ADVISORY BOARD

SAMUEL WARREN
Casting Director

With over 35-years of experience discovering talent for Casting, Mr. Warren scouts and casts for all media platforms, and has casted for feature films, off & on-Broadway, commercials, runway shows, and TV.

CHRISTINE BELL
Financial Advisor

Producer and financial advisor for some of Hollywood's most established organizations, Christine has been working with the Young Artist Academy for nearly a decade. The mom-of-two has been instrumental in rebranding and establishing the Academy to enter the next generation of making stars.

JIM COOK
Media Producer

Former Sr. Executive and Creative Director for iHeart Media/Clear Channel.
Jim’s voice-over acting career includes projects for HBO, Cinemax and TNT Warner Networks. Jim is heard nationwide on commercials and radio stations, and has produced, directed and starred in countless projects.

KEVIN MORRISON
Executive Producer

Kevin Morrison served as Chief Operating Officer of Fred Rogers Productions from 2006 until his 2019 retirement, bringing a lifetime of experience in television to the company. He began his career in BBC news, and was a senior programming executive before moving to the U.S. to represent the British network Central Television. He later ran an animation company, two TV movie companies, and a family entertainment company. He is a member of the film and television Academies, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and, as a Churchill Fellow in public service broadcasting in the 70s, studied the early development of PBS.

ALETA BRAXTON
Music Director

A director and music instructor, Aleta has worked with over 150 productions for LA Opera, and is the only African-American woman to hold this dossier. Her film soundtracks include The Lego Movie 2, Ready Player One, Star Wars: Rogue One, Bumblebee, Venom, The Predator and Frozen. She can be heard on recordings with Walt Disney Records and recordings with Barbara Streisand, Christina Aguilera and Josh Groban.

CHRISTOPHER M. ALLPORT
Director/Producer

Director/Producer, Composer and Performing Youth Activist, Chris M. Allport was a professional child actor, and is an award-winning alumnus of the Young Artist Academy™. A Hollywood Division term rep of the Screen Actors Guild’s Board of Directors, Chris was a contributor to the revision of the California Coogan Law and played an integral part in passing CA and NY legislation to protect rights of young performers. Chris has produced and directed acclaimed films specifically related to the arts and humanities.

KEYANA FRANKLIN
Founder - Kidz Con

Founder & Creator of Kidz Con, the first B2C Kids Convention inspiring creativity and “celebrating everything Kids”. A former fashion designer, Keyana styled a range of celebrity royalty such as the NBA stars, rapper Future and the Kardashian family. Her work has been featured internationally in The Guardian UK, Flaunt Magazine, Le Petite Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar.

SIMON BARRON
Producer

Having worked with thirty-six of the Young Artist Academy™‘s 46-years celebrating excellence in young performers, Simon Barron currently serves as the Academy’s Chairman and Executive Producer. From craft service to executive producer, his years in film/TV and live theater have included classics as Neverending Story II, Oscar, Will and Grace, Mike & Molly, Back to You, The Image, Fame L.A. and youth-focused specials by ABC, FOX, PBS, BBC and CBS.

ANDRE MARCEL
Producer

An Emmy-Nominated Producer and Hollywood Publicist working with Film/Television, Music, Fashion, Technology, Award Shows and Philanthropic Causes. Andre currently serves as an Emmy Awards Judge for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and for the Media Excellence Awards. He has been serving as Co-Chair and Executive Producer of the Young Artist Academy™ Awards since 2017.

MICHELLE KOSHMAN
Producer

Michelle Koshman is a publicist to the Emmy Awards working 20+ years in Film Production & Entertainment Branding.
She’s been successful in expanding the regional Emmy Awards brand, amplifying the Fashion Event scene at Toronto International Film Festival, pioneering new platforms at San Diego Comic-Con, and growing the Youth Oscars into a global brand.

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