Amazon Awards Head Debra Birnbaum Joins Gold Derby as Editor-In-Chief

Amazon MGM Studios global head of awards Debra Birnbaum is departing to take over as editor-in-chief of Penske Media Corporation’s Gold Derby awards prediction platform, the company announced Tuesday. As part of the news, Gold Derby founder and president Tom O’Neil will retire from day-to-day oversight of the site and serve as president emeritus.

In a statement, PMC chairman/founder/CEO Jay Penske have thanks to O’Neil “for his visionary leadership and tremendous contributions to Gold Derby. 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.”

Birnbaum will take over Gold Derby on September 16 — the day after the Primetime Emmys, which will serve as her goodbye to Amazon. At Gold Derby, her oversight includes the platform’s coverage of awards such as the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Golden Globes, and as well as other kudos and events. Birnbaum will report to Tom Finn, PMC’s exec VP and general manager, operations, and will continue to be based on Los Angeles.

“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.”

At Amazon MGM Studios, Birnbaum helped build the brand into an awards powerhouse, most recently landing 62 Emmy nominations — including major nods for Prime Video’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Fallout.” Her records there include 12 Academy Award nominations in 2021, 68 Emmy Award nominations in 2023 and 16 Golden Globe Award nominations in 2023.

“It’s truly an honor to be handed the reins of Gold Derby,” Birnbaum said in a statement. “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.”

In a memo to staffers, Amazon MGM Studios marketing head Sue Kroll announced that after Birnbaum departs next Monday, Brooke Ford will serve as interim head of awards.

“Please join me in thanking her and the entire Awards team for all the incredible work on behalf of the Studio — this includes our recent round of groundbreaking Emmy nominations and Creative Arts Emmy wins,” Kroll wrote in a memo to staffers. “We will continue to work with Deb as she steps into a new role at Gold Derby.  As many of you know, prior to joining Amazon, Deb spent her career in media and this transition combines both worlds… Please rest assured that we have an entire team dedicated to the pursuit of recognizing excellence for our films and series.”

Prior to Amazon, Birnbaum spent five years as the executive editor, TV, for Variety, and before that was president and editor-in-chief of TV Guide Magazine for seven years. Her resume also includes stints with Redbook, George, More, The New York Post and Us Weekly. 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, where she received an Emmy Award for producing Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series.

Birnbaum is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) and is a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women and serves as an alumni ambassador for Cornell University. She’s a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Television Academy and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.