/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/61aec686b39b67f9113e1903/0x0.jpg "The Most Highly effective Ladies In Entertainment 2021")
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Oprah Winfrey ranks No. 23 overall—and No. 1 in the media category—on the 2021 list of The World’s 100 Most Potent Women of all ages. (Picture by Christopher Polk/Getty Photographs)
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Nine months back, all through her CBS Primetime distinctive featuring what would be a controversial sit-down interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about their departure from the Royal Loved ones, Oprah Winfrey requested Meghan Markle, “Were you silent? Or were being you silenced?”
17.1 million viewers tuned in to the distinctive that night time, sparking a worldwide conversation—from the ruthlessness of the press to alleged racism behind shut doorways in Windsor Castle—and marking a turning level in background. Rated at No. 23 on Forbes’ 2021 Most Strong Women of all ages checklist, Winfrey has constructed a web value of $2.6 billion by crafting these times and creating an empire close to them.
Irrespective of whether they are in the spotlight or strategizing how to change with the media landscape powering the scenes, the 13 other entertainers and media magnates who be a part of Winfrey on The World’s 100 Most Potent Gals record are altering the way stories are informed.
In streaming, Nigerian visionary Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife turned the very first African generation company to rating a multi-title offer with Netflix final year to generate two series and quite a few films. Ava DuVernay continued to forge new partnerships for ARRAY, her collective concentrated on films by men and women of shade and ladies she signed a multiyear deal with Spotify in January for a slate of exclusive scripted and unscripted podcast exhibits. In August, Reese Witherspoon’s Hi Sunshine, which was established in 2016 to explain to ladies-pushed stories, offered a majority stake to a Blackstone-backed media organization, earning her net well worth $400 million.
The girls top standard major media companies went back again to the drawing board. Below CEO Ann Sarnoff, WarnerMedia moved to release the full 2021 theatrical slate simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters—which appeared dangerous at the time. But she arrived out victorious the streaming provider ended March with a combined 63.9 million throughout the world subscribers as movies like ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ uncovered achievements in the box business, creating hundreds of thousands and thousands in the around the world box office. Fox Information, helmed by CEO Suzanne Scott, released a 24/7 weather streaming assistance in October—its app observed 28 million web site sights throughout its very first week—to leading off a successful yr for the cable network.
Meanwhile, females took the new music planet by storm in 2021. Rihanna made historical past by turning into the richest female musician on the earth, joining the billionaires’ club with a internet worth of $1.7 billion thanks to the results of her cosmetics line Fenty Beauty. Taylor Swift embarked on her journey to re-document her first six albums, which are already degrading her primary catalog that was procured without the need of her involvement in 2019 and including worth to a body of work that she owns outright—making her significantly richer. Beyoncé grew to become the most adorned feminine artist in Grammy history just after winning Most effective R&B General performance for “Black Parade,” Ideal Rap Track and Finest Rap Efficiency for her characteristic on the “Savage” remix, and Ideal Music Video for “Brown Pores and skin Girl,” which brought her grand full to 28 awards.
See the complete record of the most impressive females in media and leisure under, alongside with their ranks on the World’s 100 Most Potent Gals checklist: