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Randy Barbato Biography

Birth Name:Randy Barbato

Profession Producer, Director, Writer, Soundtrack

Fast Facts

  • Won the International Documentary Association's Pioneer Award with Fenton Bailey in 2014 for their contributions to the nonfiction genre
  • Won the GLAAD Fairness Award, given to people who portray the LGBT community fairly, with Fenton Bailey in 1998
  • Was a graduate student at New York University's film school when he first met Fenton Bailey
  • Started a disco-pop-rock group with Fenton Bailey called The Fabulous Pop Tarts in New York while the duo was living in New York, from which the idea for World of Wonder was created
  • Quote: "[on his company, World of Wonder] "Networks love it when we pitch them․ They love us․ Executives think we're a lot of fun․ They love our quirky ideas, none of which they believe are marketable․""
  • Quote: "We [he and Fenton Bailey] are into freaks who are engaged in the world, who have a joie de vivre․ We are turned on by people who are tuned into a different frequency․ We fall in love with all our subjects․"
  • Best known as the executive producer of "RuPaul's Drag Race" and the "Party Monster" feature film and documentary
  • Founded World of Wonder Productions with Fenton Bailey in 1991 to make documentaries about often controversial people

Awards

  • 1998Grand Jury Award-Outstanding Documentary Feature: winner
  • 1999First Place-Non-Fiction: winner
  • 2000Honorable Mention-Documentary Film Competition: winner
  • 2000Audience Award-Best Documentary: winner
  • 2000Grand Jury Prize-Documentary: nominated
  • 2001Independent Spirit Award-Best Documentary: nominated
  • 2001OFTA Film Award-Best Documentary Picture: nominated
  • 2003Grand Prix Asturias-Best Feature: nominated
  • 2003Grand Jury Prize-Dramatic: nominated
  • 2005Teddy-Best Documentary Film: nominated
  • 2010Emmy-Outstanding Nature Programming: winner
  • 2011Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Nonfiction Special: nominated
  • 2011Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming: nominated
  • 2011Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special: nominated
  • 2012Emmy-Outstanding Historical Programming - Long Form: nominated
  • 2014Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2015Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2016Teddy-Best Documentary Film: nominated
  • 2016Critics' Choice Documentary Award-Best Director (TV/Streaming): nominated
  • 2016Jury Prize-Best Documentary: nominated
  • 2016Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special: nominated
  • 2016Publikumspreis-Lieblingsfilme des Publikums: nominated
  • 2017Cinema Eye Honors Award-Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Filmmaking for Television: nominated
  • 2017Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Special Class Special: winner
  • 2017Grand Jury Award-Outstanding Documentary Feature: winner
  • 2017Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Reality Competition Program: nominated
  • 2017Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2018Jury Prize-Best Documentary: winner
  • 2018GLAAD Media Award-Outstanding Documentary: nominated
  • 2018Knight Documentary Achievement Award-Best Documentary: winner
  • 2018Audience Award-Best Documentary: winner
  • 2018Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2018Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Reality-Competition Program: winner
  • 2018Audience Award-Favorite Documentary: winner
  • 2019PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Competition Television: winner
  • 2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2019Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Reality-Competition Program: winner
  • 2020Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Directing - Special Class: nominated
  • 2020PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television: winner
  • 2020Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Competition Program: winner
  • 2020Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2021PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television: winner
  • 2021Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Competition Program: winner
  • 2021Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: winner
  • 2022Canadian Screen Award-Best Reality/Competition Program or Series: winner
  • 2022IDA Award-Best Feature: nominated
  • 2022PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television: winner
  • 2022Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Competition Program: nominated
  • 2022Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2023PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television: nominated
  • 2023Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: nominated
  • 2024PGA Award-Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television: winner
  • 2025Canadian Screen Award-Best Reality/Competition Program or Series: winner