Year Five with Anthony Edwards

Three Fifths, Wheelhouse, Portal A

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The 7th Annual Awards

Nominee ✨

• Best Athlete Storytelling

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ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Year Five is an innovative new docuseries that tells the story of superstar Anthony Edwards' all-important fifth season as it's unfolding. Premium episodes are released on YouTube and social media just days or even hours after the games being covered. 

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

The release of YEAR FIVE directly on Anthony’s YouTube channel redefines the category of athlete documentary by harnessing the immediacy and intimacy of social media in a premium docufollow. The show proved that streaming-quality storytelling doesn't just coexist with social platforms—it thrives on them.

Objective

The driving force behind YEAR FIVE was to reimagine the athlete documentary for the digital era — combining the cinematic quality of a premium streaming series with the immediacy and narrative velocity of YouTube.

Over the past decade, athlete-follow docuseries have become increasingly polished and retrospective. YEAR FIVE was built to unfold in real time, capturing Anthony Edwards’ fifth NBA season as it happened — with stakes rising game by game. Produced by Three Fifths Media in partnership with Wheelhouse and Portal A, the series embraced urgency, proximity, and emotional access.

The number five carries deep personal meaning for Anthony, marking both loss and legacy in his life  . His fifth season became more than a competitive milestone; it became a narrative spine — a reflection on pressure, memory, and becoming in public.

Strategically, the series aimed to:

• Establish a new model for athlete-led storytelling on YouTube

• Position Anthony as an active creative partner in shaping his own narrative

• Drive sustained channel growth through serialized, high-stakes storytelling

YEAR FIVE set out to prove that a real-time, creator-owned sports series can deliver premium depth while maintaining the accessibility and momentum native to digital platforms.

Strategy & Execution

To reach the modern sports fan, YEAR FIVE was designed as a new storytelling model — combining the immediacy of digital culture with the craft of premium documentary filmmaking.

The execution centered on three pillars:

Platform-Native Design

The series was built specifically for YouTube, meeting audiences where sports conversation already lives. Episode structure, pacing, and visual language were engineered for mobile-first consumption and organic shareability, while maintaining cinematic standards in cinematography, sound design, and editorial.

Real-Time Narrative Momentum

YEAR FIVE unfolded alongside the NBA season, allowing the story to move in sync with real-world stakes. Episodes captured leadership questions, criticism, and postseason pressure as they happened. This required a nimble production model capable of filming, editing, and releasing within tight competitive windows, mirroring the cadence of the modern sports cycle.

Authentic Narrative Agency

The camera stayed close. Rather than rely on external commentary, the series centered Anthony Edwards’ lived experience — the quiet resets, locker room intensity, and responsibility of leading a franchise. He participated as both subject and creative partner, shaping tone and access.

Organizations

• Three Fifths

• Wheelhouse
• Portal A
• Underdog Fantasy

Links

•   Website

Featured

• Anthony Edwards

Credits

Justin Holland
Executive Producer
Three Fifths

Dontré McCain
Director
Three Fifths

Catherine Cyr
Executive Producer
Three Fifths

Nate Houghteling
Director
Portal A

Stan Kaufman
Executive Producer
Wheelhouse

Brent Montgomery
Executive Producer
Wheelhouse

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