Taylor Swift to Receive Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Gala

admin · November 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Illustration of a golden awards statuette on a gala stage with the Los Angeles skyline behind it

Taylor Swift will receive The Hollywood Reporter’s Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at the publication’s annual Women in Entertainment breakfast gala in Los Angeles, the magazine announced on Wednesday, November 11. Filmmaker Greta Gerwig will present the honor to the 36-year-old singer, recognizing her influence across music, film and the wider entertainment industry.

The award recognizes trailblazers and philanthropists in entertainment and media. It is named for Sherry Lansing, the former Paramount Pictures chief who became the first woman to head a major Hollywood studio. The Hollywood Reporter has not announced a date for this year’s gala, which usually takes place in early December.

A career defined by ownership

In announcing the honor, The Hollywood Reporter’s editor-in-chief Maer Roshan praised Swift for reshaping the terms of her own career. “Taylor Swift took on an industry that has long underestimated women and won on every front: artistically, commercially and on the question of who owns her work,” Roshan said. “She reclaimed her catalog, set new terms for the artists who follow her and became the most popular musician in the world while doing it — and helping scores of other artists along the way. We’re proud to honor her with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award.”

Lansing herself welcomed the choice. “I am so pleased to recognize Taylor Swift with the award that bears my name,” she said. “She has paved the way for women in music, demonstrating what is possible when a woman takes ownership of her work, her career and her future. Equally impressive is her generosity and commitment to giving back. She is an extraordinary talent and a remarkable role model, and I could not be more proud to see her receive this award.”

Swift is a 14-time Grammy winner whose re-recording of her early catalog became one of the defining music-business stories of the decade, turning questions of artists’ rights and ownership into mainstream conversation — the same ground the Lansing award is meant to honor.

The award and its history

The Sherry Lansing Leadership Award is presented each year at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment breakfast gala, which also coincides with the release of the magazine’s Women in Entertainment issue and its Power 100 list.

Lansing served as chairwoman and chief executive of Paramount Pictures in the 1990s before stepping down in 2004. As the first woman to run a major Hollywood studio, she oversaw hits including “Forrest Gump,” “Braveheart” and “Titanic.”

Past recipients include Adele, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton and Shonda Rhimes. Swift now joins a list of women who have shaped the industry from both sides of the camera.

Why this matters

The choice reflects how the industry’s idea of leadership has widened. The award has traditionally gone to studio chiefs, producers and veteran stars; Swift is being honored not only for her music but for the business model she built around it — owning her recordings and pushing for artists’ rights.

The presenter matters too. Gerwig, the director of “Barbie” and “Little Women,” is one of the most prominent filmmakers of her generation, and her next film, “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” arrives in theaters on February 12, 2027. Her presence underlines the cross-industry nature of the honor: a filmmaker celebrating a musician for changing how the business works.

Swift’s honor comes during a crowded week for celebrity news, including new developments in the Russell Brand case, and it caps a huge year for entertainment, from record-breaking pre-orders for GTA 6 to a packed 2027 calendar that already includes the Coachella 2027 lineup.

Latest developments

The gala date has not yet been announced, and no details of Swift’s acceptance have been confirmed. The Hollywood Reporter said only that Gerwig will present the award at the breakfast event in Los Angeles.

Swift has another date on her calendar first. She is nominated for Single of the Year at the 60th annual Country Music Association Awards for “I Knew It, I Knew You,” a song from the “Toy Story 5” soundtrack, with the ceremony set for Wednesday, November 18, in Nashville. It is her first CMA nomination in four years and her first appearance at the ceremony since 2016.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award?

It is an annual honor from The Hollywood Reporter that recognizes trailblazers and philanthropists in entertainment and media. It is named for Sherry Lansing, the former Paramount Pictures chief and the first woman to head a major Hollywood studio.

When will Taylor Swift receive the award?

The Hollywood Reporter announced on November 11 that Swift will receive the award at its annual Women in Entertainment breakfast gala in Los Angeles. No date has been announced for this year’s gala, which usually takes place in early December.

Who will present the award to Taylor Swift?

Filmmaker Greta Gerwig, the director of “Barbie” and “Little Women,” will present the award to Swift at the gala.

Has Taylor Swift won this award before?

No. This is Swift’s first Sherry Lansing Leadership Award. Her most recent special honor was the MTV VMA Artist Director Honor in September.

What happens next

The Hollywood Reporter is expected to confirm the gala date in the coming weeks, along with the rest of its Women in Entertainment honorees. Swift, meanwhile, heads to Nashville on November 18 for the CMA Awards, where her Single of the Year nomination puts her back on country music’s biggest stage for the first time in a decade.