Sheila Nevins

Production

Sheila Nevins

Born 1939-04-06 · Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Nevins previously ran MTV Documentary Films from 2019 to 2024, and was the President of HBO's Documentary and Family Programming from 2005 - 2018. She earned a bachelor of the arts degree from Barnard Collegeand a master of fine arts degree from Yale University. Nevins produced documentaries before joining HBO in 1979. Nevins has overseen production of nearly 500 documentaries, earning eleven Oscars, 31 Primetime Emmys, 19 Academy Awards, 22 News and Documentary Emmys and 18 George Foster Peabody awards for HBO and one personal George Foster Peabody award. She also received a 2005 News and Documentary Emmy for Lifetime Achievement. She received the 1998 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Documentary Association. Nevins was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2000. She began her career with the United States Information Service in Washington, DC, which produced and distributed documentary programs around the world. Nevins was a producer for National Education Television's Great Dream Machine, a field producer for an ABC television documentary unit, a writer for Time-Life Films, a producer-writer for the Children's Television Workshop, a producer for CBS-TV's Who's Who program, and president of Spinning Reels, a production company. She joined HBO in 1979 as director of documentary programming. Nevins was named executive vice president, original programming, for HBO and Cinemax in 1999 and President of Documentary and Family in 2005.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

The Eyes of Tammy Faye poster
6.3

A documentary look, mostly through the eyes of Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, at her rise and fall as a popular televangelist with husband Jim Bakker.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

2000

Children No More: Were and Are Gone poster
6.9

In Tel Aviv, activists gather weekly to demonstrate their opposition to the war in Gaza with a silent vigil for the children killed in Israeli attacks.

Children No More: Were and Are Gone

2025

The Emperor's Newest Clothes poster
6.9

Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale gets a colorful, music-filled makeover in the whimsical special. Filled with bold animation, catchy musical numbers and valuable lessons, this enchanting twist on a beloved tale chronicles the story of an Emperor whose blinding vanity makes him an easy target for two phony tailors.

The Emperor's Newest Clothes

2018

Rosie's Theater Kids poster
NR

Ten years ago, inspired by the teacher who inspired her, actor-comedian Rosie O’Donnell established a school, giving public school kids access to dance, music, and drama. This film follows five kids, as they pursue their stage and screen goals, learning to believe in themselves.

Rosie's Theater Kids

2023

The ABCs of Book Banning poster
6.3

In recent years, more than 2,500 books have been removed from school districts around the US, labeled as banned, restricted, or challenged, and made unavailable to millions of students. By no accident, the themes targeted are the usual scapegoats of the American Right—LGBTQ+ issues, Black History, and women’s empowerment—impeding the power of future generations to develop their own thoughts and opinions on critical social issues. By weaving together a lyrical montage of young readers and authors, THE ABCs OF BOOK BANNING reveals the voices of the impacted parties, and inspires hope for the future through the profound insights of inquisitive youthful minds.

The ABCs of Book Banning

2024

The ABCs of Book Banning poster
6.3

In recent years, more than 2,500 books have been removed from school districts around the US, labeled as banned, restricted, or challenged, and made unavailable to millions of students. By no accident, the themes targeted are the usual scapegoats of the American Right—LGBTQ+ issues, Black History, and women’s empowerment—impeding the power of future generations to develop their own thoughts and opinions on critical social issues. By weaving together a lyrical montage of young readers and authors, THE ABCs OF BOOK BANNING reveals the voices of the impacted parties, and inspires hope for the future through the profound insights of inquisitive youthful minds.

The ABCs of Book Banning

2024

Class Divide poster
5.9

A look at NYC’s gentrification and growing inequality in a microcosm, Class Divide explores two distinct worlds that share the same Chelsea intersection – 10th Avenue and 26th Street. On one side of the avenue, the Chelsea-Elliot Houses have provided low-income public housing to residents for decades. Their neighbor across the avenue since 2012 is Avenues: The World School, a costly private school. What happens when kids from both of these worlds attempt to cross the divide?

Class Divide

2016

Educating Peter poster
6.5

A young boy with down syndrome attends his first year in a "regular" classroom. This documentary traces that year and the changes that take place for Peter, his teacher, and the other students. Oscar-winning documentary short from 1992.

Educating Peter

1992

Broken Child poster
7.0

Documentary about moms using drugs while pregnant.

Broken Child

2000

Family Video Diaries: Daughter of the Bride poster
6.3

Pearl Randall, a 66-year-old widow, announces that she is planning to remarry, but her three grown children express conflicting emotions. Daughter Terri captures on tape the family's attempts to come to grips with Pearl's new romance.

Family Video Diaries: Daughter of the Bride

1997