Shonda Rhimes

Shonda Rhimes is the prolific writer, executive producer and creator of the hit ABC series Grey’s Anatomy, and Scandal. In addition to creating the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff series Private Practice, Rhimes is the executive producer of the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder, and the upcoming series The Catch.

For her collective work on her various shows, Rhimes is the recipient of a Golden Globe for Outstanding Television Drama, Peabody Award, Television Producer of the Year by the Producers Guild of America, Writers Guild Award for Best New Series, GLAAD Media Award, as well as numerous AFI Awards for Television Program of the Year and an unprecedented 6 NAACP Image Awards for Writing for Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series plus 8 NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Drama Series.

Rhimes has twice been included in TIME Magazine’s 100 list of the most influential people along with Fortune Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business,” and Glamour Magazine’s “Women of the Year.” In 2013, Rhimes was appointed by President Obama to serve as Trustee for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In 2014, Rhimes, along with producing partner Betsy Beers, received the Directors Guild of America’s prestigious Diversity Award. Rhimes was additionally a 2014 recipient of the W. E. B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard and the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award from The Hollywood Reporter. In 2015, Rhimes was awarded the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement from the Writers Guild of America, West, as well as inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Broadcasting Hall of Fame. She was additionally honored with the Ally for Equality Award from the Human Rights Council and was also bestowed the Eleanor Roosevelt Global Women’s Rights Award from the Feminist Majority Foundation in recognition of her work in changing the face of media.

Aside from her success with network television, Rhimes wrote the feature film Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement and Crossroads. She also co-­‐wrote Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, produced by HBO and nominated for numerous awards, and for which Halle Berry won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for Best Actress in a miniseries for her portrayal of Dandridge. In 2004, Rhimes created her production company Shondaland.

In November of 2015, Rhimes released her first book, Year of Yes from Simon & Schuster which was instantly a New York Times bestseller. The book candidly chronicles her moving and humorous attempts to come out of her shell by saying “yes” to everything that scares her.

Rhimes holds a BA from Dartmouth College in English Literature with Creative Writing. She received her MFA from the USC School of Cinema-­‐Television. In 2014, Rhimes received an honorary PhD from USC as well as from Dartmouth where she was proud to deliver the commencement address.

The child of educators, Rhimes blames her parents for her rampant addiction to books. The youngest of six, she was born and raised outside of Chicago, IL, and now resides in Los Angeles with her three daughters.