NewsRelease

UNCG Alumna Wins Emmy Award

 GREENSBORO –  Emily Spivey, a comedy writer and alumna of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro class of ’93,  is a member of the “Saturday Night Live” writing team that won an Emmy Award Sunday in the category “Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program.”

Other nominees in the category were “America: A Tribute to Heroes,” (various networks); “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” (Comedy Central); “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (NBC) and “Late Show with David Letterman” (CBS).

Spivey, whose hometown is High Point, majored in broadcasting and cinema at UNCG. She went on to earn an MFA from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. While living there, she worked as a writer for The Groundlings, a improvisational troop which trains many of the sketch comedians who go on to land jobs on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
Spivey herself landed a job with the program, and began writing for it in 2001. She is one of 23 writers on the team. Her writing credits also include seasons with the FOX network comedy programs, “Mad TV” and “King of the Hill.”

“It’s always rewarding to hear when a student becomes successful,” said Dr. Anthony Fragola, UNCG professor of broadcasting and cinema, and Spivey's teacher in two screenwriting courses and a film production course. Fragola remembers her as a steady, imaginative student, with a flair for the comedic. “She had that focus and drive and discipline, which is a lot of what it takes to succeed, plus the talent.” he said.

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