Tenia L. Watson
- Producer
- Actress
Tenia Watson is a three-time Daytime Emmy Award nominated and two-time NAACP Image Award-winning former executive producer of the Emmy winning daytime talk show The Real.
Originally from Chicago, Watson obtained her BA in Communications with a double minor in Journalism and African American Studies from Western Illinois University. TV/Broadcasting was never on Watson's career radar until friends prompted her to attend an audition at a local news station for on-air talent on a student operated newscast. Much to her surprise, she was offered a news anchor position for the broadcast, began to acquire behind-the-scenes experience, and quickly fell in love with the industry. She later received an internship at "Chicago's Very Own" WGN-TV Channel 9 that evolved into a full-time position as a production assistant. Watson also freelanced as a junior reporter for the local radio station WVON 1450 AM. Realizing that she wanted to have more creative control of content and the ability to tell and write the story instead of just reporting it, she turned her attention to working behind the camera as a producer.
Watson's producing credits include Black Pop, Judge Mathis, Chicagolicious, Jerry Springer, The Test, Lauren Lake's Paternity Court, MTV's FriendZone and Just Keke, to name a few. In 2013, she joined The Real as a producer and worked her way up to supervising producer, and then was named co-executive producer in 2020.
Watson has received an American Legion Award for Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship and Service. When not in the studio, Watson loves being outdoors, reading, meditating, and going to the theater.
Originally from Chicago, Watson obtained her BA in Communications with a double minor in Journalism and African American Studies from Western Illinois University. TV/Broadcasting was never on Watson's career radar until friends prompted her to attend an audition at a local news station for on-air talent on a student operated newscast. Much to her surprise, she was offered a news anchor position for the broadcast, began to acquire behind-the-scenes experience, and quickly fell in love with the industry. She later received an internship at "Chicago's Very Own" WGN-TV Channel 9 that evolved into a full-time position as a production assistant. Watson also freelanced as a junior reporter for the local radio station WVON 1450 AM. Realizing that she wanted to have more creative control of content and the ability to tell and write the story instead of just reporting it, she turned her attention to working behind the camera as a producer.
Watson's producing credits include Black Pop, Judge Mathis, Chicagolicious, Jerry Springer, The Test, Lauren Lake's Paternity Court, MTV's FriendZone and Just Keke, to name a few. In 2013, she joined The Real as a producer and worked her way up to supervising producer, and then was named co-executive producer in 2020.
Watson has received an American Legion Award for Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship and Service. When not in the studio, Watson loves being outdoors, reading, meditating, and going to the theater.
