Pearlena Igbokwe

Honoree: Entertainment
Chairman
Universal Studio Group

As chairman of Universal Studio Group (USG), Pearlena Igbokwe leads four powerhouse TV studios: Universal Television, UCP, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Universal International Studios that produce over 3,000 hours of programming currently airing or streaming around the globe. She has been transforming the media and entertainment industry since she knocked down the door.

With a track record that includes Emmy Award-winning series like Hacks, The Umbrella Academy and The Gilded Age, critically acclaimed gems such as Loot, We Are Lady Parts and Based on a True Story and beloved favorites including Law & Order: SVU, Never Have I Ever and Seth Mac- Farlane’s Ted, Igbokwe continuously raises the bar for TV storytelling and swings open the gates for universal storytellers. Throughout her career, she has developed seminal, celebrated TV series that shape our culture. In 2016, she demonstrably shattered a glass ceiling when she became the first Black executive to head a major TV studio as president of Universal Television. Four years later, she was elevated to chairman of USG. In her capacity as chairman of USG, Igbokwe and her team support a slate of ambitious storytellers, including Jordan Peele, Sam Esmail, Nahnatchka Khan, Tina Fey, Seth MacFarlane, Julie Plec, Amy Poehler, Tanya Saracho, Michael Schur, David Heyman, Lorne Michaels, Gareth Neame, Debra Martin Chase, Nick Antosca and Dick Wolf, among numerous others.

Under her leadership, USG has over 100 active series currently in production with 75 premieres slated in 2024 alone. The studio group is consistently responsible for five of the top 10 broadcast scripted series, including FBI, One Chicago and The Equalizer and several top-performing titles across multiple streaming platforms including Hacks, Ted, The Umbrella Academy, One Day and Bel-Air. Additional series under Igbokwe’s purview include Dick Wolf’s enormously successful Law & Order-branded series, as well as Girls5eva, Dr. Death, Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Baking It and longtime NBC favorite Hollywood Game Night. Universal Studio Group also houses NBCUniversal formats.