Craig Piligian

Emmy® and NAACP Award-winning producer Craig Piligian has been a key player in unscripted television for over two decades. One of the original executive producers of seminal CBS hit "Survivor," Piligian began his career in the news business and went on to produce some of the first reality programming, including 650 episodes of "Real Stories of the Highway Patrol."

He founded Pilgrim Films & Television - now Pilgrim Media Group - in 1997, subsequently creating several of television's most groundbreaking and enduring reality series for U.S. and international air. "American Chopper," three-time Emmy® nominated "Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe," "Fast N' Loud," "The Ultimate Fighter," and the "David Tutera," "Wicked Tuna" "Street Outlaws," and "Ghost Hunters" franchises are among his broad list of credits. Piligian has also expanded into producing award-winning documentary series and features; celebrity talk shows; scripted content; and sports and eSports projects.

A testament to Piligian's impact and ingenuity in the unscripted space, he has consistently ranked among the top 10 producers featured in The Hollywood Reporter's annual Reality Power List and Variety's annual Reality Impact Report. Realscreen has honored him with its Producer Extraordinaire award and inducted him into its Hall of Fame. Piligian was Broadcasting & Cable magazine's first-ever Producer of the Year and was also recognized by Next TV Summit as Innovator of the Year. In 2015, Lionsgate acquired a majority interest in Pilgrim Media Group.