Converge Media brings Emmy home to Seattle’s Central District
SEATTLE, Wash. – Seattle-based and Black-owned media powerhouse, Converge Media, received the coveted Governor’s Award on Saturday night during the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Northwest annual ceremony.
The Governor’s Award, reserved for special recognition outside of the Chapter’s regular awards structure, is given to those who have impacted or changed the landscape of the industry, the NATAS NW Board approved the recognition unanimously.
Converge Media’s founder and CEO, Omari Salisbury, accepted the award on behalf of the company’s diverse staff of talented content creators followed by a short and impassioned speech.
Far left and far right host of Circling Seattle Sports, middle Omari Salisbury, and his son/show producer Omi Salisbury
“You don’t have to be Black to uplift Black stories,” said Salisbury. “You don’t need to share skin tone or lived experience; you only need to share purpose.”
Converge Media is the largest and leading producer of original Black video content in the Pacific Northwest. The company creates culturally compassionate content tailored for Black and urban audiences including local, community, entertainment, and sports news. The company currently produces fifteen shows ranging in topics from news, The Day with Trae, hosted by TraeAnna Holiday, to love and relationships like Truly Unruly featuring former Seattle Seahawks Marcus Trufant and his wife Jessica.
Truly Unruly Marcus Trufant and his wife Jessica Trufant
“The NATAS NW Board of Governors recognizes Converge Media for its tireless work to lift under-represented communities with culturally compassionate content across the Northwest and their courageous, unflinchingly journalism,” said Brian Callahan, member NATAS NW Board of Governors.
In 2021, the Washington State Association for Justice recognized Converge Media with the Journalism Award honoring a reporting organization (traditional or new media) whose reporting, commentary or editorial furthers the public understanding of the law and encourages the protection of consumers, injured people, and the civil justice system.
Host of The Truth with Proof: Proof N The Play
Salisbury, a seasoned global media executive, dedicated much of his career working in emerging markets across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East before returning to his hometown of Seattle in 2016 with a sharp vision to launch a content creation, distribution, and marketing platform to serve Black content creators across the Pacific Northwest.
In 2020, Converge Media and its Morning Update Show became household names in the Emerald City and international sensations around the world for their near 24/7 coverage of the Seattle protests.
The Queens of Converge: left T-Dub, middle Trae Holiday, right Besa Gordon
Converge recently launched We Live in Color hosted by Deaunte Damper which is the only show in the Northwest that targets the Black LGBTQIA community, and the show Circling Seattle Sports has become well known for in-depth coverage of women's professional sports in the Emerald City. Other Converge Media programs include:
Traveling While Black in Seattle
Seattle News, Views, and Brews
The Art of the Matter
The Factorz TV
The Truth with Proof
The Rewind with Besa
Weird at Night
Black Love
Clap Back Culture
“We believe the Black community deserves authentic representation that focuses on our community’s issues with equitable access to elected officials, leadership, and governmental information,” said Salisbury.
