SCAD TVfest Sets 2025 Lineup, Will Honor Hiroyuki Sanada, Laverne Cox, Walker Scobell and More
The annual SCAD TVfest is back — and kicking off the packed event robustly with one of the biggest shows on television being honored on opening night. The 13th annual festival will begin with Variety honoring Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” with the Showrunner Award, presented by star Caleb McLaughlin.
The Savannah College of Art and Design’s festival, which takes place Feb. 5-7 in Atlanta, will feature programs from 20th Television, Adult Swim, Apple TV+, BET, Hallmark, HBO, Hulu, Max, National Geographic, NBC, Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video, Showtime, Sony Pictures TV, Starz, Syfy, Universal Studio Group, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Television and more.
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“SCADshow lights up Midtown Atlanta this winter with SCAD TVfest: the best of everything new and now on television,” says SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “Whether you want to see the latest new series before all your friends or you’re an industry insider scouting for new talent, SCAD TVfest (the largest TV festival at any university on the planet) delivers.
“Pros will want to be first in line to see the new SCAD Film Studios in Midtown, debuting at this year’s festival,” she continues. “No need to change the channel: SCAD TVfest has you queued up with current hits, sneak peeks and dazzling stars.”
Many actors are being honored at the festival and scheduled to attend conversations. Hiroyuki Sanada, who earned a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards for “Shōgun,” will be given the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The cast of NBC’s “St. Denis Medical” will be honored with the Breakthrough Cast Award, with star Allison Tolman and creators and executive producers Eric Ledgin and Justin Spitzer in attendance.
Noah Centineo, who stars and executive produces Netflix’s “The Recruit,” will be given the Distinguished Performance Award. “Outlander” star Sophie Skelton will receive the Lumière Award, while “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” breakout Walker Scobell will be honored with the Rising Star Award. Uzo Aduba, the lead of Netflix’s upcoming “The Residence,” will be also be honored at the festival and join a conversation with co-stars Bronson Pinchot and Susan Kelechi Watson.
“It’s always thrilling to be back in Atlanta for our annual SCAD TVfest, putting the spotlight on television’s top shows and creators,” says Christina Routhier, senior executive director of SCAD theaters and festivals. “Our students are so passionate about all aspects of television — from production, casting, animation and more. This is an incredibly special moment for them to hear from the best and brightest in
the industry.”
Many television shows featured on this year’s lineup film in the Atlanta area or in the state of Georgia, including “Stranger Things” and Prime Video’s upcoming comedy series “Clean Slate,” the latter of which showcases contributions from 107 SCAD alumni, students and faculty. In addition to a panel with cast members Cox, George Wallace, Telma Hopkins, D.K. Uzoukwu, Jay Wilkison, Norah Murphy, and writer and SCAD alum Shomari Kirkwood, Cox will also be honored with the Impact Award.
Throughout the event there will be panels for CBS’ “Watson,” “Beyond the Gates” and “The Amazing Race,” BET’s “Sistas,” Apple TV+’s “Surface,” Hallmark’s “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” Marvel’s “Agatha All Along” and “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” NBC’s “Found” and “Grosse Pointe Garden Society,” NatGeo’s “No Taste Like Home With Antoni Porowski,” Adult Swim’s “Oh My God, Yes! A Series of Extremely Relatable Circumstances” and Fox’s “Doc,” among many others.
In addition to shows, there are also key panels featuring showrunners, artisans, writers and executives across the industry. More details can be found at scadtvfest.com.
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