MDC-TV Nominated For Another Suncoast Regional Emmy Award
MDC-TV was nominated for a Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for Video Game Concert 2025.
The recognition is presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. MDC-TV has now been nominated 21 times for a Suncoast Emmy, winning 11.
Winners will be announced on Dec. 6 at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s always an incredible feeling to see the hard work of our students and staff recognized,” said Ariel Rubalcava, executive director of MDC-TV. “For us, the Emmy nominations are more than just awards, they’re a validation that education, creativity and collaboration can truly reach a professional level.”
Video Game Concert 2025 is a multimedia production featuring live music and visuals from classic video games including Super Mario and Zelda. It was directed by Rubalcava and Alberto Bade, chair of the music department at MDC and director of the MDC Symphony Orchestra.
The concert was performed live at the North Campus Lehman Theater on June 21 to cap off Finn-Con, the annual anime and gaming expo at North Campus.
“Every time that we get nominated for this award, it feels like it is the first time every time,” Bade said. “It is an amazing feeling to know that the highest award in television is being given to a college network.”
This year, MDC-TV used Google Veo3—an artificial intelligence video generation model—to help to create their visuals.
“It’s one of our most ambitious projects, it represents what’s possible when art and technology come together in an academic setting,” Rubalcava said.
Bade, in collaboration with North Campus Director of Learning Resources Angel Hernandez, began the preproduction process five months before the performance.
More than 86 MDC students and faculty from music, film and digital media programs collaborated to make the concert possible.
Other contributors to the project include the School of Entertainment & Design Technology, the North Campus Arts & Philosophy department and North Campus media services.
“Tension and chaos seem to win at moments, but somehow the effort of every student, crew member and staff comes alive during the live performance,” Rubalcava said. “The final show captures the best of it all.”
MDC-TV can be found on Comcast channel 78, Atlantic Broadband channel 78, AT&T U-Verse channel 99 and YouTube.
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