NASHVILLE, September 26, 2024 — TNDV founder Nic Dugger is one of three nominees for the inaugural Excellence in Production Technology award at the upcoming 75^th Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards. Dugger served as the technical producer for Christmas at Graceland, produced by LA-based Done + Dusted, which aired as a live special on NBC on November 29, 2024.

Coincidentally, Dugger will direct the live broadcast of the Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards when the winner is announced on October 9 at the The Prince George Ballroom in New York City. The other two nominees for this new award include Neutral Wireless Ltd. for their work on The Coronation of H.M. King Charles III and Industrial Light & Magic for their contributions to The Santa Clauses, Season 2.

“It is an honor to be nominated for such a unique award,” said Dugger. “The list of fellow nominees alone is a career highlight, and the opportunity to participate in this brand-new recognition is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Though his first national nomination, Dugger has been nominated for 54 regional Emmy Awards through the Midsouth Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), and has won 14 Emmys. Dugger also was recently named Executive Director for the Midsouth Chapter.

Christmas at Graceland

Christmas at Graceland was the first live television program to originate from the former home of Elvis Presley. The hour-long special featured A-list musicians performing at The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s beloved home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. Alanis Morissette, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson, Lana Del Rey, Post Malone, and The War And Treaty all performed at iconic locations around the property, including the jungle room, the swimming pool, the horse barn, under the Lisa Marie airplane wing, and on the iconic front steps of the mansion.

Traditionally, the Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards are an honors style show as the recipients know they will receive the accolade. The Excellence in Production Technology category is the first live-announced peer-adjudicated recognition to be included in the awards gala.

“All shows have technical challenges,” continued Dugger. “What made the Graceland special unique was the fiber backbone we installed to manage over 40 camera locations on the property, which spanned over a square mile with a 4-lane highway right down the middle. Thanks to director Hamish Hamilton’s creative vision, we utilized tools for cinematic acquisition with Sony F-5500 cameras capturing the show in 24p UHD while delivering a broadcast 1080i/59.94 signal to the network over both fiber and satellite-based uplink.”

Founded by Dugger, Nashville-based TNDV Television provided three mobile production units for the show, including a traditional production truck for Grass Valley switching, Xpression graphics, EVS playback, and dual KiPro/Hyperdeck recording, along with their Studer Vista equipped audio production facilities for music mixer Larry Reed, and an uplink truck that also served as home for some of the overflow production crew.

About NATAS

“Founded in 1947, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and the Emmy Award stand for the best in the television and advanced media industries. NATAS is the only non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing outstanding achievement, raising industry standards, and improving the quality of television and advanced media. Its dedication to excellence is pursued every day by members of its 19 chapters across the country.”