Power 50: Lee Daniels

Photo: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Following an explosive and record-shattering first season, Daniels's show Empire remains a powerhouse on Fox, averaging 12.3 million viewers. Building on that success, the director-writer-producer began filming a music-centric pilot for Fox in December about an Atlanta girl group. The Oscar nominee for 2009's Precious has also been tapped to direct a documentary about Harlem's iconic Apollo Theater.