Troy High Alum ('05) Receives National Sports Emmy

TROY HIGH ALUM (2005) RECEIVES NATIONAL SPORTS EMMY FOR PRODUCTION OF HBO SPORTS ‘THE SHOP’

Kevin McGrail (THS ’05) always knew he’d make films. During the dog days of summer, young Kevin enlisted kids in his Troy, Michigan neighborhood to create movies – a friend to write the screenplay, another to recruit kids and parents as actors, others to assemble wardrobes, scout locations, find props, build sets. Kevin organized and collaborated with his ‘crew’ to direct, film and produce. His mom, Nancy Philippart remembers, “Kevin always had a camcorder in hand and was planning or shooting footage for his films. When he and his friends graduated from high school, we had a neighborhood block party to watch the movies our kids had made together! It was amazing to see how far they’d come!”

Kevin’s passion for production led him to earn one of the highest awards in the film making industry. On June 8, 2021, he and his co-producers were awarded a Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Edited Sports Series category for The Shop: Uninterrupted.

The Shop was conceived in collaboration with basketball superstar, LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterrupted to give viewers a one-of –a –kind barbershop experience in which celebrities in sports, entertainment and politics engage in honest, spirited discussion on important topics in the ‘sanctuary’ of a barbershop. Kevin and business partner, Brandon Riley, formed the production company, Frēhand to produce the show as an experimental web series for the Uninterrupted website in 2017. When HBO Sports got wind of the idea, they wanted to get involved. Kevin and Brandon produced an episode that aired in 2018. Ratings were strong as people enjoyed hearing celebrities speak openly and completely unscripted about sports, music, business, world events and other cutting-edge topics. The partnership with HBO and Uninterrupted grew to two more episodes, then into a second, third and currently a fourth season, which films in barbershops across the county. With political and racial tensions heighted due to the COVID pandemic and George Floyd killing, LeBron invited former President Obama to the barbershop for a candid discussion about the state of the country. This was the episode that resulted in the Emmy nomination and win.

Kevin says producing The Shop “provides a platform for idolized people to speak candidly on their sacrifices, failures and successes. Their real-life experiences and perspective give us a look into their unique world.”

About Kevin McGrail

Kevin is currently the production manager for a new TV Series Paper Girls for Amazon/Legendary/Plan B. He started his first company, Dynamite Films Productions, while an undergraduate at Michigan State University in 2008. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 2009, Kevin recognized that the same problem-solving skills he learned in engineering could be leveraged for a more innovative approach to production management of film and television content, especially in the areas of logistics and finance. He moved to Chicago to study production at DePaul University’s groundbreaking Digital Cinema Program. Since then, Kevin has supported the management of over 100 productions. A member of both the Directors and Producer’s Guilds of America, some of Kevin’s notable credits include Noah Hawley’s Fargo Season 4 for MGM/FX, Joe Chappelle’s An Acceptable Loss for IFC, Austin Vesely’s Slice for A24, Joe Swanberg’s Easy for Netflix, in addition to The Shop for HBO Sports

About The Shop

The Shop is a collaboration with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Uninterupted that presents unfiltered conversation and debate from some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and politics. Airing on HBO Sports since 2018 and currently in Season 4, the show has featured musicians, actors, sports stars and politicians like rappers, Drake and Snoop Dogg, Grey’s Anatomy’s Jesse Williams, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, sports celebrities Draymond Green & Kevin Durant and politicians, Gavin Newsome and President Barak Obama. The show was nominated for a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Edited Sports Series in 2020 and again nominated in this category for 2021 as well as for Outstanding Production Design/Art Direction. The Shop was selected as the 2021 winner for Outstanding Edited Sports Series.

About the Sports Emmys

The Sports Emmy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) in recognition of excellence in American sports television programming, including sports-related series, live coverage of sporting events and best sports announcers.

For more information or for an interview, CONTACT: Kevin McGrail @ 312.884.9684

Or Nancy Philippart, Troy School Board Trustee @ 248.497.3665 or Email: philippartn@gmail.com,

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