Gold Derby Names Debra Birnbaum As Editor-In-Chief; Founder Tom O’Neil To Become President Emeritus

Paul Sheehan
·4 min read

Gold Derby, the leading awards prediction platform, announced the appointment of Debra Birnbaum to Editor-In-Chief. In her new role, Birnbaum will lead Gold Derby’s coverage and analysis across the expansive awards ecosystem which includes the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Golden Globes, and more. She will report into Tom Finn, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Operations, Penske Media Corporation and be based in Los Angeles. She officially begins her new role on September 16. Tom O’Neil, Gold Derby’s Founder and President will step into the role of President Emeritus.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Tom O’Neil for his visionary leadership and tremendous contributions to Gold Derby,” said Jay Penske, Chairman, Founder, CEO, Penske Media Corporation. “Tom created Gold Derby from the ground up and made it an online destination for insightful award predictions and industry analysis. We know that Debra is the ideal person to build upon this legacy as we head into the 25th year of the brand.”

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“There is no one more uniquely qualified than Debra to lead the Gold Derby brand into the future,” said O’Neil. “I eagerly welcome her to take the reins and am excited to see where she will lead us into our exciting future.”

“It’s truly an honor to be handed the reins of Gold Derby,” said Birnbaum. “I know firsthand how much respect and support the entertainment industry has for the site, and I’m eager to expand its profile as the pre-eminent home for awards predictions. I couldn’t be more grateful to Jennifer Salke and Sue Kroll for all their support, and I am so proud of what we accomplished at Amazon MGM Studios, including our recent Emmy nominations for ‘Fallout,’ ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith,’ ‘Red, White & Royal Blue,’ and more.”

Birnbaum is an accomplished multi-platform media strategist and content creator with over 25 years of experience covering news and entertainment.

Most recently she was the global head of awards for Amazon MGM Studios, overseeing awards strategy for the studio’s extensive slate of original films and series. During her tenure there, Amazon MGM Studios set new studio records for awards, including 12 Academy Award nominations in 2021, 68 Emmy Award nominations in 2023, and 16 Golden Globe Award nominations in 2023, along with other high-profile industry awards.

Birnbaum spent five years as the executive editor, TV, for Variety, leading television news and awards coverage for the trade magazine’s multiple platforms, including the weekly print edition, Variety.com, and special awards season issues. As the president and editor-in-chief of TV Guide Magazine, a position she held for seven years, she revitalized a classic brand with innovations like the annual “Fan Favorites” cover contest and the “Hot List” party. She has also worked for Redbook, George, More, The New York Post, and Us Weekly, overseeing entertainment coverage.

She has appeared frequently on TV and radio as an entertainment expert, and moderated hundreds of panels for high-profile industry and consumer events at the Television Academy, Screen Actors Guild, Paley Center, Comic-Con, and more. Her work has earned recognition from the L.A. Press Club, the Publicists Guild of America, the Webby Awards, the Clio Awards, Promax, and the Television Academy, notably an Emmy Award for producing Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series.

Birnbaum recently joined the Board of Directors of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA). A graduate of Cornell University, she’s a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women and serves as an alumni ambassador. She also belongs to key entertainment industry organizations, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the Television Academy, and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores.

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