Kerry Washington Will be Honored with the Spotlight Tribute at the Gotham Television Awards
The award-winning actress will be seen in Lincoln Center Theater's The Whoopi Monologues this summer.
Emmy Award-winner Kerry Washington will receive the Spotlight Tribute in recognition of her career as an actress and producer at the Third Annual Gotham Television Awards, taking place live and in person on Monday, June 1st at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
“Kerry Washington has created a singular connection with audiences and colleagues throughout her career. From Olivia Pope in Scandal to Eleanor in Imperfect Women, she brings fierce intelligence, emotional depth, and grace to every performance. At the same time, through her work as a producer and the visionary leadership of her company, Simpson Street, Kerry has championed bold, socially resonant storytelling across television, film, audio, and theater, expanding opportunities for new voices and stories,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute.
It was previously announced that Claire Danes will receive the Performer Tribute, Michelle Pfeiffer will receive the Legend Tribute, and Matt and Ross Duffer will receive the Visionary Tribute for Netflix’s Stranger Things.
Additional honorees for the Third Annual Gotham Television Awards will be revealed in the coming weeks. Nominees in the competitive categories will be announced on April 28, 2026. Winners will be honored at the awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, June 1st.
Washington will be seen onstage in the Lincoln Center Theater production of The Whoopi Monologues this summer.
About Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an Emmy and NAACP Award-winning producer, SAG and Golden Globe Award-nominated actor, New York Times best-selling author, director, and activist. A Bronx, New York native, she is recognized for her work across film, television, theater, and advocacy. She rose to prominence as Olivia Pope on ABC’s Scandal, becoming the first Black woman since 1974 to lead a network TV drama. Over seven seasons, she earned Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations, along with multiple NAACP IMAGE AWARDS for her role in the Peabody Award-winning series. Her film credits include Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Shadow Force, The Prom, Cars 3, Django Unchained, Ray, The Last King of Scotland, Save the Last Dance, and Fantastic Four.
In 2016, Washington founded Simpson Street, her production company dedicated to inclusive storytelling. Its projects include Netflix’s American Son; the Emmy-winning Live in Front of a Studio Audience; the documentary The Fight; and Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, which earned her Emmy and SAG nominations.
Additional credits include Reasonable Doubt, UnPrisoned, and the series Street You Grew Up On. The company has also developed multiple film and television projects and expanded into theater with the off-Broadway play Duke & Roya. Washington’s directing credits include Insecure, Scandal, SMILF, and the pilot of Reasonable Doubt.
Most recently, Washington starred in and executive-produced the Apple TV series Imperfect Women. She will next appear in Ben Affleck’s Animals for Netflix. A lifelong advocate, Washington has served on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities under the Obama and Biden administrations. She partnered with LAUSD to launch The Roybal School of Film and TV Production and co-founded the Vision into Power Cohort to support grassroots civic engagement. She is also an investor in several companies, including Winx, Equip, and Aurate.
Photo courtesy of JSquared Photography
Videos
