Top 10 most powerful women in media and entertainment in 2025

For decades, the world of media and entertainment has been increasingly shaped by great women. They hold the pen, the microphone, and the power behind the scenes.

This growing dominance was impossible to ignore in Forbes’ 22nd annual list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. This was also a proud moment for Africa as two Nigerian women. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Mo Abudu earned their place among the world’s most powerful figures for 2025. 

This year’s ranking placed them alongside global leaders such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who claimed the top spot, and trailblazers like Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, who made a striking debut in the top three.

According to Forbes, the rankings were shaped by money, media presence, impact, and spheres of influence, with special attention given to women who demonstrated resilience in uncertain and turbulent times.

At No. 92, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala continues to break ceilings as the first woman and first African to lead the World Trade Organisation. With over three decades of experience spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America, Forbes describes her as an economist whose influence stretches far beyond policy papers.

Meanwhile, Mo Abudu, ranked No. 98, stands tall as a creative force and cultural architect. Often hailed as Africa’s media mogul, she has transformed African storytelling into a global export, proving that local narratives can command international stages.

Together, their presence on this list underscores a powerful shift among African women who are not just participating in global conversations but driving them.

On that global note, here are the Top 10 most powerful women in Media and Entertainment, as recognised by Forbes in 2025.

Read also: Meet the top 10 women in tech who made the 2025 Forbes’ list

Taylor Swift, Musician

Taylor Swift is an American musician who achieved billionaire status in October 2023. This was largely fueled by the unprecedented success of her Eras Tour and the immense value of her music catalogue. 

She is the 21st most powerful woman in the world and the first most powerful woman in media and entertainment.

According to Forbes, her real-time net worth has reached $1.6 billion as of December 2025. She holds the distinction of being the first musician to enter the billionaire ranks primarily through her songs and performances, rather than through external brand deals or retail ventures.

Oprah Winfrey, Entrepreneur

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. She successfully transitioned her iconic talk show, which aired for 25 years, into a global media and business empire. 

Ranked by Forbes as the 30th most powerful woman in the world for 2025, she holds the second spot on the list specifically for women in media and entertainment. 

Her enduring influence is rooted in the strategic reinvestment of profits from her show and high-profile co-productions through Harpo Productions, which have contributed to estimated earnings exceeding $2.5 billion.

According to Forbes, Winfrey’s real-time net worth stands at $3.2 billion as of December 2025. Her business acumen is further evidenced by the evolution of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which she launched in 2011. 

Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Musician

Beyonce Knowles-Carter

Beyoncé is an American musician and entrepreneur widely regarded as one of the country’s richest self-made women. On the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, she is ranked 33rd globally.

As of December 2025, Forbes reports her real-time net worth at $780 million. However, a recent report by Forbes magazine revealed that Beyonce now joins an elite group of celebrities who have recently crossed the three-comma threshold of the 22 billionaire entertainers at age 44. She also became the fifth musician to attain this height, joining her husband, Jay-Z, as well as Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna.

Her musical legacy reached a new pinnacle in February 2025 at the Grammy Awards, where she extended her record for the most wins in history to a total of 35. 

Dana Walden, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment

Dana Walden, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment

Dana Walden is an influential media executive who currently serves as the Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment. On the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, she is ranked 35th globally.

Walden oversees a massive portfolio that includes Hulu Originals, Disney TV Studios, ABC Entertainment, ABC News, and FX. Under her guidance, ABC has remained the number one entertainment network for five consecutive seasons. 

Before joining Disney in 2019 through the acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Walden spent over two decades at Fox, where she served as Chair and CEO of Fox Television Group. Now, she has successfully led Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer division to profitability in 2024, reaching that goal a full quarter ahead of expectations.

Donna Langley, Chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment

Donna Langley, Chairman, NBCUniversal Entertainment

Donna Langley is a media executive currently serving as the Chairman of NBCUniversal Studio Group and the company’s Chief Content Officer. On the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, she holds the 57th rank, reflecting her vast oversight of a portfolio that includes Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Universal Television.

