Kemp Powers

Kemp Powers is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director whose career spans theater, television, and film. Although his background and training were in journalism, Powers established his reputation as a playwright with works including "One Night in Miami," which won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's Ted Schmitt Award for best new play and received an Olivier Award nomination during its London premiere at Donmar Warehouse. The play is inspired by the events of February 25, 1964, when four Black luminaries—Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke—spent time together in a hotel room following Ali's world boxing championship title, discussing their roles in the Civil Rights movement and the cultural upheaval of the 1960s. Powers also toured nationally as a storyteller for the series "The Moth" and contributed to the New York Times-produced book, "The Moth: 50 True Stories."

Powers was brought on to write several scripts for Star Trek: Discovery season one episodes. That television work opened the door to animation, where he was initially hired as a screenwriter for "Soul" and later became co-director. Powers became the first Black person to receive a director or screenwriter credit on any Pixar project. "Soul" won two Oscars—Best Animated Feature and Best Score—seven Annie Awards, two British Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and was named to the year's top ten best films by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Powers also became the first debut Black filmmaker to win the Animated Feature Golden Globe.

In the same year, Powers saw his screen adaptation of his play "One Night in Miami" brought to the screen under the direction of Regina King, with a cast including Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, and Leslie Odom Jr. His screenplay for "One Night in Miami" earned him a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the Academy Awards. Powers holds the distinction of being the writer for two films released on December 25 of the same year. He was also named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People.

Powers went on to serve as co-director, alongside Joaquim dos Santos and Justin K. Thompson, of the animated film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the second film in the series. He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for his work on that film. Beyond his animation work, Powers has continued to contribute to theater, premiering his fourth play, "The XIXth (The Nineteenth)," which chronicles the lives of two Black American sprinters who raised their fists in protest during the 1968 Summer Olympics. He has also been involved in theater productions at venues such as The Old Globe, South Coast Repertory, and Center Theatre Group.

Powers served as the John H. Mitchell Visiting Professor in Media Entertainment at the University of Michigan. He has also worked in live-action filmmaking, signing on to write and direct the crime film "Lunik Heist" for Searchlight Pictures. An advocate for diversity and representation in the film industry, Powers has spoken openly about the challenges he faced as a Black writer in Hollywood. His journey from journalist to playwright to Oscar-nominated filmmaker highlights the impact of authentic storytelling and creative reinvention in the entertainment industry.