26-Year-Old Rockaway Producer Wins New York Emmy for Rockettes Feature

Monée Bratton, a 26-year-old resident of Rockaway, won a New York Emmy Award on Saturday, Oct. 10. Her production team received the trophy in the Talk Program Long Form Content category. This achievement marks a milestone for a professional who has worked in the industry for four years.

The winning segment focused on the Rockettes, a group famous for their high-kicking performances at Radio City Music Hall. The feature aired on News 12’s weekday talk show, Be Well. Bratton served as the line producer for the piece. She stated that the team aimed to capture the history of the dancers and their daily routines.

Bratton designed the structure of the show to begin with the origins of the Rockettes. She wrote the script and prepared questions for the host. The production team attended the dancers’ workouts and practices. They also observed the process for hair and makeup. During filming, Bratton and the host practiced kicks with the dancers.

The competition for the award included established television figures. Tamsen Fadal was one of the nominees in the same category. Other producers in the room had more than 30 years of experience. Bratton noted that her team remained optimistic because of the local popularity of the Rockettes, especially during the holiday season.

Bratton learned about her nomination while on a cruise vacation. She received a call confirming that News 12 had submitted the piece and it had been selected. She described her reaction to the news as screaming and crying. Fellow passengers on the ship joined in her celebration. The win was announced on Oct. 10, allowing her to walk the red carpet as a first-time nominee.

Her path to the award began in high school at Channel View School for Research. Bratton studied mass communication at SUNY Cobleskill before transferring to SUNY Oswego for broadcasting. She gained experience as a student reporter and hosted a radio show called Monée Talks. After college, she worked as an associate producer for Spectrum News in Florida for two years.

She returned to Rockaway to join News 12 as a producer for Be Well. The show covers health, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle topics. Bratton’s mother, Chavela Bratton, and grandmother, Jacqueline Bratton, attended the awards ceremony with her. Bratton plans to use her new platform to create a media program in Rockaway. She aims to provide resources for local youth through classes in producing or podcasting. A video of her win posted to TikTok reached 20,000 views.