Mara Brock Akil is getting her long-overdue flowers. The Producers Guild of America announced that the groundbreaking creator and producer will receive the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television at the 37th Annual Producers Guild Awards on February 28, 2026, taking place at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
Reserved for television’s most influential storytellers, the Norman Lear Award honors producers whose work has shaped culture and elevated the medium. Brock Akil now becomes only the second Black recipient in the award’s more than three-decade history—following Shonda Rhimes, who received the honor in 2014.
She now joins an elite group of past honorees whose work has defined eras of television, including Mindy Kaling, Greg Berlanti, Ryan Murphy, Marta Kauffman, Chuck Lorre, J.J. Abrams, and Norman Lear himself.
From her early start as a writer on South Central at 23 to becoming the youngest African American showrunner on broadcast television at 30 with Girlfriends, Mara Brock Akil has consistently created stories that reflect the emotional depth, humor, and complexity of Black life long before Hollywood embraced that lane.
Her catalogue represents a career built on intention, longevity, and cultural impact:
- Girlfriends (2000–2008)
- The Game (2006–2015; expanded universe continued in 2021)
- Being Mary Jane (2013–2019)
- Love Is (OWN)
- Executive producer on Black Lightning
- Executive producer of Stamped From the Beginning, which made the Academy Award Documentary Feature shortlist
Across every era, Brock Akil has been a consistent force—one of the few producers with a television series on air every year throughout the 2000s, anchoring her as a defining creative voice of that decade and beyond.
Forever Marks Her Latest Critical Success
Her most recent work, Netflix’s Forever, premiered in 2025 and quickly became one of the streamer’s buzziest teen dramas. Adapted from Judy Blume’s 1975 novel, the series centers on the emotional journey of first love, identity, and agency—told with the honesty and cultural nuance that have become her signature. The show earned widespread acclaim and secured a second-season renewal within weeks.
Forever reintroduced Brock Akil to a new generation while reaffirming her longtime status as one of television’s most vital creative voices.
What sets Brock Akil apart is her ability to build layered, emotionally complex worlds centered on Black women long before the industry embraced those stories. Her shows didn’t just offer representation—they fueled conversations, built communities, and opened doors for the next wave of writers, directors, and producers.
Honoring her with the Norman Lear Achievement Award is not just about acknowledging her past work—it’s a recognition of how deeply she has shaped the DNA of modern television.
The 2026 Producers Guild Awards will be produced by Anchor Street Collective, with Branden Chapman serving as executive producer and Carleen Cappelletti as co–executive producer. Mike Farah and Joe Farrell return as event chairs. Delta Air Lines sponsors the Norman Lear Award.