Nick Nanton

Last updated

Nick Nanton
Nick Nanton Picture with Family.jpg
Nanton with his family at an event in 2019
Born
Education
Alma mater University of Florida
Occupations
Years active2005–present
Organizations
  • Dicks Nanton Agency
  • DNA Films
Website nicknanton.com

Nick Nanton is an American director and producer of film and television projects, author, and branding agency executive. He is the co-founder and CEO of DNA Films, through which he has produced and directed a number of documentary films, including Dickie V, Operation Toussaint, Rudy Ruettiger: The Walk On, Visioneer, and A New Leash on Life: The K9s for Warriors Story . He is also the CEO of the Dicks + Nanton Agency, a celebrity branding agency that he co-founded with his business partner J.W. Dicks in Winter Park, Florida. Additionally, Nanton is the creator and host of the Amazon Prime Video interview series, In Case You Didn't Know with Nick Nanton. He has won over 20 Emmy Awards for his work on these projects. Nanton has also written a number of books including Celebrity Branding You and Story Selling. Nanton started his career as an entertainment lawyer.

Contents

Early life and education

Nanton was born in Barbados and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was one year old. His father opened a furniture store [1] in the Orlando area in central Florida, where Nanton largely grew up. [2] [3] His first job was as a tennis instructor when he was 12 years old. [1] He attended Lake Mary High School in Lake Mary, Florida, where he played on the school's tennis team. He graduated from high school in 1998. [4] In his late teens, Nanton became interested in songwriting and music production. By the time he was a college student at the University of Florida, he had his own recording studio (inside a friend's studio) in Gainesville where he was able to work with acts such as Stan Lynch [1] and Sister Hazel. [5] He also made music of his own. [1] Nanton was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity while at college. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2001 [6] with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in finance. [7] He went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Florida's Fredric G. Levin College of Law in December 2004. [8]

Career

Early in his career, Nanton was CEO of the Cinemark Music Group. [8] He also formed his own law firm, Dicks & Nanton, with his legal and business partner J.W. Dicks. The firm primarily focused on liability, trademark, and entertainment law. [9] In July 2007, Nanton was elected to serve on the executive council of The Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Committee. [10] That year, he was also voted "Best of the Bar 2007" by his peers as published by the Orlando Business Journal , and he became a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences with a vote in the Grammy Awards. [11]

Also in 2007, Nanton opted to focus on celebrity marketing, consulting, and public relations. With J.W. Dicks, he formed the Dicks and Nanton Celebrity Branding Agency [1] in Winter Park, Florida [12] in July 2007. [13] Nanton also began serving as the agency's CEO at that time. In 2008, he co-wrote (with Dicks) his first book, Celebrity Branding You. The following year, he began contributing content to compilation books starting with Big Ideas for Your Business. [14]

In 2010, the Dicks Nanton Agency branched into documentary film production. Nanton produced and co-directed the documentary short, Jacob's Turn. Nanton was honored with the award in the Director (Post-Production) category at the 47th Ohio Valley Emmy Awards that year. [15] In the following years, Nanton continued producing and directing films. Films were produced as part of the CelebrityFilms production company started by Dicks and Nanton. [16] That company would later start a new division known as DNA Films. [17] [12] [18]

Nick Nanton and family in 2022 receiving a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. Nick Nanton Las Vegas Star 2022.jpg
Nick Nanton and family in 2022 receiving a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.

Nanton continued authoring and contributing to books. In 2013, he published Story Selling which appeared on The Wall Street Journal Best Seller list. [12] With J.W. Dicks, he founded a publishing company called CelebrityPress, which primarily publishes books on the topics of business and entrepreneurship. [19] 2013 also saw Nanton receive further accolades for his film work. He won multiple Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards that year for producing and directing the documentary shorts, Esperanza and Mi Casa Hogar. [20] In 2014, it was announced that Nanton would direct a biographical documentary about the founder of the X Prize Foundation, Peter Diamandis. [21] The resultant film, Visioneer, garnered Nanton another Suncoast Regional Emmy Award in the Director (Post-Production) category in 2015. [22]

In the following years, Nanton produced and directed a number of other biographical documentaries, including Maximum Achievement: The Brian Tracy Story (2017), [23] The Soul of Success: The Jack Canfield Story (2017), [24] Rudy Ruettiger: The Walk On (2018), [25] and Game Changer: The Dan Sullivan Story (2018), among others. [26] In 2018, he won six Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards for producing and directing Rudy Ruettiger, Game Changer, and A New Leash on Life: The K9s for Warriors Story. [17] [27] The Ruettiger film was adapted into a one-man show called Dream Big: Rudy Ruettiger Live on Broadway that was produced and directed by Nanton and staged at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Broadway in 2019. [28]

Also in 2018, Nanton's Prime Video interview series, In Case You Didn't Know with Nick Nanton, premiered and has since featured guests such as Larry King, Dean Kamen, and Anthony Scaramucci. [12] That year, Nanton also directed the documentary, Operation Toussaint, which chronicled the efforts of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) to retrieve child trafficking victims in Haiti. [29] A 2019 follow-up to that film, Triple Take, followed the eponymous Operation Triple Take undertaken by O.U.R. in Colombia. [30] He also won for From Shelter to Service: A K9s for Warriors Story. [31] In 2020, two episodes ("Nido Qubein: Extraordinary is a Choice" and "Lisa Nichols: Born to Win") from his Prime Video series won Emmy Awards as individual documentaries. [32] He also directed the documentary, Folds of Honor, that year which details the charitable efforts of the non-profit organization of the same name. [33] In 2022 he was honored with a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars. [34] Later that year he directed the film Dickie V, covering the life and career of Dick Vitale, which premiered on ESPN+. [35]

