis, and Minneapolis-St. Paul.[17][18]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Show Writer Producer Credit(s) Episode(s) Notes
2020 Lovecraft Country Yes Yes Co-Executive Producer "Strange Case" Season 1, episode 5
"Rewind 1921" Season 1, episode 9
2019 Treadstone No Yes Supervising Producer "The Berlin Proposal" Season 1, episode 3
"The Kwon Conspiracy" Season 1, Episode 2
"The Cicada Protocol" Season 1, episode 1
2018 Trader Yes Yes Executive Producer/ Creator Sold to HBO (Undeveloped)
2017 Oasis Yes Yes Co-Executive Producer Mini Room (Unreleased) Based on the film
2015 Wicked City Yes Yes Co-Producer "Blizzard of Ozz" Season 1, episode 6
NCIS New Orleans Yes No Executive Story Editor "Rock-a-Bye-Baby" Season 1, episode 20
"La Carnaval De la Mort" Season 1, episode 15
2014 "Chasing Ghosts" Season 1, Episode 9
Killer Women Yes No "In and Out" Season 1, Episode 5
2013 The 4th Reich Yes Yes Co-Executive Producer Written on Spec "Pilot" Sold to Showtime (Undeveloped)
2012 Touch Yes No "Story By" Credit Season 1
2011 Memphis Beat Yes No "Written by" "Body of Evidence" Season 2, Episode 7
2010 The Whole Truth No No "Story By" Credit "The End" Season 1, Episode 13
Yes No "Written by" "Perfect Witness" Season 1, episode 10
Yes No "Teleplay" Credit "When Cougars Attack" Season 1, Episode 5

Theater

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Title Playwright Directed Produced
"There Must Be A God Somewhere" Jonathan I. Kidd Yes Yes - (Adam, Eve, and Steve Productions)
"Shaka" Jan Henson Dow and Robert Schroeder No Yes - (Adam, Eve, and Steve Productions)
"Matri-focal Concentric Zones of Violence Revisited: Part One" Sonya Winton-Odamtten No Yes - (Adam, Eve, and Steve Productions)

Acting

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Year Show Role Episode Notes[19]
1988 The Facts of Life "Annie" "On the Edge" Season 9, episode 21
1987 227 "Carla Brown" "Got a Job" Season 2, episode 13[19]

References

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  1. ^ HBO (12 October 2020). "Lovecraft Country: The Craft - Co-Executive Producers, Sonya Winton-Odamtten & Jonathan Kidd". Youtube.com. HBO's Channel. Retrieved Oct 12, 2020.
  2. ^ "Lovecraft Country: The Craft-Co-Executive Producers, Sonya Winton-Odamtten & Jonathan Kidd". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  3. ^ "Yale in Hollywood Black Filmmakers Series | Yale Alumni Association". alumni.yale.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  4. ^ Shana C., Waterman. "Black Filmmaker Series: In Conversation with Yalie filmmakers Jonathan Kidd and Sonya Winton-Odamtten". alumni.yale.edu. Yale University. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Internaltional, Institute. "Film Screening of Battleground for a New Generation Revisited". UCLA.Edu. UCLA. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  6. ^ Warner, Brothers. "Warner Brothers 2010 Writers Workshop". Warner Brothers Television workshop. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  7. ^ Warner, Brothers. "Warner Brothers 2010 Writers Workshop". Warner Brothers. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  8. ^ Newsdesk (29 March 2016). "Exclusive interview with Hollywood writing team nominated for GLAAD Media Award". Out News Global. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  9. ^ Khatchatourian, Maane (27 January 2016). "GLAAD Media Awards Nominations". Variety.com. Variety E-magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  10. ^ Cephas Jones, Ron, Jasmine. "Outstanding Drama Series - Lovecraft Country - 2021 Emmy Nominee". Emmys.com. The Television Academy Emmys. Retrieved July 13, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Nellie, Denise, Andreeva, Petski (9 April 2019). "'Lovecraft Country' Co-EPs Jonathan Kidd & Sonya Winton-Odamtten Ink Overall Deal With HBO". Deadline.com. Retrieved 6 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ SFWA, Nebula Award (16 March 2021). "SFWA Announces the 56th Annual Nebula Award® Finalists". nebulas.sfwa.org. SFWA.Org. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  13. ^ "Sonya and Jonathan join Advisory Council of WarnerMedia Access Writers Program to Amplify Underrepresented Voices in TV 2021". press.wbd.com. Warner Brothers Press. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  14. ^ Cristi, A.A. "Emmy-Nominated Writer-Producer Team Jonathan Kidd, Sonya Winton-Odamtten Join L.A Theatre Works Board Of Directors". BroadwayWorld. BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  15. ^ White, Peter (28 July 2021). "Sonya Winton-Odamtten & Jonathan I. Kidd Score HBO Pilot Script Order For Series Adaptation Of Octavia Butler's 'Fledgling'; Issa Rae & J.J. Abrams To EP". Deadline.com. Deadline. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  16. ^ Dino-Ray, Ramos (18 December 2020). "Jonathan I. Kidd & Sonya Winton-Odamtten Reup Overall Deal With HBO; Set Grim Sleeper Limited Series 'Say Their Names'". Deadline. Deadline.com. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  17. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (8 June 2020). "'Lovecraft Country's Sonya Winton-Odamtten And Jonathan Kidd Talk Disproportionate Impact Of COVID-19 On People Of Color, #FeedBCHW Challenge". Deadline.com. Deadline. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  18. ^ "'Lovecraft Country's Sonya Winton-Odamtten And Jonathan Kidd Talk Disproportionate Impact Of COVID-19 On People Of Color, #FeedBCHW Challenge". Yahoo Entertainment. 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  19. ^ a b "Sonya Winton | Writer, Producer, Additional Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
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