Recent Oscar-winners Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell, multi-hyphenates Issa Rae and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, activist and author Stacey Abrams, and moguls Oprah Winfrey and Shonda Rhimes are just a few of the women who have made The Hollywood Reporter’s 2021 Women in Entertainment Power 100. “Portfolio sizes, series loads, TV ratings, awards hauls, deals, employees overseen, revenue/profit generated, subscriber counts, [and box office]” were all considered when curating the list of show business’ top women leaders, per the source.
The list includes performers, producers, showrunners, execs, filmmakers — and many women who regularly inhabit multiple roles, such as actress-producer Margot Robbie and actress-writer-producer Mindy Kaling.
Also among those who appear on the list are Oscar-winning actress and DGA-nominated director Regina King, “Wonder Woman” helmer Patty Jenkins, and producer and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle. “Old Guard” director Gina Prince-Bythewood, actress, producer, and Emmy-winning writer Lena Waithe, and “I May Destroy You” star and creator Michaela Coel made the cut, too.
THR is recognizing plenty of women who primarily work behind-the-scenes — setting up projects, running companies or divisions, overseeing networks, finalizing deals, and representing talent — as well. Priya Swaminathan and Tonia Davis, who co-head the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions, are on the list, as is Freeform president Tara Duncan. Victoria Alonso, Marvel Studios’ Executive VP of Production, and Sony Pictures Animation President Kristine Belson are also included.
Head over to THR to see the entire 2021 Women in Entertainment Power 100 list.