Kathryn Busby facts for kids

Kathryn Ann Busby is an American film executive and producer. She has held important leadership roles in the television and film industries. She was a senior vice president at Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPT) and an executive vice president at TriStar Television. Most recently, she became the President of Original Programming at Starz in November 2021.

Sometimes, people call her Kathy Busby. She was also the chair of the board of directors for BAFTA Los Angeles starting in 2019. In January 2022, she became the chair of BAFTA's first North America Board. Joyce Pierpoline took over this role in 2024.

Kathryn Busby's Journey in Entertainment

Early Life and Education

Kathryn Busby studied at Harvard University. She earned a degree in Visual and Environmental Studies. After college, she worked in the music business for several years. She was an executive at record labels like LaFace Records, Paisley Park Records, and MCA Records in London, UK.

Television Career Highlights

Busby started her career in television in 1996.

Working in Comedy Development

From 1996 to 1999, Kathryn Busby was the director of comedy development at Universal Television. This means she helped create new comedy shows.

Leading Development at Carsey-Werner

From 1999 to 2005, she was a senior vice president at Carsey-Werner. She helped develop many TV series. Some of these shows include Whoopi, The Tracy Morgan Show, Game Over, and Grounded for Life.

Producing Films and TV Shows

Later, she was a supervising producer for The Aisha Tyler Show. She also became a senior vice president of production at New Line Cinema. There, she was an executive producer for the 2008 movie ... and the City. She also worked as a senior executive on Rush Hour 3 (2007).

Roles at Turner and Sony

From 2010, Busby worked with Turner Broadcasting for four years. She was a vice president for comedy development and for TNT and TBS Originals. She worked on shows like Black Box, Wedding Band, and Sullivan & Son.

In 2014, she joined Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks. As senior vice president of development, she found and developed new TV series from around the world.

Leading Gemstone Studios and TriStar Television

As a senior vice president at Gemstone Studios, she helped develop and produce drama series like Absentia. She also oversaw projects like Ultraviolet and Carter. In January 2020, she became the executive vice president of TriStar Television, which is part of SPT.

Becoming President at Starz

In November 2021, Kathryn Busby was announced as the President of Original Programming at Starz. She took over from Christina Davis in this role.

BAFTA Leadership Role

In January 2022, Busby was chosen to be the Chair of the first BAFTA North America Board. This happened after BAFTA combined its New York and Los Angeles groups. Joyce Pierpoline took over this position in 2024.

Other Creative Projects

Kathryn Busby is also a filmmaker. She directed, produced, and co-wrote the short film Max and Josh (2006). This film was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. She also made the 2004 comedy short My Purple Fur Coat, which won an award at the Houston Black Film Festival.

She co-wrote a screenplay called Her Gal Friday with Neena Beber. This script was considered by ABC's Freeform channel.

Community Involvement

Busby is on the board of directors for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in Los Angeles. She became deputy chair in January 2018 and chair in December 2018. She is also on the Board of Directors for PACE (Philanthropy and Community Engagement), which focuses on giving back to the community.

Kathryn Busby is mentioned in the 1999 book As I Am: Young African American Women in a Critical Age by Julian C. R. Okwu. Her aunt is the British publisher Margaret Busby.

Awards and Recognition

In December 2022, Kathryn Busby was included in The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power 100 list. This list recognizes powerful women in the entertainment industry.

In March 2024, she was honored at Essence magazine's 17th annual Black Women In Hollywood Awards. Other honorees included Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, and Nkechi Okoro Carroll.

During the event, Busby shared an important lesson she learned 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 stated. When asked what Black Women in Hollywood deserve, Busby replied, "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."