Debbie Allen
When: Opening General Session, Friday, November 20, 2026, from 8:30 -10 a.m.
Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall 1
Biography
Debbie Allen is a dynamic and inspiring keynote speaker whose work reflects a lifelong passion for storytelling and the transformative power of language. She is a distinguished graduate of Howard University, where she earned a BFA in Theater and Classical Greek Studies. A recipient of four honorary doctorate degrees and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Allen is an award-winning director and choreographer who has choreographed the Academy Awards a record ten times.
Her extraordinary career spans collaborations with legendary artists including Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Gwen Verdon, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Dolly Parton, and Savion Glover.
Allen earned a Golden Globe for her iconic role as Lydia Grant in the hit series Fame, as well as a Drama Desk Award for her performance as Anita in West Side Story. She is a three-time Emmy Award winner for choreography, recognized for her work on Fame and Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.
A ten-time NAACP Image Award recipient, Allen has been honored for her work as a director, actress, choreographer, and producer across projects such as A Different World, Motown 25, the Academy Awards, The Debbie Allen Special, and Amistad. Her directing credits include some of television’s most acclaimed series, including Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, Jane the Virgin, Empire, and Insecure.
She currently serves as Executive Producing Director of Grey's Anatomy, where she also appears in the recurring role of Dr. Catherine Fox.
The daughter of poet Vivian Ayers and dentist Andrew Allen, Allen is married to former NBA All-Star Norman Nixon. She is the sister of Phylicia Rashad, Tex Allen, and Hugh Allen, and the proud mother of Vivian and Thump, and grandmother to Shiloh, Aviah, Eilie, and Gia.