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Variety‘s annual Showrunners Breakfast will return on August 14, featuring two spotlight conversations with a curated group of this year’s Emmy-nominated showrunners, plus the Norman Lear Creative Conscious Award presentation
to Ryan Murphy.
Murphy will receive the award in recognition of a body of work that embodies Lear’s enduring legacy of creativity, visionary storytelling and social impact. Previous recipients include Chuck Lorre and David E. Kelley. Lear himself was the first honoree in 2019, when he received the predecessor prize, the Variety Creative Conscience Award, making it fitting for Variety to rename the award in his honor.
“Norman Lear’s legacy will forever live on via his landmark body of work, as well as through the generations of writers and showrunners whom he inspired,” said Variety Features Director Emily Longeretta. “Much like Lear, Ryan Murphy has never shied away from tackling social issues in his powerful storytelling and has been breaking barriers on television for more than 20 years. A driving force across multiple genres, we are so thrilled to present Ryan Murphy with the Norman Lear Award.”
The two spotlight conversations and participants will be announced shortly. The event’s guest list will consist of an exclusive group of showrunners recognized on Variety’s coinciding 2026 Showrunners Impact List.
“The Variety Showrunners Breakfast is a celebration of television storytelling among peers whose vision continues to define the medium and create culture,” said Donna Pennestri, Associate Publisher, Variety.
