Shonda Rhimes to receive inaugural Edinburgh Fellowship

Rhimes, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Private Practice, Inventing Anna, Queen Charlotte and executive producer of Bridgerton, How to Get Away with Murder and The Residence, has been confirmed as the guest of honour at the 2025 Festival.

The Edinburgh Fellowship has been launched to mark the festival’s 50th anniversary. It honours an individual whose work has had a significant cultural and creative impact and recognises their influence on both the international industry and television as an art form.

As well as receiving the Fellowship, Rhimes will also take part in an ‘In Conversation’ event at the festival to discuss her 30-year career and where the industry is heading.

Rhimes is the CEO of the global media company, Shondaland, which is this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, and is the first woman to have created three television dramas (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal) that have achieved the 100-episode milestone. 

In 2017, she left network television to exclusively produce content in partnership with Netflix. Bridgerton, Shondaland’s first scripted series with the streamer, has become a worldwide franchise.

Rowan Woods, Creative Director of Edinburgh TV Festival, said: “This year the festival celebrates an incredible 50 years of agenda-setting thought leadership across the international TV industry. 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. 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."