Rikki Hughes

Hughes in 2018.

Rikki Hughes (born August 3, 1971) is an American television producer and showrunner.[1] She is best known for producing a number of comedy specials, award shows, television series, and independent features such as the BET 25th Anniversary Special (2005), It's Pimpin' Pimpin' (2008), Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes? (2006-2009), The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas[2] (2017), Equanimity (2017), The Bird Revelation (2017), Sticks and Stones (2019), 8:46 (2020), and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion (2020).

Hughes currently serves as the showrunner for HBO Max's streetwear design competition series The Hype (2021–present)[3] with Migos' Offset and also executive produced HBO Max's 2022 game show About Last Night,[4] hosted by Ayesha Curry and NBA star Stephen Curry.

Career

Early career

Upon graduating from the University of Washington[5] in 1992, Hughes had planned to attend medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles, but changed trajectories after getting a job as assistant tour manager for Warren G.[6] She stayed in the music industry for several years, eventually running the international department for Priority Records until she decided in 2001 to start a career in television production.[6][7]

Television

After leaving the music business, Hughes started off as a segment producer for Dance 360 and Baggin.[8] By the end of 2005, she had been credited as a producer for FOX's The Big Black Comedy Show, Volumes 2–4, the BET Comedy Awards, and 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special.[9] In 2007, Hughes produced Bobby Jones Comedy All Stars: Volume 1 and Baisden After Dark, which she followed up with Katt Williams' It's Pimpin' Pimpin' and Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes?.

Hughes' earlier work with BET in 2005 and 2006 led to her role as BET's go-to-producer throughout the 2010s for their television specials including Rip the Runway, BET Hip-Hop Awards, and BET Honors.

Following the conclusion of her work with BET in 2016, Hughes produced the ABFF Awards: A Celebration of Hollywood, Grown & Sexy, Fusion TV's All Def Digital's Roast of America, and Fusion's Snoop Dogg Roast Snoop Dogg Smokeout. In 2017, she produced six episodes of All Def Comedy, Comedy Central's series Hood Adjacent with James Davis, and Blind Basketball. Hughes produced the miniseries Snitchin in 2018 and BET's music competition series The Next Big Thing in 2019. In 2020, she produced the ABFF Awards, Def Comedy Jam Healing Through Laugher, Tribute to Andre Harrell: Mr. Champagne & Bubbles, VOMO: Vote or Miss Out, which was organized by former first lady Michelle Obama, Our OWN Christmas, and IHeartRadio's Living Black!

Hughes is a frequent producer for comedian Dave Chappelle. In 2017, she produced The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium, The Bird Revelation, and Equanimity. In 2019, Hughes produced Chappelle's Netflix specials Sticks and Stones, followed by 8:46 in 2020.

Most recently, Hughes served as the showrunner for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion on HBO Max and currently is the showrunner for HBO Max's streetwear design competition series The Hype,[3] which premiered on August 12, 2021.

She is the executive producer and owner of Magic Lemonade Productions, a production company that specializes in television, film and new media.[10] In 2021, Hughes and her Magic Lemonade team took over production for Bounce TV's The Trumpet Awards and the reimagining of The Essence Awards.

Film

Hughes executive produced the 2016 comedy film #DigitalLivesMatter, which starred D.C. Young Fly.

Personal life

Hughes is based in Los Angeles and Atlanta.[10]

Filmography[11]

