Black Women Headline The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100 List

The outlet’s list of the most powerful women in entertainment includes fan favorites Zendaya, Quinta Brunson, Beyoncé, Ava DuVernay and Rihanna.

Photo: Getty Images David Livingston, Jesse Grant, Dia Dipasupil

If you’ve been paying close attention then you know that Black women in entertainment have been having quite a year. From Beyoncé’s record-breaking Renaissance, to Viola Davis’ The Woman King conquering the box office, to Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson changing the TV comedy game, Black women have dominated the stage and the boardroom. The Hollywood Reporter’s 2022 Women in Entertainment Power 100 recognizes these badass bosses as the most powerful women in entertainment.

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Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Angela Bassett

Photo: Marvel Studios

Whether she’s saving the day as 9-1-1's Athena or ruling over Wakanda, Angela Bassett reigned over TV and movies this year. Next, she looks to add awards season to her kingdom.

Beyoncé

Photo: Getty Images Kevin Winter

Renaissance. That’s it. That’s the reason. Ok, the history making Grammy nominations and internet breaking singles are also pretty good reasons why Queen Bey dominates the music world.

Nicole Brown

Photo: Getty Images Frazer Harrison

Nicole Brown, President, TriStar Pictures, believed in The Woman King when no one else would, once again proving that we take care of each other.

Quinta Brunson

Photo: Getty Images Matt Winkelmeyer

The Emmy-winning creator, writer and star of Abbott Elementary has kept the magic going with a hilarious, record-breaking second season that has completely dismantled the “sophomore slump” tradition.

Kathryn Busby

Photo: Getty Images Jon Kopaloff

Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming at Starz, is responsible for bringing fans all those Power series, as well as Ava DuVernay’s upcoming romantic drama starring Lauren Ridloff and Joshua Jackson.

Ayo Davis

Photo: Getty Images Leon Bennett

You have Ayo Davis, the President of Disney Branded television, to thank for all those cute shows your kids make you watch non-stop. Don’t act like you don’t spend the day watching Bluey.

Michelle Obama

Photo: Getty Images Derek White

In addition to topping the Root 100, our Forever First Lady has released her latest book, The Light We Carry and the Obama’s production company Higher Ground is presenting Descendant, the critically acclaimed documentary set to make a big awards push.

Viola Davis

Photo: Getty Images Unique Nicole

Not only did Viola Davis deliver another stellar performance in The Woman King, she also produced the film, shepherding it through a years-long development process. The Oscar-winner defied all the naysayers and was rewarded with a box office hit.

Tara Duncan

Photo: Getty Images Theo Wargo

With Reasonable Doubt and The Hair Tales, Tara Duncan, the President of Freeform and Onyx Collective, is turning the cable network and its Hulu sibling into more than just Disney offshoots.

Channing Dungey

Photo: Getty Images Jon Kopaloff

The TV vet brought her midas touch to Warner Bros., greenlighting Abbott Elementary and rewarding creator Quinta Brunson with an overall deal.

Ava DuVernay

Photo: Getty Images Dia Dipasupil

Though Queen Sugar came to an end, DuVernay is already developing her next can’t miss drama at Starz. Plus, she now has her own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which makes her the most important person on this list.

Pearlena Igbokwe

Photo: Getty Images Jon Kopaloff

If you’re still recovering from Nope and thought it was cool to see the set on the Universal Studios tour, you have Chair of Universal Studio Group, Pearlena Igbokwe, to thank for Jordan Peele’s overall deal with the media giant.

Lizzo

Photo: Rich Polk/E! Entertainment/NBC

Yes, “About Damn Time” was a hit, but Lizzo’s biggest success of the year came in how she empowered women to believe in themselves with the Prime Video series Watch Out For the Big Grrrls and repeatedly pushed back against haters.

Wonya Lucas

Photo: Getty Images Mike Coppola

With Hallmark Channel programming now available on Peacock and Hulu, Wonya Lucas, President and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, is protecting the brand’s spot as the holiday movie go-to.

Alana Mayo

Photo: Getty Images Eugene Gologursky

As Till makes its way through awards season, look for Alana Mayo, the President of Orion Pictures, to be a major part of the film’s campaign.

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Photo: Getty Images Matt Winkelmeyer

The filmmaker who has brought us so many classic Black-woman led stories, went even bigger with The Woman King. Gina Prince-Bythewood commanded a set full of spectacular women to bring the Agojie warriors to the big screen.

Issa Rae

Photo: Getty Images Leon Bennett

Insecure may be over, but Issa Rae is still keeping things interesting with Rap Sh!t. The writer/producer also has several projects and deals in development through her Hoorae Media.

Shonda Rhimes

Photo: Getty Images Frazer Harrison

Almost 20 years after Grey’s Anatomy started, Shonda Rhimes is still keeping us glued to our screens with Bridgerton and Inventing Anna.

Rihanna

Photo: Getty Images Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Not only did Rihanna have a baby, the Savage x Fenty mogul dropped a new fashion show, returned to music on the soundtrack of the biggest movie of the year and is poised to start 2023 with a bang, when she performs at halftime of the Super Bowl.

Zoe Saldaña

Photo: Getty Images Chung Sung-Jun

As she returns to Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water, and possibly makes one final appearance as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Zoe Saldaña is once again the queen of big franchises.

Nina Shaw

Photo: Getty Images Bennett Raglin

Lawyer Nina Shaw has assembled a dream team of her clients to work on Genius: MLK/X, with Gina Prince Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood executive producing, Raphael Jackson Jr. and Damione Macedon as showrunners and Kelvin Harrison Jr starring as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Octavia Spencer

Photo: Getty Images David Livingston

Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer continues to surprise audiences with her ability to work across genres. As she prepares to premiere Season 3 of the AppleTV+ drama Truth Be Told, she also co-stars in the musical A Christmas Carol remake, Spirited.

Karen Toliver

Photo: Getty Images Kevork Djansezian

Netflix’s VP of Animated Film, Karen Toliver is the woman tasked with bringing the same success to its animated division that the streaming service has found in its feature films.

Kerry Washington

Photo: Getty Images Presley Ann

The Scandal star has transitioned into producing and directing with Hulu drama Reasonable Doubt and the podcast The Prophecy. Like her most famous character Olivia Pope, she’s creating opportunities for others as she continues her own world domination.

Oprah Winfrey

Photo: Getty Images Jon Kopaloff

We don’t need to recap all the reasons why Oprah is Oprah. So many of the women on this list wouldn’t be in the business without walking through doors she kicked open. Now, she’s taking things back to the beginning by producing the feature musical adaptation of The Color Purple.

Zendaya

Photo: Getty Images David Livingston

Zendaya consistently shocks audiences with her masterful, emotionally raw performances in every episode of Euphoria. Then she effortlessly switches gears to entertain in blockbusters like Spider-Man and Dune. She refuses to be put in a box and we’re the ones benefiting from her inspiring work ethic.

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