Hillsborough High Alumnus Nominated for 44th College Television Awards

Hillsborough High School alumnus Michael Kefeyalew has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 44th College Television Awards. The Foundation’s annual awards show recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges across the country. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red carpet awards ceremony on April 5, 2025, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California. Designed to emulate the Emmy Awards, student entries are judged by Television Academy members. Criteria for the College Television Awards reflect industry standards of excellence, imagination and innovation.

Kefeyalew, along with two classmates at the American Film Institute, is nominated in the Comedy Series category for a project he co-wrote titled The Hicks Happy Hour. The film was selected from over 200 entries from colleges nationwide by Television Academy members.

The Hicks Happy Hour is a fictitious, comedic film about a variety television show set in 1972 hosted by the Hicks Family Band. Just as the show is about to shoot its season finale, the father goes missing, leaving the family's mother alone to keep both the show and the happy family image going to secure another season.

The son of Ethiopian immigrants, Kefeyalew grew up in Tampa, Florida, and attended Hillsborough High School. He is the first in his family to attend college and studied filmmaking at Florida State University and then worked as a union script supervisor on feature films. In 2024 he received an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute.

“It's an honor to be recognized [by the Television Academy],” said Kefeyalew. “Winning would just further validate the incredible talents of everyone involved in making this film happen.”

Attending nominees of the 44th College Television Awards will participate in professional development events with media and industry leaders and a special screening of their projects for Television Academy members prior to the awards show on April 5.