LOS ANGELES, August 11 – The Wrap News is pleased to announce that longtime awards editor Steve Pond has been promoted to Executive Editor, Awards and that Missy Schwartz has been promoted Deputy Awards Editor, Awards & Special Projects, as TheWrap expands its coverage of awards seasons throughout the year.
Pond, a founding member of TheWrap’s awards coverage and a veteran of TheWrap’s editorial team for 13 years, has expanded the awards editorial team in the past two years as TheWrap has added new awards season magazines, newsletters, screening series and the “How I Did It” video series.
“Steve is widely recognized as the most respected, most knowledgeable journalist covering the awards season in Hollywood. He has been the center of TheWrap’s awards universe practically since the inception of the site,” said Wrap CEO and Editor in Chief Sharon Waxman.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have him leading our team with an expertise that is unparalleled in the industry, creating our award-winning magazines and leading our festival coverage through the awards calendar year.”
She added: “We are very pleased to recognize his huge contribution and to continue adding incredibly talented journalists to his team.”
Said Pond: “The last 13 years at TheWrap have given me a voice to a degree I’ve seldom experienced in more than four decades as a working journalist. I thank Sharon for her support and look forward to continuing the journey as we chronicle this wild and tumultuous time for awards and for the entertainment industry.”
Among the innovative products Pond has created or co-created include TheWrap’s awards screening series; a focus on international film with a print magazine and screening series; TheWrap’s Emmy Hotlist and the Film School College magazine. He also is a leading expert on Oscar ranked choice voting, with this video that is a go-to explainer every year!
Schwartz joined TheWrap in 2021 to augment the awards editorial team and impressed everyone with her professionalism, organization and enthusiasm for what’s best in entertainment. Prior to joining TheWrap she had worked as a senior editor at Entertainment Weekly covering film and television. She has also worked as a contributing editor at Fast Company and was Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Refinery29.
As Deputy Awards Editor, Awards & Special Projects, Schwartz will be key in leading all aspects of our Awards coverage, and will also be the editorial lead on a number of our special projects including the Innovators List and the Power Women list tied to the Summit.
As TheWrap’s awards coverage has expanded dramatically over the past two years, TheWrap has recruited talented journalists who have become valued members of TheWrap editorial bench including Joe McGovern, Libby Hill, Jason Clark and award-winning photo editor Jen Laski who created TheWrap’s “How I Did It” video series.
About The Wrap News Inc.
The Wrap News Inc. is the leading digital-first news organization covering the business of entertainment and media via digital, print and live events. Launched in 2009 by award-winning journalist Sharon Waxman, TheWrap’s editorial independence, metabolism for breaking news and investigative stories make it a key destination for producers, directors, studios, network executives, agents, managers and talent. TheWrap’s subscription service, WrapPRO, offers in-depth reporting and analysis for executives and industry insiders. TheWrap’s tentpole events help to galvanize the industry and connect us to a worldwide audience of influential decision-makers and up-and-comers striving to join them.
TheWrap has won multiple awards for investigative reporting, columns, criticism and feature writing. In 2021 Waxman was honored at the L.A. Press Club SoCal Journalism Awards as the Best Online Journalist, as well as for her blog, WaxWord. That same year, The L.A. Press Club’s SoCal Journalism Awards also gave TheWrap top prizes for feature photography, as well as for its weekly podcast, “TheWrap-Up.” TheWrap was chosen as the Best Online News Website at the SoCal Journalism Awards in 2018, 2012 and 2009, and Best Entertainment Website at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards in 2018. In 2019, the site won two National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards for the multimedia package “#AfterMeToo: 12 Accusers Share What Happened Next, From Firing to More Trauma.”
