Shonda Rhimes to Receive WGA’s Award for TV Writing

Paddy Chayevsky Award is given by Writers Guild of America, West for achievement in television

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Shonda Rhimes, the producer of “Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “How to Get Away With Murder” and many other television shows, has been named recipient of the 2015 Paddy Chayevsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement, by the Writers Guild of America, West.

Rhimes will receive the award at the WGAW’s awards ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 14. The ceremony will be held simultaneously with the WGA, East’s awards show in New York City.

Also read: Shonda Rhimes Slams Media for Downplaying Amy Pascal’s ‘Racist’ Emails

Rhimes’ only previous WGA Award came in the Best New Series category in 2006 for “Grey’s Anatomy,” which was also nominated that year and the following year.

Previous winners of the Paddy Chayevsky Award include Steven Bochco, Stephen J. Cannell, David Chase, Larry David, Diane English, Marshall Herskovitz & Ed Zwick and Garry Marshall.

Also read: Shonda Rhimes to Be Inducted Into NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame

WGAW president Chris Keyser said in a statement on Wednesday:

“Few writers in television have had the impact on the medium that Shonda Rhimes has. Her ability to create, consistently, television that is, at once, excellent, provocative and crowd-pleasing is almost the least of it. She is a breaker of barriers. On screen, she has taken us places that were previously off limits, giving voice to characters who had been voiceless and tackling issues and touching nerves without fear. Off screen, she has been a mentor to a generation of writers – some of whom are women, some of whom are writers of color – all of whom will look to her as a pioneer in a business that is now more diverse and more vibrant because she played her part.”

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