Shonda Rhimes will be honored with the 2016 Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television at the Producers Guild Awards in January, the organization announced Thursday.
The award will honor her nearly 20-year career as a television producer and showrunner. It will be presented at the 27th annual ceremony on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
“To be the recipient of an award bestowed upon me by my peers in the PGA is truly an honor. The fact that the award is named after a legendary producer whose work has had such an inspiring effect on my growth as a writer is genuinely gratifying. I couldn’t be more grateful for this special recognition,” Rhimes said in a statement.
Previous recipients of the award include Chuck Lorre, J.J. Abrams, Dick Wolf, Jerry Bruckheimer, Lorne Michaels, David L. Wolper, Aaron Spelling, Carsey/Werner/Mandabach, Steven Bochco, David E. Kelley, Mark Burnett and Norman Lear.
“Shonda Rhimes is one of the most passionate and insightful storytellers in entertainment today. Her pioneering work on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Scandal,’ and ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ has redefined the role of women in media and spurred the debate about diversity in television,” said Producers Guild Awards co-chairs Michael DeLuca and Jennifer Todd. “Like the intelligent, strong, and fearless characters she creates, Shonda is a true force to be reckoned with and we are privileged to honor her with this year’s Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.”