Mickey Down & Konrad Kay
Co-creators, Showrunners & Writers, Industry
The dark side of banking: Down and Kay are behind one of television’s sharpest dramas, HBO Max’s Industry. Their cult hit has grown into a global success, praised for its unfiltered look inside the often opaque world of finance.
Insider information: Both Oxford graduates and alumni of JPMorgan Chase, they’ve channeled real-world insight into their stories. Most recently in Season 4, which came out in March, they expanded Industry’s scope beyond the London bank Pierpoint to a new financial firm betting on short sales—and under investigation by a fintech journalist. As if there wasn’t enough tension already.
Vic Michaelis & Tamar Levine
Actor/Improviser & Director/Showrunner, Very Important People
Not what you think: Comedy streaming service Dropout’s Very Important People turns improv actors into entirely new people through extreme makeovers—then puts them in the interview hot seat with Vic Michaelis to figure out who they are.
That’s growth: Created as a showcase for the guest comics’ personal styles, VIP has earned buzz for being unpredictable and at times surprisingly heartfelt. The series has also been a significant driver of Dropout’s growing subscriber base.
Let’s hear it: In addition to Tamar Levine’s empathetic direction, the series’ makeup, costume, and production design teams have also been widely praised.
Alex Addison
EVP of Creative & Strategy, NBA Take-Two Media
Building something new: At the intersection of basketball, gaming, and pop culture stands NBAT2’s Addison. The organization is a joint venture between the league and Take Two Interactive, publisher of NBA 2K. Launched in June 2025, NBAT2 is reimagining the franchise as a creator-led entertainment ecosystem, moving beyond competition with storytelling and live experiences to bring fans closer to players.
New guard: A viral moment featuring NBA Commissioner Adam Silver welcoming prominent basketball YouTuber Jesser as Honorary Commissioner set the tone for the future of 2K. Addison is also behind original programming such as Nomad, a global travel series with Joakim Noah and the @nbaresdev account, “the unofficial testing lab of the NBA” experimenting with new formats such as the breakout Baddie Performance Index.
