Speaker Sitarah Pendelton

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Sitarah Pendelton

Head of Unscripted Series

MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

A creative powerhouse, Sitarah Pendelton oversees the unscripted slate at MTV Entertainment Studios, managing the teams and production companies that produce some of the biggest and most Award-winning reality franchises in television, including The Challenge, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Teen Mom, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, Catfish and Love & Hip Hop, among others. 

A champion of diversity, inclusion and representation both in front of and behind the camera, Pendelton has served as the executive producer of groundbreaking series that explore progressive conversations and culturally resonant stories, from addressing the Black Lives Matter movement, equal rights for Women and LGBTQ+ communities as well as the nuanced portrayals of mental health. Her leadership as Executive Producer for Are You the One? Season 8, she won a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Reality Program for showcasing an all gender-fluid cast in a relationship series, a first in reality TV.

Raised in New York, Pendelton danced for most of her life and studied at the world-renowned Dance Theater of Harlem. She began her career as a writer/producer on MTV’s early programming Spring Break and TRL, before going on to become a successful executive at several networks including AMC and NBCU. She returned to MTV in 2018.

Recognized as one of the most powerful women in media by Cablefax, Pendelton's influence extends beyond the screen. She's a WICT Network's Betsy Magness Leadership Institute fellow, paving the way for future leaders.

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Meet a Decision Maker

At the Banff Media Festival, we met with Netflix and took a ride up Sulphur Mountain on the gondola. That’s where we made the pitch.
- Naveen Prasad, EVP and GM, Elevation Pictures
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