Visionary Award
Sharon Matthews is the deputy managing editor of Originals and Vice President of L.A. Times Studios. With over 25 years of experience in broadcast, tv, film, digital, and print media, she joins the Times to set and oversee the strategy, development, production, and integration of original content for unscripted and scripted original series and studio shows.
Before joining the Times in October 2022, Matthews was a senior director of originals for Andscape (formerly known as the Undefeated). Matthews expanded its digital storytelling platform into a multimedia video storytelling division of the Walt Disney Co., developing and producing more than 20 specials. Highlights include Emmy nominated special The Stop: Living, Driving and Dying While Black, an examination of the experiences Black Americans have with law enforcement and the long-lasting impact these interactions have on African-American communities. Collaborating with Grammy-nominated and Golden Globe winner Andra Day on Rise Up and teamed up with Oscar winner Common on The N-Word – An original special shot at the 16th Street Baptist Church. Unapologetic – brings Black female athletes’ challenges and triumphs into the limelight. Time For Change: We Won’t Be Defeated – A one-hour special featuring well-respected ESPN anchors, analysts, contributors, and authors who shine a light on the Black athletes’ experiences with injustice. Matthews served as an Executive Producer on “Tiger Woods America’s Son,” An in-depth look at Tiger Woods’ complex racial identity and how he became the first African-American golfer to win a major tournament at The Masters in 1997. “A Room of Our Own.” explores the connection that Black athletes have with music and the impact of that association in powering social movements. In 2021, she led the development and production of the award-winning special “The March On Washington: Keepers Of The Dream,” a one-hour documentary tracing the uncensored journey of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of the heroes in partnership with National Geographic and available on Hulu.
Before joining ESPN in 2001, she spent six years at NBA TV Canada, launching original content for the specialty channel, scheduling, and programming, in addition to spearheading the production of its magazine shows, documentaries, and promos. She traveled to Afghanistan on the Canadian Prime Minister’s plane, bringing the Stanley Cup to the NATO base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
In 2021, She also led the launch of The Undefeated on ESPN+ and the expansion of the Black History Always collection on ESPN+, nine documentary films by nine diverse creators sharing stories of Black resilience, joy, and excellence beyond the 28 days of February. During her 15 years at ESPN and The Walt Disney Company, she has successfully recruited & managed an abundance of producers, directors, editors, and production personnel building dynamic teams from the ground up. She is a master at nurturing creativity and bringing together teams that drive impactful storytelling. During her tenure, Matthews spearheaded “We the Fans,” a multiplatform storytelling project following the stories of the Chicago Bears faithful of Section 250 in Soldier Field. She also produced original programming for numerous ESPN Studio Shows, including “SportsCenter,” “Outside the Lines,” “College Gameday,” and “SC Featured.”
She is a decorated Emmy-winning producer with over three dozen industry awards, including the Edward R. Murrow Outstanding Journalism Award for her short film “Marko Cheseto: Running for His Life.” A 28-time New York Festivals gold medalist, the recipient of two Cablefax Trailer Awards, and a National Headliner Award. Matthews’ original ESPN feature “We the Fans — Dallas” won the NLGJA Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Matthews advocates for equality, inclusion, diversity in technology, and storytelling. She has participated as a featured panelist at the ESPNW summit, addressing many issues Black women face in the sports and media industries. Born in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada of Guyanese parents, Sharon is a graduate of York University and is a loving wife to Marcus Matthews – A Howard University Graduate.
