Draft:Sonya Winton-Odamtten

Sonya Winton-Odamtten is a multifaceted American playwright, executive producer, documentarian, professor, and television writer and comprises half of the Emmy-nominated writing team alongside her writing partner, Jonathan I. Kidd. Together, they are known for their work on shows like NCIS New Orleans, ABC’s  The Whole Truth, FOX’s Touch, and AMAZON’s Oasis (Pilot), and as the Co-Executive Producers of HBO's hit show Lovecraft Country (TV series).

Early Life and Education
Winton-Odamtten grew up in Los Angeles, California. She later earned her Bachelor’s degree with honors from Spelman College, majoring in Political Science. Subsequently, she received her Master’s in Public Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, as well as a Master’s of Art and a Master’s of Philosophy in African American Studies and Political Science from Yale University. She later earned her Doctorate in African-American Studies and Political Science from Yale University.

Theater
In 2001 Winton-Odamtten helped found the non-profit theater company Adam, Eve, & Steve Productions (AES) while at Yale. They directed and produced numerous successful theater productions and took a hiatus from their studies in 2003-2004 to complete the documentary "Battleground for a New Generation," focusing on youth mobilization during the Presidential election.

Career
Transitioning from academia and theater to television, Winton-Odamtten along with her writing partner attended the Warner Brothers Television Writers Workshop in 2010, marking the inception of her television career.

In 2016, Winton-Odamtten/Kidd's NCIS New Orleans episode "Rock-a-Bye-Baby" was nominated for a GLAAD Award and in 2021, they received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series for  Lovecraft Country.''

In 2019, Winton-Odamtten signed an overall deal with HBO, continuing their work as the Co-Executive Producers of the award-winning HBO series Lovecraft Country. Their ongoing term deal with HBO has been marked by achievements, including being finalists for the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Dramatic Presentation in 2021, joining the Advisory Council of WarnerMedia Access Writers Program , joining the LA Theatre Works Board of Directors, receiving a pilot order from HBO for their series adaptation of Octavia Butler's final novel,  Fledgling, with Issa Rae and J.J. Abrams among the exec producers and are actively engaged in the development, writing, and Executive Producing a new limited series, "Say Their Names," inspired by The Grim Sleeper murders and intricately explores the life of the esteemed activist Margaret Prescod.

Philanthropy
Beyond their professional pursuits, Winton-Odamtten and Kidd engage in philanthropy, exemplified by their recent initiative, the Feed Black Covid-19 Health Workers Challenge. After partnering with Frontline Foods, the duo recruited over 40 other Black Hollywood writers in order to support healthcare workers in underserved Black communities around the country. Thus far, their outreach has fed 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.

Theater
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