Andrew Makadsi, art director to pop star, Beyoncé, was nominated for an Emmy in the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards. He graduated from the University of Toledo in 2010 with dual undergraduate degrees in Film and Communication. Andrew, along with production designers Ric Lipson and Rachel Duncan, were nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special for their work on “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé.”

The show, produced through Beyoncé’s company, Parkwood Entertainment, originally aired on Netflix last April. The show also received Emmy nominations in five other categories: Outstanding Music Direction, Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Non-Fiction or Reality Programming, and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special.

https://www.emmys.com/shows/homecoming-film-beyonc%c3%a9

The awards were held in mid-September. Although the award ultimately went to RENT, Makadsi was thrilled to have been nominated and the University is equally proud of his tremendous accomplishment. Andrew posted to Facebook, “My first Emmy nomination. A date I will never forget. Feeling so grateful and thankful for all the support and love.”

One of Andrew’s UToledo film faculty, Holly Hey, said, “We are confident that this year’s Emmy nomination is only the beginning of Andrew’s professional recognition. Andrew’s work at UToledo always showcased his personal style, his dedication to creative expression, and his unparalleled commitment to crafting his work. Words hardly express how proud we are of Andrew and how happy we are to have played even the smallest part in preparing Andrew to work at such a high level in the Arts and Entertainment industries. Well done, Andrew!”

Leading up to the Creative Arts Emmys, Andrew was also recently profiled in an article in Vogue Arabia, the Middle Eastern edition of Vogue magazine. https://en.vogue.me/awards/beyonce-art-director-andrew-makadsi/. The article, written by Caterina Minthe, covers Makadsi’s education at UToledo and his meteoric rise in the art direction world, from fashion runway art director to his work with arguably one of the most famous stars on the planet, Beyoncé.

Tags: awards in film for students, film at UT, Study Film in Ohio, Theatre Film Alumni