John Leverence joined the Television Academy in 1980. As the Awards Department's top-ranking staff member, Leverence oversaw the fulfillment of the Board's strategic directives for the administration of the Primetime and LA Area Emmy Awards as well as the Television Academy Honors.

When he joined the academy as Awards Administrator, the only Emmy-eligible distribution platform was nationally-broadcast or nationally-syndicated programming. He presided over significant growth and dynamic change in the awards competition. During his tenure peer awards for casting, children's programming, commercials, guest performer, interactive programming, main title design, music and lyrics, main title theme music, nonfiction writing and directing, prosthetic makeup, reality and reality-competition programming, short-format programming and stunt coordination were added to the Primetime Emmy competition, along with the integration of premium cable, satellite and streaming distribution platforms.

Leverence received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois, a Masters degree from the University of Chicago and a Doctor of Philosophy from the Center for the Study of Popular Culture (Bowling Green State University).

His book-length publications include And The Winner Is, which Steven Bochco dubbed a "user's manual" for the "complex mechanisms that are awards competitions."

In 2010, Senior Vice President of Awards John Leverence received the Syd Cassyd Founder's Award which recognizes Academy members who have made a significant, positive impact on the organization over many years of involvement and service.

After nearly 40 years of service to the Television Academy and oversight of 39 Emmy Awards, John Leverence retired at the end of 2019.

Chairman and CEO Frank Scherma appointed Dr. Leverence as Chair of the Engineering Emmy Awards Committee for the 2020 Emmy Awards season.