Greg Berlanti to Receive Paley Honors Award at December Gala

By Tom Whitfield

The Paley Center for Media has named Greg Berlanti to receive the Paley Honors Award, the organization’s highest recognition, at its 2026 Paley Honors Fall Gala. He will be honored on Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Paley Center said additional honorees will be announced later.

Why did the Paley Center select Berlanti?

The Paley Center says the Paley Honors Award goes to someone who has made “landmark contributions” and had an “enduring impact to the media industry.”

“For more than 30 years, Greg Berlanti has captivated audiences with acclaimed storytelling that has entertained, inspired, and brought enormous joy to people around the world,” said Maureen J. Reidy, president and CEO of The Paley Center for Media, in a statement.

“A visionary creative force, Greg has helped shape the television landscape with his enthralling series and unforgettable characters that have resonated with generations of viewers. In recognition of his extraordinary career and enduring impact on the entertainment industry, we are privileged to present him with our highest recognition, The Paley Honors Award.”

That is a qualitative case rather than a measured one. Reidy’s statement offers no audience totals, ratings, revenue figures or comparative selection data. Its firmest testable number is the span of Berlanti’s career: more than 30 years.

Which works does the announcement credit?

The Paley Center lists a showrunner credit, a group of series credits and two forthcoming series:

• Showrunner credit: “Dawson’s Creek.” The announcement says Berlanti came to prominence as the show’s showrunner.
• Series credits: “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Supergirl,” “Blindspot,” “All American,” “You,” “Riverdale,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Eli Stone,” “Everwood,” “Brothers and Sisters” and “Brilliant Minds.”
• Forthcoming series: “How to Survive Without Me” and “Afterlife with Archie.”

The announcement gives no premiere dates, networks or production details for either forthcoming series. It also does not explain how the Paley Center weighed the size, reach or critical reception of Berlanti’s credits.

How does Berlanti compare with last year’s honorees?

Last year’s honorees included country music superstar and actress Reba McEntire (“Happy’s Place”), television executive producer Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Shrinking”) and Ynon Kreiz, then Mattel’s chairman and CEO and now a co-CEO of Skydance, according to the Paley Center.

Those honorees span performance, production and corporate leadership. Berlanti’s citation centers on a body of television work and a showrunner career. The Paley Center did not explain whether it ranks recipients or how it compares their contributions.

What other credentials support the citation?

The announcement also cites Berlanti’s recent honors: an Emmy Governors award, his naming as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and the PGA’s Norman Lear Achievement Award. It notes that he founded the Berlanti Family Foundation, which raises money for charities, nonprofits and cancer research.

These details extend the case beyond episodic television. The Paley Center gives no dates for the three honors, no total for the foundation’s fundraising and no breakdown of the causes or organizations it supports. It presents a record of achievement rather than evidence of its scale.

What does the award change for Berlanti?

At present, it adds the Paley Center’s highest institutional recognition to a résumé that the organization already describes as influential. The announcement specifies no cash prize, funded commission, premiere date or production tied to the honor. The Dec. 3 gala will celebrate that record; the announcement’s larger roster still has to wait.