Shonda Rhimes is set to receive the first ever Edinburgh Fellowship at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bridgerton” producer will be the guest of honor at the 50th edition of the TV event. Alongside taking park in a conversation even to discuss her 30-year career, Rhimes will be honored with the inaugural fellowship, awarded to those whose “work has had significant cultural and creative impact” and recognises their “influence on both the international industry and television as an artform.”
An award-winning television creator, producer and author, as well as the CEO of the global media company, Shondaland, which is this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, Rhimes has made a name for herself as the creator of hugely popular, long running series. Alongside “Grey’s Anatomy,” she has produced “Private Practice” and “Scandal,” which made her first woman to have created three television dramas to achieved the 100-episode milestone. “Bridgerton,” meanwhile, has become a global sensation for Netflix and currently holds three of the top 10 spots among English language programming for the streamer.
Rhimes — who has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBA) for her servie to U.K./U.K. relation — is also the founder of The Rhimes Foundation, whose mission is to support arts, education, and activism.
“This year the festival celebrates an incredible 50 years of agenda-setting thought leadership across the international TV industry,” said Edinburgh TV Festival creative director Rowan Woods. “We’re delighted to mark this milestone with the creation of the Edinburgh Fellowship, which recognises significant creative and cultural achievement in television, and we can’t think of anyone more fitting to receive this inaugural honour than Shonda Rhimes, one of the international industry’s most respected creative powerhouses and someone whose global cultural impact cannot be understated.”
Added Woods: As we celebrate the rich legacy of the past 50 years and look towards the future, Shonda remains an inspirational figure and guiding light for us all.”
The 2025 Edinburgh TV Festival is due to run August 19-22. The full program will be announced in mid-July.
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