Actress Christine Baranski to Receive Achievement in Television eXcellence Award at ATX TV Festival

Photo Credit: Patrick Ecclesine | Credit: CBS

ATX TV Festival has announced additional programming for Season 14, taking place May 29-June 1 in Austin, Texas, including a conversation with Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Christine Baranski, who will receive the festival’s 2025 Achievement in Television eXcellence Award. The award presentation and conversation will celebrate Baranski’s acclaimed television career (among many other accomplishments on stage and screen), from her Emmy-winning performance on Cybill, to her 13-year run as high-powered attorney Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife and The Good Fight, and her current role as socialite Agnes Van Rhijn on HBO’s historical drama The Gilded Age. 

Jennifer Morgan, VP of Programming, stated:

“Whether her characters are delivering a quick-witted barb, a compelling legal argument, or a look worth 1,000 words – Christine’s presence and range as a performer is truly singular. As an Emmy Award winner and 16-time nominee for roles on Cybill, Frasier, The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and The Gilded Age, her ability to tap into comedy, drama, surrealism, and everything in between speaks to her ability to elevate each role and series she is a part of. Her excellence is simply undeniable, which is why we are honored to celebrate her exceptional TV career and cultural impact with ATX TV Festival’s Achievement in Television eXcellence award.” 

First presented in 2014, the Achievement in Television eXcellence Award recognizes an individual whose career reflects the very best of television, through work that is thought-provoking, genuine, expansive, and entertaining. As the festival’s 2025 recipient, Baranski joins previous honorees Henry Winkler, James L. Brooks, Norman Lear, Marcy Carsey, Phylicia Rashad, Michael J. Fox, Lesli Linka Glatter, and James Burrows. 

The festival’s 2025 lineup will also feature: 

• A special screening of You Belong Here, a new independently-produced series from Macaroni Art Productions, founded by Steve Zahn (Silo, The White Lotus) and Rick Gomez (Silo, Band of Brothers). The unscripted series follows James Beard-nominated chef and restaurateur Ouita Michel as she takes viewers on a journey through Kentucky cuisine, culture, and community. 

Following a screening of the first episode, You Belong Here executive producers Zahn, Gomez, and Michel will join for a conversation about the inspiration for the project; the restaurants, organizations, and guests featured throughout the first season; and future plans for the series. They will also discuss the advantages and challenges of producing independent TV and acquiring grant funding. You Belong Here was sponsored by VisitLEX and Tourism/Team Kentucky.

• Season 14 will also include a festival first, with a live late night show hosted by Emmy Award-winning writer Greg Iwinski (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert). Joined by announcer/sidekick/writer Jim Fagan (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) and a team of veteran late night writer-performers, Iwinski and company will dive into the headlines and pull out some jokes — accompanied by guests, music, and a few surprises. Additional details will be announced closer to the event. 

Buy your Badge and Pass for the 2025 Festival now: 

atxfestival.com/attend 

Previously announced Programming includes: 

• The Leftovers Reunion with EPs and Cast 
• UnREAL 10th Anniversary Retrospective presented by A+E Studios 
• Mad Men Retrospective with Jon Hamm
• Bill Lawrence & Friends 
• Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast with Patrick J. Adams and Sarah Rafferty
• Unproduced Table Read with Mike Flanagan and Special Guests 
• Horror Conversation presented by Red Room Pictures
• Casting a Spotlight: Unsung Actors with casting directors and actors 
• The Golden Girls and Designing Women Script Readings