Nusrat Durrani

Activist, Artist, Business leader, Business mentor, Change agent, Concerned citizen, Filmmaker, Global soul, Idea generator, Marketer, Parent, Photographer, Producer, Student, World traveler

Nusrat Durrani recently concluded a twenty-year-long tenure at Viacom’s global HQ in New York to begin a sabbatical to serve, learn, and re-imagine the world. His most recent position was that of General Manager/SVP and founder of MTV World, Viacom’s global innovation engine, and pinnacle of a career at MTV Networks/Viacom that began with being a key player in the launch of MTV.com and all of MTV’s interactive businesses. Durrani’s most recent MTV World initiatives are leading the reinvention of Viacom as a pop culture force through the launch of multiple trans-media series focused on music, fashion, love, and film, as well as activism and politics. “Rebel Music,” his politically-focused music documentary series, produced the most viewed and shared video content ever featured on MTV’s social media. The historic and award winning “Rebel Music: Native America” episode — the first time the Native youth story has ever been told by a major media company — was not only the centerpiece of a special White House screening and panel discussion, it was also shown as a lead-in to President Obama’s speech at the 2014 Tribal Nations Conference. Bringing a global sensibility to the traditionally U.S.-centric Viacom media ecosystem, Durrani’s visionary decade-long leadership at MTV World has included groundbreaking work collaborating with featuring acclaimed artists such as Joan Baez, Shepard Fairey, Arcade Fire, Mia Waskowska, Gael García Bernal and Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, as well as innovating with major brand partners like AT&T, General Motors, and Intel. “The Music Experiment,” the award-winning multi-platform MTV World-Intel franchise he crafted, reinvented the live music experience by infusing in-depth digital and social interaction into real-life concert-going. Described as “a sage when it comes to music and popular culture” by MTV co-founder and former Viacom chief Tom Freston, Durrani gave artists including M.I.A., Of Monsters and Men, and 2NE1 their first major American exposure.

Music and art as a vehicle for social change, technology as a tool for empowerment, social media as an amplifier of unheard voices. I am inspired by people who dare to be different and are brave enough to go against the status quo, pursue radical agendas and dream impossible dreams that eventually move humanity forward.

Social media has enabled a powerful opportunity for pop music and culture from around the world to be discovered and for the world to discover itself. We should be fully immersing ourselves in the breathtaking array of sounds and colors and stories from the youth of planet Earth rather than overdose on Western content.

Business Innovation, Creative strategy, Documentary films, Emerging music, Film making, Global/International pop culture, Media strategy, Trans-media production

Hope to write one soon.

Cooking Eggs