Sony Pictures Entertainment Chief Tony Vinciquerra to Receive the Variety Vanguard Award at Mipcom

Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman-CEO Tony Vinciquerra has been selected to receive the Variety Vanguard Award, which will be presented in October at the Mipcom global content market in Cannes.

The award recognizes television industry leaders who have made a significant contribution to the global business of entertainment. Vinciquerra will receive the award, presented by Variety and Mipcom, on Oct. 21 as part of his keynote conversation at the Palais de Festivals, moderated by Variety Co-Editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton. The Vanguard Award presentation will close out an afternoon of C-Suite Converations, a new initiative presented by Variety and Mipcom to help attendees and industry leaders navigate the business of a content in the age of disruption.

“Tony Vinciquerra is one of our industry’s most respected chief executives. He’s been the steady hand at Sony Pictures Entertainment during a time of incredible transformation. His strong business acumen has allowed one of Hollywood’s foundational studios to thrive in a challenging era,” said Michelle Sobrino-Stearns, Variety CEO and Group Publisher. “We are honored to salute Tony with the Variety Vanguard Award.”

On Vinciquerra’s watch, Sony Pictures Entertainment has delivered five consecutive years of increasing profit. Since he took the reins in 2017, the studio’s film and TV operations have undergone signficant restructuring and realignment of strategic focus. SPE has also expanded in recent years with such acquisitions as anime powerhouse Crunchyroll and U.K.-based production entitites including Bad Wolf and Eleventh Hour Films.

“Tony Vinciquerra is one of the most nimble and consequential TV execs of our time,”said Lucy Smith, director of Mipcom Cannes and Mip London. “He has differentiated Sony Pictures Television from his rivals in Hollywood. His big-bet decision to remain apart from the streaming business has allowed Sony to become the world’s largest independent studio able to invest in more IP, franchises and libraries with the freedom to produce and sell award-winning content to any channel or platform worldwide. There is so much for global TV executives to learn from his vision. I am thrilled he will be on the Mipcom Cannes stage.”

Before joining Sony, Vinciquerra spent six years as a senior advisor on technology, media and telecom matters for private equity giant TPG. Earlier, he was chairman of Fox Networks Group during his 10-year tenure at 20th Century Fox, overseeing all business operations for those units as well as Fox and News Corp.’s investments in professional baseball, basketball, hockey teams, large scale arenas and concert venues.

Prior to Fox, Vinciquerra served as executive VP and COO for Hearst-Argyle Television, and he had a long run working as a TV station manager for Westinghouse and CBS in Boston and Philadelphia and well as two years as executive VP of CBS Television Stations.

The Mipcom content market and conference runs Oct. 21-24.