Tina Fey will be honored at The Hollywood’s Reporter’s 2016 Women in Entertainment breakfast, THR reports. The writer, actress, and producer will receive the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, which “recognizes a woman who is a pioneer and a leader in her industry.” Lansing is a former CEO of Paramount Pictures, and also served as president of production at 20th Century Fox. The trailblazer made history as the first woman to head a Hollywood studio.
Fey is a six-time Emmy winner. The “SNL” alum created NBC’s “30 Rock” and Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” Fey starred in the former, playing Liz Lemon, a long-suffering showrunner with an insatiable appetite for cheese. She penned the screenplay for cult classic “Mean Girls,” in which she also appeared. Her other big-screen acting credits include “Baby Mama,” “Date Night,” “Sisters,” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.”
Previous honorees include entertainment behemoths Barbra Streisand, Shonda Rhimes, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Halle Berry, and Jodie Foster.
“I am thrilled that The Hollywood Reporter has chosen to recognize Tina,” commented Lansing. “Her remarkable professional achievements and philanthropic generosity have greatly inspired me and hundreds of millions of people worldwide.” She suggested that THR “could not have chosen a more deserving individual to honor.”
THR will also recognize “American Horror Story” co-creator Ryan Murphy at the event. The writer, director, and producer is set to receive the inaugural Equity in Entertainment award, which “recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to significant inclusion of women and people of color in the entertainment industry.” Murphy recently launched Half, a foundation within his 20th Century Fox-based production company that aims to diversify Hollywood. The goal is to hire more women, people of color, and members of the LGBT community for his series, such as “American Crime Story” and “Scream Queens.” Murphy has also spoken up about ageism in the entertainment industry, and often features older actresses in his series.
“Both Tina and Ryan perfectly exemplify the ideals and mission of THR’s Women in Entertainment initiative and modern Hollywood overall,” said Janice Min, president and chief creative officer of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group. “They use their enormous influence to question, change, and impact the status quo while being incredibly entertaining and smart both in front of the cameras and behind them.”
The event will take place December 7 in LA. Opening remarks will be delivered by journalist and political commentator Megyn Kelly.