Filmography

YearTitle
[36]
RoleNotes
2010Jacob's TurnExecutive producer, co-directorDocumentary short
2012Tackling TaxesExecutive producer, creative directorDocumentary short
Practicing PerfectionExecutive producer, creative directorDocumentary short
Car MenExecutive producer, executive creative directorDocumentary short
The Flower GirlExecutive producer, directorShort film
Cracking the Celebrity CodeExecutive producer, executive creative directorDocumentary short
Filling the Financial GapExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
2013Life & The PartyExecutive producer, executive creative directorDocumentary short
EsperanzaExecutive producer, producer, directorDocumentary short
Faith Family and TaxesExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
Life in BalanceExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
Back to HealthExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
Coach Pete's Financial SafariProducer, directorDocumentary short
Real People, Real Systems, Real ProfitsExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
Making the DifferenceExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
Mi Casa HogarExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
The I.T. GuyExecutive producer, executive creative directorDocumentary short
A Life of Success and SignificanceExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
2014Stand and ServeExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
Get Your Life BackExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
HeritageExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
If It Is to Be It's Up to MeExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
2015Visioneer: The Peter Diamandis StoryExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
2016The ReboundExecutive producerDocumentary film
Return to EsperanzaExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
ArmoniaExecutive producer, directorDocumentary short
2017Maximum Achievement: The Brian Tracy StoryExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
Live Your QuestExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
The Soul of Success: The Jack Canfield StoryExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
2018Game Changer: The Dan Sullivan StoryExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
Rudy Ruettiger: The Walk OnExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
Operation Toussaint: Operation Underground Railroad and the Fight to End Modern Day SlaveryExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got: The Jay Abraham StoryExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
A New Leash on Life: The K9s for Warriors Story Executive producer, directorDocumentary film
2018–presentIn Case You Didn't Know with Nick NantonCreator, executive producer, director, host Amazon Prime Video docuseries
2019From Shelter to Service: A K9s for Warriors StoryExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
Triple TakeExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
2020Folds of Honor: A Fighter Pilot's Mission to Deliver Healing and Hope to AmericaExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
Choose Yourself: The James Altucher StoryExecutive producer, directorPrime Video docuseries
DreamerExecutive producer, directorDocumentary film
2022 Dickie V DirectorDocumentary film [37]

Bibliography

YearTitle
[38]
Original publisherISBNNotes
2008Celebrity Branding YouCelebrityPress ISBN   978-0983947073 Co-written with JW Dicks
Second edition released in 2013
2013Story SellingCelebrityPress ISBN   978-0988641877 Co-written with JW Dicks
The Wall Street Journal best-seller list
2015Mission Driven BusinessImpact Publishing ISBN   978-0996197885 Co-written with JW Dicks
2018 Rudy Ruettiger: The Walk On Morgan James Publishing ISBN   978-1642790931 Co-written with Rudy Ruettiger
2019Leo Learns About LifeCelebrityPress ISBN   978-1732284364 Children's book

Nominations and awards

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultRef.
201147th Ohio Valley Emmy Awards Director – Post-ProductionNick Nanton for Jacob's TurnWon [15]
2013 27th Midsouth Emmy Awards Documentary - TopicalCar Men
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Nominated [39]
37th Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards Documentary – TopicalEsperanza
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [20]
Mi Casa Hogar
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Nominated [20]
Director – Post-ProductionNick Nanton for Mi Casa HogarWon [20]
Nick Nanton for EsperanzaNominated [20]
201539th Suncoast Regional Emmy AwardsDirector – Post-ProductionNick Nanton for Visioneer: The Peter Diamandis StoryWon [22]
Nick Nanton for ArmoniaNominated [22]
201640th Suncoast Regional Emmy AwardsDocumentary – TopicalReturn to Esperanza
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [40]
201842nd Suncoast Regional Emmy AwardsDocumentary – Topical Rudy Ruettiger: The Walk On
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [27]
A New Leash on Life: The K9s for Warriors Story
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [27]
Director – Non-Live (Post-Production)Nick Nanton for Rudy Ruettiger: The Walk OnWon [27]
Nick Nanton for A New Leash on Life: The K9s for Warriors StoryWon [27]
Nick Nanton for Game Changer: The Dan Sullivan StoryWon [27]
Human Interest – Program Feature/SegmentDownrange
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [27]
201943rd Suncoast Regional Emmy AwardsDocumentary – TopicalTriple Take
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [31]
From Shelter to Service: A K9s for Warriors Story
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Nominated [41]
Director – Non-Live (Post-Produced)Nick Nanton for Triple TakeWon [31]
Nick Nanton for From Shelter to Service: A K9s for Warriors StoryWon [31]
Nick Nanton for LongevityNominated [41]
Promotion – Program – Single SpotTriple Take
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [31]
Longevity
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Nominated [41]
Special Event Coverage – EditedDream Big: Rudy Ruettiger Live on Broadway
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Nominated [41]
202044th Suncoast Regional Emmy AwardsDocumentary – Cultural Nido Qubein: Extraordinary is a Choice
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [32]
Lisa Nichols: Born to Win
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [32]
Documentary – TopicalDreamer
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [32]
Director – Non-Live (Post-Produced)Nick Nanton for Nido Qubein: Extraordinary is a ChoiceWon [32]
Nick Nanton for Lisa Nichols: Born to WinWon [32]
Nick Nanton for DreamerNominated [42]
Promotion – Program – Single SpotDreamer
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [32]
34th Heartland Emmy Awards DocumentaryFolds of Honor
(Produced and directed by Nick Nanton)
Won [43]

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