According to Forbes, a November 2024 leadership shuffle significantly expanded her role, promoting her to Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios. In this elevated capacity, she now holds the power to greenlight projects across movies, television, and streaming. 

This move follows her historic success at Universal Pictures, where she helped drive over $4 billion in worldwide box office revenue and oversaw massive global franchises such as Fast & Furious, Jurassic World, and Oppenheimer.

Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, Netflix

Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, Netflix

Bela Bajaria is an influential television executive who serves as Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, a role she assumed in January 2023. On the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, she is ranked 60th globally, overseeing the streaming giant’s entire scripted and unscripted content strategy.

Bajaria manages a massive annual content budget of approximately $18 billion, directing the creation of global hits such as Bridgerton, Squid Game, and Lupin. 

Before joining Netflix in 2016, she made history as the President of Universal Television, becoming the first woman of colour to lead a major Hollywood studio. Her work is credited with redefining the future of television by using emotional storytelling to bridge cultural divides across more than 50 languages.

Suzanne Scott, CEO, Fox News

Suzanne Scott, CEO, Fox News

In 2018, Suzanne Scott made history as the first female CEO of Fox News. On the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, she is ranked 62nd globally, leading the number one cable news network in the United States.

Scott has total oversight of Fox’s extensive linear and digital platforms, including the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, and Fox News Books. 

Under her leadership, the brand has expanded into new territories with the launch of Fox Weather and the streaming service Fox Nation. Collectively, these platforms reach a massive audience of more than 200 million people every month.

Kim Kardashian, Cofounder, Skims

Kimberly Noel Kardashian is a prominent American media personality and fashion entrepreneur who has parlayed reality TV stardom into a ten-figure fortune. On the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, she is ranked 71st globally.

As of December 2025, Forbes reports her real-time net worth at $1.6 billion, primarily driven by her majority stake in her shapewear brand, Skims.

Following a 2025 funding round, Skims reached a valuation of $5 billion, bolstered by high-profile investors such as billionaires Stephen Mandel, Daniel Sundheim, and Josh Kushner. 

Beyond her apparel empire, Kardashian has pivoted in the beauty industry. After selling a stake in KKW Beauty to Coty in 2021, she eventually shut down the brand to launch SKKN By Kim, with Coty divesting its remaining interest back to Skims in early 2025.

Kardashian’s financial power is also evident in her significant real estate holdings. She reportedly paid $23 million to retain full ownership of their Axel Vervoordt-designed mansion in Hidden Hills. 

Forbes further recognised her dominance earlier in the year by ranking her 19th on its 2025 list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. Her evolution from a media figure to a billionaire retail mogul exemplifies the shifting nature of power in 2025, where social media reach is converted into global commercial empires.

Bari Weiss, Editor-in-Chief, CBS News

Bari Weiss is an American journalist and editor who has rapidly become one of the most significant figures in legacy media. On the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, she is ranked 80th globally, a milestone that follows her landmark appointment as the Editor-in-Chief of CBS News in October 2025.

Her rise to this role came after the media giant Paramount Skydance acquired her independent media startup, The Free Press, for an estimated $150 million. 

Weiss founded the company in 2021 as a Substack newsletter after a highly publicised resignation from The New York Times, where she served as an opinion writer and editor. Under her leadership, it grew into a massive digital enterprise with over 1.5 million readers, known for its “heterodox” and “anti-woke” reporting on cultural and political issues.

Forbes recognises her as a transformative power broker who is effectively bridging the gap between independent digital media and traditional broadcast journalism.

Mo Abudu, Media Mogul and Founder, EbonyLife Media

Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu is one of the most powerful women in global media, ranked 98th on the 2025 Forbes list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. 

Recognised for her revolutionary influence in elevating African narratives, Abudu is the founder and CEO of EbonyLife Media, a sprawling empire that spans television, film, and digital platforms.

In 2006, Abudu started EbonyLife TV, a network that now airs in more than 49 countries across Africa, as well as in the UK and the Caribbean. Over the years, EbonyLife has struck major partnership deals with Sony Pictures Television, AMC Networks, and Netflix. 

The deal with Netflix marked a historic milestone, as it was the first time an African media company signed a multi-title film and TV agreement with the streaming giant.

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