Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Sheila Nevins

Role / Field:

Pioneering American television producer, celebrated for documentary filmmaking.

Born:

1939-04-06

Century / Era:

1939s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Sheila Nevins (born April 6, 1939) is an American television producer and former head of MTV Documentary Films division of MTV Entertainment Studios. Previously, Nevins was the president of HBO Documentary Films, where she produced over 1,000 documentary films. She has worked on productions that have been recognized with 35 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, 42 Peabody Awards, and 26 Academy Awards. Nevins has won 31 individual Primetime Emmy Awards, more than any other person.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

She is also a member of the board of directors for the Peabody Awards. Nevins was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to Jewish parents Stella Nevins (née Rosenberg), a chemist, and Benjamin Nevins, a Russian immigrant post office worker who was also a bookie. Nevins' family was very poor and her mother suffered from an acute form of Raynaud's disease, which resulted in amputations of her limbs, and scleroderma. Nevins has a younger sister (born 1946) who is a doctor. Due to the generosity of her uncle, who was a wealthy inventor, Nevins attended private schools growing up.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Nevins attended Little Red School House and the High School of Performing Arts in New York City. She received...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ada Yonath — Contemporary (Born in 1939) (1939): Pioneering crystallographer known for elucidating the structure and function of the ribosome.
• Alan Ayckbourn — Contemporary (Born in 1939) (1939): Prolific British playwright and director known for domestic farce and ensemble pieces.
• Albert Wendt — Contemporary (Born in 1939) (1939): Influential Samoan poet and writer, pivotal figure in Pacific literature in English.
• Albrecht Dürer — Shared historical date (04-06 · Died) (1528): Master of the German Renaissance, renowned painter, printmaker, and theorist.
• Alexander Kielland — Shared historical date (04-06 · Died) (1906): A foundational Norwegian realist writer, celebrated among the 'Four Greats' of literature.
• Alexander Yegorov (general) — Historical peer (Died in 1939) (1939): Soviet military leader and one of the original Marshals of the Soviet Union.
• Alphonse Mucha — Historical peer (Died in 1939) (1939): Master of Art Nouveau, famed for decorative posters and The Slav Epic.
• Adam Michnik — Historical peer (Born in 1946) (1946): Prominent Polish intellectual, dissident, and journalist advocating for democracy.
• Ahmed Zewail — Historical peer (Born in 1946) (1946): Pioneering chemist, acclaimed as the 'father of femtochemistry'.
• André Previn — Shared historical date (04-06 · Born) (1929): Versatile American musician, composer, and conductor mastering jazz, film, and classical forms.
• 1939 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1939
• April 6 (04-06) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 6

Frequently Asked Questions about Sheila Nevins