Nina Shelton is an Emmy-nominated producer, award-winning journalist, writer, and director with work across television, film, and digital platforms. Currently with PBS, she oversees career development for documentary and unscripted filmmakers in public media. Nina is also the founder of Crossing Barriers Media, a scripted film company focused on bold, character-driven storytelling.

​

Nina produced Emmy-nominated documentaries and a range of content for both national PBS programming and local affiliates, including WHYY, Arizona Public Media, and WTIU. She also worked with American History TV which broadcasts on C-SPAN, collaborating with institutions like the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Smithsonian to bring historical content to national audiences.

​

Nina served as supervising producer at Everest Production, where she developed and led over ten original series, including Rhythm & Roots and The Global Kitchen. At Everest, she launched the network’s first morning news show and oversaw a range of programming—from lifestyle and arts to public affairs—managing teams of producers, writers, reporters and hosts.

​

Nina brought her storytelling talents to Hallmark, where she wrote for the series New Morning. She also earned her first Emmy nomination as a producer and writer for HBO’s acclaimed newsmagazine What Matters.

​

Prior to that, Nina began her career in children’s programming, bringing her creativity to Sesame Workshop, working both figuratively and literally on Sesame Street. She went on to produce and write for a block of pre-school series for Cartoon Network called Big Bag that was a mix of muppet, live action and animated series - programming praised for its originality and heart. Her writing credits span some of the most beloved children’s shows, including PBS’s Cyberchase, Barney & Friends, Friday Zone, and Disney’s Out of the Box. Nina also helped break new ground in children’s media as the developer of Troubles the Cat, the first Latino animated series to air in the U.S., which debuted on Cartoon Network.

​

Nina was selected as a fellow of the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI) Digital Content Lab and was named a New Media Fellow by Black Public Media, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Her screenplay The Right Touch was recognized as a finalist in the Urbanworld Film Festival Screenwriters Competition. She holds a Master’s in Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona and earned her BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

​