Year Title Credited as Notes
2004 Dance 360 Segment Producer
2004 Baggin' Segment Producer
2005 The Big Black Comedy Show, Vol. 2 Associate Producer
2005 The Big Black Comedy Show, Vol. 3 Associate Producer
2005 2005 BET Comedy Awards Producer
2005 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special Executive Producer Post Show
2005 The Big Black Comedy Show, Vol. 4: Live from Los Angeles Producer
2006 The Big Black Comedy Show, Vol. 5 Producer
2006 2006 BET Awards Nominations Live Producer
2006 BET Awards 2006 Executive Producer Results Show
2007 Bobby Jones Comedy All Stars: Volume 1 Executive Producer
2007-2008 Baisden After Dark Co-Executive Producer 13 episodes
2008 Katt Williams: It's Pimpin' Pimpin' Consulting Producer
2008 Are U Serious?: Best of Shawn Morgan Co-Executive Producer
2006-2009 Who's Got Jokes? Co-Executive Producer 32 episodes
2010 Rip the Runway Supervising Producer
2011 Rip the Runway '11 Supervising Producer
2011 Young Jeezy: A Hustlerz Ambition Executive Producer
2012 The BET Honors Producer
2012 Rip the Runway Supervising Producer
2013 The BET Honors Supervising Producer
2013 Rip the Runway Supervising Producer
2014 The American Dream: Hillary Clinton Writing a New Chapter Executive Producer
2015 The BET Honors Supervising Producer
2016 ABFF Awards: A Celebration of Hollywood Co-Executive Producer
2016 The BET Honors Supervising Producer
2016 Dear Mama Executive Producer
2016 #DigitalLivesMatter Executive Producer
2016 Grown & Sexy Executive Producer
2016 All Def Digital's Roast of America Supervising Producer
2016 All Def Comedy Executive Producer
2016 Fusion's Snoop Dogg Roast Snoop Dogg Smokeout Executive Producer
2017 The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium Supervising Producer
2017 Hood Adjacent with James Davis Executive Producer 8 episodes
2017 Blind Basketball: It's Game Day!!! Executive Producer 3 episodes
2017 All Def Comedy Supervising Producer 6 episodes
2017 Dave Chappelle: Equanimity Supervising Producer
2017 Dave Chappelle: The Bird Revelation Supervising Producer
2018 Snitchin Executive Producer
2018 The Next Big Thing Executive Producer
2019 Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones Co-Executive Producer/Producer
2019 Mind of EP Executive Producer 4 episodes
2019 Epilogue: The Punchline Co-Executive Producer
2020 28th Annual Trumpet Awards Executive Producer
2020 ABFF Honors Executive Producer
2020 Def Comedy Jam Healing Through Laughter Producer
2020 A Tribute to Andre Harrell: Mr. Champagne & Bubbles Executive Producer
2020 VOMO: Vote or Miss Out Executive Producer
2020 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion Executive Producer
2020 Our OWN Christmas Executive Producer
2020 29th Annual Trumpet Awards Executive Producer
2021 Living Black! Executive Producer
2021–Present The Hype Executive Producer 8 episodes
2022 Dave Chappelle: What's In a Name? Executive Producer, Director

Awards and nominations

Since 2018,[10] Hughes has won two Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and is the first African-American woman in Emmy history to win the category of Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).[1] In 2018, she won her first Emmy Award for Equanimity and won her second Emmy Award in 2020 for Sticks & Stones.[12] Hughes won each of her three Grammy Awards back-to-back in the category of Best Comedy Album for Equanimity and The Bird Revelation at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2018 and for Sticks & Stones at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.[13]

She has been nominated for three NAACP Image Awards as well as a Producers Guild of America Award. In 2021, she has been nominated for another Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) for her work with Dave Chappelle for 8:46.[14]

In 2021, Hughes was honored by Culture Creators at their fifth annual "Innovators & Leaders" Awards Brunch, where she was a recipient of their Icon Award for her accomplishments throughout the entertainment industry.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b Ramos, Dino-Ray (7 July 2020). "WME Signs Emmy And Grammy-Winning Producer Rikki Hughes". Deadline. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b White, Peter (16 March 2021). "Rapper Offset To Produce & Judge Streetwear Competition Series 'The Hype' For HBO Max". Deadline. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  4. ^ "About Last Night (TV Series 2022) - IMDb". IMDB.
  5. ^ "Q&A with Comedy Central's 'Hood Adjacent' Executive Producer, Rikki Hughes". The Urban Twist. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b Talbott, Chris (September 2022). "Rising TV Director Rikki Hughes opens doors in Hollywood". University of Washington Magazine. University of Washington. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  7. ^ Carter, Kelley L. (28 July 2017). "Comedy Central's Rikki Hughes is the woman behind the big names". Andscape. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  8. ^ Baggin' (TV Special 2005) - IMDb, retrieved 14 August 2021
  9. ^ "Stars Celebrate BET's 25th In Los Angeles". Billboard. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "Magic Lemonade". Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Rikki Hughes". IMDb. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Rikki Hughes". Television Academy. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Rikki Hughes". GRAMMY.com. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Nominees / Winners 2021". Television Academy. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  15. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (22 June 2021). "Swizz Beatz and D-Nice to Be Honored at Culture Creators Awards Brunch". Variety. Retrieved 14 August 2021.