The editor joins from the Associated Press, where she oversaw a team of 40 journalists and directed multiformat entertainment coverage for the wire service.
The Hollywood Reporter has found its new editorial director.
Nekesa Mumbi Moody, who has served as global entertainment and lifestyles editor at the Associated Press since 2012, has been named to the top editorial role at The Hollywood Reporter. Moody will relocate from New York to Los Angeles and starts in the role on June 15.
"The Hollywood Reporter has consistently produced some of the most important, informative and revealing stories about the entertainment industry. I’m thrilled to join and look forward to building on the incredible work of its journalists as Hollywood finds itself facing new challenges amid historic change," said Moody.
At the Associated Press, Moody oversaw a team of 40 journalists and directed multiformat entertainment coverage for the wire service, breaking news and producing exclusive content for newspapers, online portals and broadcasters.
"Nekesa is an incredibly smart, well-respected journalist and seasoned leader who can confidently shape the next chapter of this venerable brand and we are proud to welcome her to The Hollywood Reporter," said Deanna Brown, president of Billboard-The Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
Prior to her role as global entertainment and lifestyles editor at the wire service, Moody served as the AP's music editor from 2000 to 2012. In that role, Moody interviewed everyone from Barbra Streisand to Luciano Pavarotti, from Beyoncé to Prince, from Taylor Swift to Kanye West. Moody was the first to report the news of Whitney Houston’s death, and the first person to get official confirmation of the passing of Prince.
Moody has also written for Essence and her essays can be found in the anthologies Where Did Our Love Go: Essays on Love & Relationships in the African-American Community and An Illustrated History of Women Who Rock. A New York state native and a graduate of Barnard College, she currently lives with her husband and son in Brooklyn.
The appointment of Moody as editorial director follows the exit of Matthew Belloni, a 14-year veteran of The Hollywood Reporter who led the brand to two National Magazine Award nominations for General Excellence in the Special Interest category in 2019 and 2020 by the American Society of Magazine Editors.
The Hollywood Reporter's website reached 25.5 million unique visitors in February, per Comscore figures. Billboard-The Hollywood Reporter Media Group is a division of Valence Media, which also owns Dick Clark Productions, MRC Film, MRC Television, MRC Data and MRC Non-Fiction. Valence has minority investments in A24, Fulwell 73 and T-Street.
"Nekesa is a brilliant journalist and we are fortunate to have her lead The Hollywood Reporter, where we know she will set a high bar for the work we do, as well as the way we do it," said Valence Media co-CEOs Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu. "We have enjoyed getting to know her and have found her to be strong, generous of spirit, and the type of leader who wants to see her teams excel and grow."
