Television Academy Names Interns as Trophy Presenters for 77th Emmy Awards

The Television Academy Foundation have announced that several college students and recent graduates from its 2025 summer Internship program will participate in events surrounding the 77^th Emmy^® Awards season, including the live global telecast on Sept. 14.

As part of the Foundation’s mission to educate and inspire the next generation of media leaders, these bright young trailblazers are getting the kind of Hollywood debut most students only dream about. Select interns from the 2025 class and internship alumni will present Emmy trophies live on stage, interview celebrities on the red carpet, work behind the scenes on the live broadcasts and serve as spokespeople in the Emmys Giving Suite where television’s A-list stars help raise funds for the nonprofit Foundation backstage during the awards show.

The Internship program, regarded as the industry’s premier gateway for students seeking careers in television, is a nationwide talent search that places students in coveted roles across the industry in Los Angeles and has long been a launching pad for the next generation of media creators and professionals. Now, some of these rising stars will cap off their summer by working with today’s biggest names in entertainment at Emmy marquee events, furthering their education and connecting their passion for storytelling with the legacy of television excellence.

This year, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present statuettes during the 77^th Emmy Awards broadcast goes to 2025 Foundation interns and Bob Bennett Future Leaders Mikayah Lee from Washington, D.C., and Evan Nowack of Lake Forest, California.

Lee, a rising senior at the University of Southern California majoring in film and television production, interned this summer in the scripted series production department at Warner Bros., Discovery in Burbank, California, while Nowack, a senior this fall at Chapman University majoring in film and television production, was an editing intern at Hollywood postproduction facility Geiger Post through the Foundation’s program.

Both were selected from among the 40 summer interns for the Bob Bennett Future Leaders program. Established by a gift from the Robert M. and Marjie A. Bennett Foundation, this initiative provides financial support, professional development and leadership training for 10 interns each year.

Additionally, Tori McClung from San Antonio, Texas, a 2025 intern and Bob Bennett Future Leader, acted as trophy presenter along with alumna Geethika Kataru at the LA Area Emmy Awards on July 26. McClung recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in radio, television and film and will be pursuing a master’s degree in advertising this fall. She interned this summer in the commercials production department at Radical Media, Media Arts Lab and Outpost Digital in Los Angeles through the Foundation’s program.

Students working behind the scenes during the 77^th Emmy Awards season include live television production intern and USC student Ava Kelly from Paducah, Kentucky, working with Bob Bain Productions on the Creative Arts Emmy Award ceremonies and with Jesse Collins Entertainment, producers of the Sept. 14 Emmy Awards telecast, and directing intern Nana Afia Boadi-Acheampong from Ghana, West Africa, a recent USC graduate, who worked with director Richard Preuss at the LA Area Emmy Awards in July.

This year, internship alumni will be conducting red carpet interviews at Emmy events for the Foundation, which will be featured across the Television Academy’s digital and social media platforms, giving them hands-on experience with one of entertainment’s most visible live events. These Foundation alumni include Maggie Geiler, Riley Hodgson, Mark Jabourian and Tyra Prude.

“Having Foundation interns serve as Emmy presenters has become a beloved Academy tradition,” said Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego. “I can think of no better way to celebrate and support our industry than to ensure that its next generation of professionals has the experience and preparation to drive it forward. We are proud to showcase these students on television’s biggest stage!”

“These remarkable students were selected from hundreds of applicants nationwide, and their participation in Emmy season recognizes their extraordinary talent and potential,” said Tina Perry, chair of the Television Academy Foundation. “This moment isn’t just glamorous, it’s educational. It exemplifies how our program takes learning beyond the office and into the very spotlight where television history is made, combining the excitement of the Emmys with invaluable, real-world industry training.”

The 77^th Emmy Awards will telecast live from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, (8:00-11:00 PM EDT/5:00-8:00 PM PDT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+ through Sept. 21.

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