Traverse City Native Lands Emmy Award

The nominees for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced on Thursday morning, bringing notice to the most popular television shows and talent. And Traverse City also got a taste of Emmy gold, thanks to composer Brian Katona.
 
Katona graduated from Traverse City Central High School in 1994. A professional composer now based in New York City, Katona won an Emmy for Best Musical Composition from the Lower Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). Katona’s score for a documentary short film called The Builder won him the award. The Builder, directed by filmmaker David Kuznicki, is a six-and-a-half-minute short about a 91-year-old veteran who builds models out of popsicle sticks to maintain a connection with his past. The film can be viewed in full on YouTube.
 
Following his win, Katona had kind words to say about TCAPS, particularly the district’s deep and long-held support for the arts.
 
“I am a proud Traverse City Central graduate,” Katona says. “Growing up in northern Michigan, it was great to have the opportunity to attend high school in a district that supports the arts and music education the way TCAPS does. I am especially thankful to all of the wonderful music teachers I had during my time in Traverse City who truly helped give me the foundational skills needed to build a successful career.”