Brian Graden

Brian Graden's career has taken him to the forefront of multiple major sea changes in entertainment and pop culture. The Hillsboro, Illinois native has spent multiple decades as a leading voice in bringing the most compelling stories, no matter where they arise, to millions of satisfied television viewers. His penchant for storytelling and business led him from the vaunted halls of Harvard to the sui generis world of Hollywood. After completing his MBA, Brian Graden began his entertainment career at the young Fox network, rising to SVP of Development where he oversaw franchises such as Cops and America's Most Wanted. He also created the smash syndicated relationship-show hit, STUDS. In 1996, Graden started his first production company, through which he commissioned an unknown Trey Parker and Matt Stone to create "The Spirit of Christmas." The five-minute short quickly became an underground sensation in Hollywood: the original viral video. The phenomenon led Comedy Central to pick up Parker and Stone's South Park, one of the biggest financial successes in TV history. After helping bring it to fruition, Brian oversaw things as Executive Producer during the show's groundbreaking first season. Brian Graden served for 13 years as the President of Entertainment of MTV Networks Music Channels, during which he lead all MTVN music networks including MTV, VH1, MTV2, and CMT. While there, he developed transformational shows such as The Osbournes, P Diddy's Making The Band, and more. Also during that time, Graden oversaw flagship events like the annual Video Music Awards, and executive produced MTV's generation-defining hits like Total Request Live, Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant, and many others. MTV remained the #1 destination for viewers ages 12-24 throughout Graden's entire tenure. He also engineered a reimagination of the channel's formerly staid sister station VH1 with programs like I LOVE THE 80's and Best Week Ever. Graden's current venture is the production company Brian Graden Media (BGM). In 2013, BGM received its first Emmy win for the utterly original HitRECord, a cutting-edge variety show made via collaborative efforts of hundreds of thousands of artists from every corner of the world. Since its inception, BGM has delivered similarly innovative television for cable and streaming networks, including shows like The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway for Oxygen, Todrick for MTV, Walk of Shame Shuttle for VH1, Escape the Night for YouTube Red, Finding Prince Charming for LOGO, and dozens more, including Spotify-based series Secret Genius. A tireless advocate for equality, Brian Graden is the proud recipient of honors including a GLAAD Media Vito Russo Award for Excellence in Media and the EQCA (Equality California) Award for Commitment to Advancing LGBT Equality. He's served multiple years on the board of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society, helping guide the industry. He also lends his voice as a keynote speaker regularly, most recently addressing The 4th Cellcom Media Conference in Tel Aviv. Previously, he's spoken at the Harvard Gay & Lesbian Caucus Annual Commencement, the Reaching Out MBA conference, and spearheaded MTV's Fight For Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Violence campaign. On top of his many projects, Graden continues to consult for clients like the NBCUni Cable family, sharing his experience and expertise in bringing modern entertainment to new horizons. For someone who's spent a career ahead of the curve, no turn is out of the question for Brian Graden.