Anthony Sparks hails from Chicago’s South Side and has worked in television as a showrunner, producer, and writer over the last 20 seasons. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in television, theatre and film, Anthony is an Executive Producer and writer for the 2nd season of the hit drama, Bel-Air (Peacock). He is also an Executive Producer and writer on the recent HULU limited series Mike, about the controversial life and times of heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. In addition, Anthony recently completed six seasons as the longtime Showrunner, Executive Producer, and head writer of the critically acclaimed OWN/Warner Bros. television drama, “Queen Sugar”, which was created by Ava DuVernay and produced by Oprah Winfrey.
Sparks is also currently developing drama series with several studios, including Legendary Studios, Lionsgate Studio, and Blumhouse Television, where he also signed a First Look Deal and sold, in a competitive situation, a scripted drama inspired by the Detroit Youth Choir to Disney+. Additional writer/producer credits include: The Blacklist (NBC); the J.J. Abrams series “Undercovers” (NBC); several seasons on the critically acclaimed drama “Lincoln Heights” (Freeform), and “The District” (CBS).
Anthony started his career in theatre as a playwright and actor. He performed at prestigious theatres such as The Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival, the Old Globe Theatre, Williamstown Theater Festival and Crossroads Theatre. He also performed a leading role for five years in New York in the hit theatre show STOMP, before garnering the attention of television executives with his acclaimed play, Ghetto Punch.
Anthony recently received a 2022 Humanitas Prize nomination in the drama teleplay category for writing the “May 27, 2020” episode of Queen Sugar, which was inspired by George Floyd. Anthony also received the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Television Drama for his work as showrunner and executive producer of Queen Sugar seasons 5 and 6. And in late 2020, he was honored with the TV Academy’s “Television Academy Honors Award” for his work as showrunner and executive producer on Queen Sugar’s 4th season. Overall, Anthony has also been nominated for 4 additional NAACP Image Awards for his writing over the last 12 years (3 nominations for Outstanding Television Drama Writing and one 2017 nomination for his academic book, Running the Long Race in Gifted Education). He has also received two Sentinel writing awards from the Norman Lear Center for what they called his “groundbreaking work” on Lincoln Heights.
Anthony holds a BFA degree in theatre, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in American Studies & Ethnicity, all from USC, the University of Southern California. Anthony received the Jack Nicholson Award, LeVar Burton Award, and Doolittle Associates Award while an undergraduate at USC and the Anna Bing Arnold Fellowship while pursuing graduate work at USC.
In addition, Dr. Sparks is also a cutting-edge scholar of race & ethnicity, media, performance studies, and African American politics and culture. He now serves on the boards of Katz-Collins YMCA LA; Hollywood, Health & Society; and the USC SDA Board of Councilors. When time allows, he mentors and teaches screenwriting and cultural studies at Occidental College, USC, and California State University. He is married to actor-director and USC Dramatic Arts professor and Associate Dean Anita Dashiell-Sparks. They are working hard to raise their three children.