Variety and the Application Developers Alliance are pleased to announce that Chris Hardwick, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Nerdist Industries and Co-President Digital Content for Legendary Entertainment, will host its Entertainment App Awards Nov. 29 at the Sheraton Universal in Studio City, Ca.

In Nerdist, Hardwick has created an immersive world for pop culture and nerd fandom, spanning its Nerdist.com website, podcast network, premium YouTube channel, electronic newsletters and Course of the Force, its annual pre-San Diego Comic-Con International lightsaber relay in partnership with Lucasfilm. Hardwick was named in his dual position at Legendary upon the company’s acquisition of Nerdist Industries earlier this year. He works closely with Peter Levin, CEO of Nerdist Industries and Co-President of Digital Strategy at Legendary.

Additionally, Hardwick serves as host of AMC’s series The Talking Dead, airing directly after the network’s highly-rated The Walking Dead. Hardwick will also be featured in the upcoming stand-up special Chris Hardwick Mandroid on Comedy Central in November.

Variety’s Entertainment App Awards will honor excellence and innovation in entertainment apps released in 2012, and will directly follow its Entertainment App Conference on Nov. 29 at the Sheraton. The Conference will focus on how the entertainment industry is using apps to enhance audience engagement, create new revenue opportunities, extend franchises and leverage power new social marketing and networking platforms.

Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, who is behind the new American Sign Language tutorial app ‘Marlee Signs,’ will be a special guest at the Conference.

Sponsors for Variety’s Entertainment App Conference and Awards include Distimo, The Echo Nest, Tapjoy, Newvue, 1K Studios, the Consumer Electronics Association, Parks Associates and SAG-AFTRA.

Confirmed speakers for Variety’s Entertainment Apps Conference include:

Ian Aaron, Chief Executive Officer, ConnecTV
Arie Abecassis, Co-Founder, AppStori
Sandy Barger, Chief Marketing Officer, Everloop
Philippe Browning, Vice President, Advertising & Operations, CBS Interactive
Paul Carff, Developer Evangelist, Google TV
Calvin Carter, CEO, Bottlerocket
Gary Chavez, Vice President, Client Services, Bunchball
Scott Chow, Sr. Product Manager, PayPal Digital Platforms
Nick Colsey, Vice President, Sony
Paul Condolora, SVP Digital Platforms at Cartoon Network
Jed Corenthal, CEO, Meemo
Jim Eadie, Senior Vice President, Digital Business Development, MTV Networks
Charlie Echeverry, Executive Vice President, Sales, Univision Interactive
Tom Engdahl, President & Chief Executive Officer, Magic Ruby
Jarah Euston, Director of Analytics, Flurry
John Funge, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, BrightContext
John Gilles, Managing Director, "A Different Engine"
Geoff Hamm, Vice President, Sales, TapJoy
Matthew Hannus, CEO & Co-Founder, Sleepy Giant
Josh Hartwell, CEO, Mobile Deluxe
Michael Hudes, executive VP, YuMe
David Jones, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Shazam
Hank Kanalz, Senior Vice President, Digital, DC Entertainment
Matt Kennedy, President, 1K Studios
Ed Leonard, CEO, Ptch
Scott Levine, Vice President, Video Product, Univision Interactive
Jim Lucchese, Chief Executive Officer, The Echo Nest
Chris Mate, Vice President Interactive Entertainment, National Geographic
Kirt McMaster, Chief Executive Officer, SYN
Jim Molinets, Vice President & General Manager, Mobile Games Glendale, Disney Interactive Studios
Henry Oh, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Animoca
Chuck Parker, Chairman, 2nd Screen Society
John Penney, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Starz
Ron Pessner, Partner, Group Program Manager, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft Corporation
Edward Prince, Senior Vice President, Media & New Ventures, Neustar & Ultraviolet
George Rogerson, Executive Vice President, Cellfish
Cass Sap, Chief Executive Officer, ThumbsUpApp
Gabriel Schlumberger, Director, Digital Creative, Disney Publishing
David Selle, Vice President, Production, NukoToys
Woody Sears, Founder, Zuuka
Narry Singh, Chief Business Guru, Outfit7
James Smith, Senior Vice President, Flixster
Trevor Stout, Chief Executive Officer, Yap.TV
Josh Stutt, Director of Marketing, Newvue
Dave Swartz, President & CCO, MEDL Mobile, Inc.
D.P. Venkatesh, CEO, mPortal
Mark Vrieling, Chief Executive Officer, Screenplay/OnmiQ
Jennifer Wells, Sr. Manager, Product Development, PBS Kids Mobile, PBS
Michael Yang, Partner with Comcast Ventures
Mark Young, Vice President, Mobile Strategy, NBCUniversal Digital Networks

About Application Developers Alliance

The Application Developers Alliance is an industry association dedicated to meeting the unique needs of application developers as creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Alliance members include more than 15,000 individual application developers and dozens of companies, investors, and stakeholders in the apps ecosystem.

About Variety

Variety is the leading publication for business entertainment news, recognized and respected throughout the world of show business. The Variety Group – Daily Variety, Daily Variety Gotham, Variety, Variety.com, LA 411, Variety 411 – are owned by Variety Media, LLC, a division of Penske Business Media.