TV Academy Hall Of Fame 2026: Ed Bradley, Ted Danson, Sheila Nevins, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Ted Sarandos & Jean Smart

The Television Academy has selected seven television legends for its 28th Hall of Fame. The 2026 honorees are the late journalist Ed Bradley, actors Ted Danson and Jean Smart, producer Sheila Nevins, animators, writers, producers, directors and songwriters Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

The Hall of Fame honors persons who have made outstanding contributions in the arts, sciences or management of television over a lifetime career or via singular achievements. The new inductees join more than 150 individuals who have been enshrined since its launch in 1984.

This year’s ceremony will be held Thursday evening, Aug. 13, kicking off Televerse 26, the industry’s flagship festival.

“These visionary performers, creators, executives and storytellers have made a profound and enduring impact on the television industry,” said Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy. Through their innovation, talent and dedication to their craft, they have helped transform and enrich the medium, influencing generations of audiences and professionals alike. We are proud to induct these distinguished individuals into the Hall of Fame and celebrate their extraordinary contributions to the growth and advancement of television.”

Here are the bios of the 2026 Hall of Famers provided by the TV Academy:

Ed Bradley (posthumous)

Ed Bradley was among the first black journalists to make a name for himself on national television. He is one of the most recognized journalists in America, and his name is synonymous with the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes where he showcased his immense talent. Bradley spent nearly his entire 39-year career with CBS News, which began with a position at WCBS radio in New York. He then served as CBS News’ White House correspondent, anchor of the CBS Sunday Night News, and a principal correspondent for CBS Reports before joining 60 Minutes. He received 20 Emmys over the course of his career along with the George Foster Peabody Award, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and Overseas Press Club Award.  Bradley died in 2006 at the age of 65 of complications from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Ted Danson

Ted Danson is an Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning actor known for an array of exceptional performances, most memorably for his portrayal of Boston bartender Sam Malone on NBC’s multi-award-winning, iconic comedy Cheers, which ran for 11 seasons and won three Emmys as Best Comedy Series. Most recently, Danson has starred in the Netflix comedy series, A Man on the Inside and has played himself in the quintessential comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, which recently concluded its 12th and final season on HBO. Danson also starred in the acclaimed NBC comedy The Good Place for which he was nominated for his 14th Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor and received a Critics Choice Award for his role as “Michael.” In addition to acting and producing, Danson is an environmental activist, co-founding the American Oceans Campaign in 1987, which merged with Oceana in 2001, and shows citizens how they can participate in protecting and restoring marine resources.

Sheila Nevins

Sheila Nevins is a prolific American television producer and one of the most influential people in documentary filmmaking. In her remarkable career, she was both president of HBO Documentary Films and head of MTV Documentary Films division for MTV Entertainment Studios. During more than three decades with HBO, Nevins produced more than 1,500 documentaries, including Spike Lee’s Hurricane Katrina, If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise, For Neda, Baghdad ER, Section 60 Arlington National Cemetery and To Die in Jerusalem. She has worked on productions that have been recognized with 36 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, 44 Peabody Awards, and 27 Academy Awards. Nevins has won 32 individual Primetime Emmy Awards, more than any other person. In 2000 Nevins was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and in 2009 she was selected for the Television Academy’s Governors Award in recognition of her contribution to the industry.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are animators, writers, producers, directors and songwriters best known for co-creating the animated series South Park and the musical The Book of Mormon. South Park, which has garnered 18 Emmy nominations and five wins for Outstanding Animated Program, is currently preparing for its 29th season. Since its 1997 debut, the Comedy Central series has remained a dominant force in both viewership and cultural relevance. Alongside award-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez, they developed the hit Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, which premiered in 2011 and celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. It is now the tenth longest-running show in Broadway history with nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, as well as the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Ted Sarandos

Ted Sarandos was named co-CEO of Netflix in July 2020. He has been responsible for all content operations since 2000 and has led the company’s transition into original content production beginning in 2013 with the launch of the series House of Cards, Arrested Development and Orange Is the New Black, among numerous others. Sarandos was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2013 and 2025 and received the Producers Guild of America Milestone Award in 2019. He is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute; a trustee of the American Film Institute and the Paley Center for Media; and on the boards of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Exploring the Arts and Spotify. Sarandos was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) from King Charles in 2024 for extraordinary service to the creative industries in the United Kingdom.

Jean Smart

Jean Smart is a celebrated actress who can currently be seen in Hacks on HBO Max. She has won seven Emmy Awards and is one of only two actors to have earned the award in the comedy lead, supporting and guest categories. She has also received three Actor Awards (SAG-AFTRA), three Golden Globes, a Tony nomination, six Critics Choice Awards and a Grammy nomination. Her television credits include Mare of Easttown, Watchmen and Fargo. Smart received a 2026 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Call Me Izzy on Broadwayand earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Her Off-Broadway credits include Fit to Be Tied, The End of the Day and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove for which she received a Drama Desk nomination and won an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award. Select film credits include Babylon, The Accountant, Garden State, Sweet Home Alabama, A Simple Favor and Guinevere (for which she received an Independent Spirit Award).