Netflix UK Documentary Head to Lead Edinburgh TV Festival 2026 Amid Significant Industry Changes
Adam Hawkins, one of Netflix’s senior executives in the UK, has been appointed as chair for this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, a season marked by significant industry consolidation. The festival noted that Hawkins’s leadership comes at a critical time for the global television landscape.
Hawkins, who oversees UK documentary series for Netflix, will guide the event as his employer contemplates acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially one of the largest entertainment mergers in recent history.
Having joined Netflix in 2022 after a successful tenure as Creative Director at Raw, where he contributed to the popular series *The Tinder Swindler*, Hawkins has since greenlit projects such as *Victoria Beckham*, *Robbie Williams*, and the upcoming *Being Gordon Ramsay*. He is also developing Netflix’s inaugural daily soccer show, *The Rest is Football*, hosted by Gary Lineker.
The festival emphasized that Hawkins will aim to expand on its 2025 themes, addressing solutions for an evolving and complex media environment. “At a time when the global television industry faces unprecedented change, and consolidation seems to be the word of the moment,” the festival stated, underscoring the importance of the discussions to be held.
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In response to his appointment, Hawkins remarked, “Edinburgh TV Festival has always been the best place for the TV industry to celebrate successes and take stock of challenges. Viewers still love television (in all its ever-increasing forms) and the UK industry is still world-beating. I hope this year’s Festival will provoke debate, inspire renewal, and provide some guiding lights through this time of change.”
Looking ahead, Hawkins will also serve as advisory chair for the 2026 festival, which may mark the last event held in Edinburgh before it relocates to another city in 2027. Last year’s advisory chair was Jane Tranter, CEO of Bad Wolf, who was credited for curating a high-profile lineup featuring influential figures like Shonda Rhimes and Tina Fey. Currently, the festival is searching for a new creative director following the departure of Rowan Woods.
Fatima Salaria, Chair of the TV Festival Board, expressed her enthusiasm for Hawkins’s role, stating, “I’m thrilled to have Adam Hawkins joining us as Advisory Chair for 2026. He thinks deeply about television, cares about craft, and has a strong sense of the pressures and possibilities shaping the industry right now.”
