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As we settle into the New Normal phase of the pandemic, we’re more dependent than ever on TV, media and digital & tech brands to keep us connected to each other and the wildly changing world. Adweek’s annual Hot List, which highlights the standouts in these categories, is packed with the people, platforms and companies that guided and thrilled us in another transformative year.
Our list includes everything from legacy brands that are transforming themselves to stay on top (like Hallmark Media, whose president and CEO Wonya Lucas is our TV Executive of the Year) to disruptive upstarts (Grid, led by executive editor Laura McGann, our Media Executive of the Year) to creators whose untraditional approaches have paid off (TikTok’s bigot watchdog Drew Afualo, our Digital & Tech Creator of the Year). And it’s topped off with this year’s Media Visionary, Conan O’Brien, a TV icon whose career has been sizzling for decades, and has now unexpectedly found success on a new platform, building a podcasting and audio empire.
Here are all of this year’s Hot List honorees:
Media Visionary: Adweek Media Visionary Conan O’Brien Gets Sirius About His Audio Empire—and a TV Return, plus How Team Coco Became a Podcasting Powerhouse
TV Hot List: The 2022 TV Hot List: The Year’s Most Buzzed About Shows, Platforms and People
TV Creator of the Year: How Taylor Sheridan Turned Yellowstone Into Television’s Hottest Franchise
TV Executive of the Year: Wonya Lucas Is Bringing ‘Everyday Diversity’ and Brand Expertise to Hallmark Media
Game Changer of the Year: Quinta Brunson Isn’t Discarding Classic Television. She’s Refining It
Media Hot List: The 2022 Media Hot List: These Publishers Are Thriving Amid Continued Upheaval
Media Editor of the Year: Laura McGann Has Reimagined Reporting Using an Intersectional, Structurally-Focused Approach
Media Executive of the Year: Group Black CEO Travis Montaque Helps Brands Invest in a More Inclusive Future
Digital & Tech Hot List: The 2022 Digital & Tech Hot List: The Future Is Now, Thanks to These Players and Platforms
Digital & Tech Creator of the Year: TikTok’s Bigot Watchdog Drew Afualo Is a Brand Magnet, Despite Her Untraditional Approach
Digital & Tech Executive of the Year: The Trade Desk’s Samantha Jacobson Is Shaping the Future of the Open Internet
This story first appeared in the Oct. 10, 2022, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.
