Kathryn Busby facts for kids

Kathryn Ann Busby is an American film and television executive. She helps decide what TV shows and movies get made. She has worked for big companies like Sony Pictures Television Networks and Starz.

Sometimes people call her Kathy Busby. She is also a film producer, which means she helps create movies. In 2019, she became the chair of the board for BAFTA Los Angeles. Later, she led the first BAFTA North America Board.

About Kathryn Busby

Her Education and Early Career

Kathryn Busby went to Harvard University. She earned a degree in Visual and Environmental Studies. Before working in TV and movies, she worked in the music business. She was an executive at record labels like LaFace Records and MCA Records.

Working in Television

Busby started her career in television in 1996. She worked as a director of comedy development at Universal Television.

From 1999 to 2005, she was a senior vice president at Carsey-Werner. Here, she helped develop popular TV shows. These included Whoopi and Grounded for Life. Later, she was a producer for the 2008 movie Sex and the City. She also worked on Rush Hour 3 (2007).

Busby then spent four years at Turner Broadcasting. She helped develop comedy shows for TNT and TBS. In 2014, she joined Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks. She helped find and develop new original TV series around the world.

She also worked for Gemstone Studios, a part of Sony. There, she helped create drama series like Absentia. In 2020, she became an executive vice president at TriStar Television.

In 2021, Busby moved to Starz. She became the President of Original Programming. This means she is in charge of all the new shows and movies Starz creates. In 2022, she became the first Chair of the BAFTA North America Board.

Other Projects and Roles

Kathryn Busby is also a filmmaker. She directed and produced a short film called Max and Josh (2006). This film was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. She also made a comedy short called My Purple Fur Coat (2004).

She is on the board of directors for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in Los Angeles. She was elected chair of the board in 2018. She also serves on the Board of Directors for PACE. PACE stands for Philanthropy and Community Engagement.

Kathryn Busby is the niece of the British publisher Margaret Busby.

Awards and Recognition

In December 2022, The Hollywood Reporter included Busby on its Women in Entertainment Power 100 list. This list features powerful women in the entertainment industry.

In March 2024, she received an award at Essence magazine's Black Women In Hollywood Awards. She spoke about learning from her mom, aunt, and grandmother. She said they taught her not to accept limits. "They marched ahead because they didn't believe in limitations, and neither do I," she shared.

When asked what Black women in Hollywood deserve, Busby said: "We need to tell our stories and put them out in the world. I feel very grateful to have come up the ranks to a position of power where I really can have a say at what kind of stories are told."