The 2026 Fine Arts Awards Ceremony
This year marked one of the most successful and exciting chapters in the history of our Television and Theatre departments. Our students were recognized for their extraordinary work both on screen and behind the scenes, on stage, backstage, in the studio, and in the field Throughout the year, our students produced outstanding news, sports, and entertainment programming that earned recognition on both the regional and national levels, including being named the Best Television Station in Tennessee by the Tennessee High School Press Association. At the same time, hundreds of audience members enjoyed our spectacular spring musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which once again showcased the remarkable talent and dedication of our Fine Arts students. Our students also achieved success in Scholastic Speech competitions, earning numerous awards and honors. During the ceremony, we proudly recognized the reporters, videographers, editors, on-air talent, directors, producers, performers, and technicians whose work has informed, inspired, and entertained thousands of viewers throughout Germantown High School and across the Mid-South. Many of our students received scholarships and awards of distinction and were inducted into the Student Television Network Honor Society and Quill and Scroll, while others became members of the prestigious GHS Thespian Troupe. These accomplishments are the result of talent, passion, discipline, and countless hours of hard work by our students and faculty. Congratulations to all who made this extraordinary year possible. The future of GHS Fine Arts has never looked brighter!
Alum & Emmy winner Matt Sloan newest addition to GHS-TV Staff
GHS-TV students should gain valuable insights from the station's newest staff member. Alum Matt Sloan returns to Germantown High after winning multiple Emmys for his work at Southern Illinois University.
GHS-TV welcomes a familiar face back into its family. GHS class of 2011 graduate Matt Sloan has joined the GHS-TV staff as an Audio/Video Production Technician. A recent graduate of Southern Illinois University he is excited to come back to his roots.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to come back and give back to the fine arts department that has taught me so much.” said Sloan.
Sloan’s will teach students creative and technical skills, serve as a supervisor for TV programs and produce content for both GHS-TV and Shelby County Schools. Sloan said he is looking forward to sharing his TV knowledge with the students. He earned a degree in Radio, Television and Digital Media for SIU. During his time there, he became the executive producer of alt.news 26:46, for which he won a college television Emmy award for “Best Magazine Style Program.”
Sloan was heavily involved with GHS-TV as a student. Along with being general manager of the studio, he directed Live Coverage 2010 Germantown Festival and Election Night 2010 along with monthly tapings of Crosstalk and Wake Up, Germantown!. Sloan is the only GHS-TV student to win the Jim McKay Memorial Scholarship, which is a national honor given each year by the Emmy organization. He also performed in the Poplar Pike Playhouse productions The Secret Garden, The Farnsworth Invention, Parade, The Beaux' Stratagem, Curtains, Beauty and the Beast, Ragtime and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
He is not the first Mr. Sloan that has worked at GHS-TV. His father, Paul Sloan, is a 1981 alumni who also came back to teach at GHS-TV. Sloan’s father then went on to become the Creative Service Director at the Fox affiliate in Memphis. He currently serves in that same role for the Fox affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona.
Faculty members and students are looking forward to having Matt Sloan on board with both GHS-TV and the Poplar Pike Playhouse.
“I’ve heard so many great things about Mr. Sloan here as a student,” current senior Ben Taylor said. “I’m excited to for the opportunity to work with him at GHS-TV.
Story By Taylor Shennett