The Peabody Awards 2022 nominations were released today, a total of 60 covering the categories of entertainment, documentaries, news, podcast/radio, children’s & youth, public service and arts.
“Following yet another turbulent year, Peabody is proud to honor an array of stories that poignantly and powerfully help us make sense of the challenges we face as a nation and world,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody. “Demonstrating the immense power of stories, these nominees exposed our societal failures and celebrated the best of the human spirit. They are all worthy of recognition, and Peabody is proud to celebrate them.”
There are two nominees of genre interest. The complete list is here.
ENTERTAINMENT
Station Eleven
This post-apocalyptic drama based on Emily St. John Mandel’s novel follows several characters through a devastating flu pandemic and its aftermath 20 years later as they try to rebuild community through art, despite opposition from a violent cult with a charismatic leader. HBO Max presents a Paramount Television Studios Production in association with Tractor Beam Productions, Shadowfox Productions, Stone Village Television, Inc., Pacesetter Productions, and Super Frog (HBO/HBO Max)
The Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins created this fantasy/historical drama based on the book by Colson Whitehead, telling the magical realist tale of Cora, an enslaved woman in Georgia, riding an imagined underground railroad—trains and all—to freedom. Plan B, PASTEL, Big Indie with Amazon Studios (Amazon Prime)
The Peabody Awards has named 30 programs as the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and digital media during 2019.
Here is the complete list of winners in the Entertainment category, which include programs of genre interest Chernobyl, Stranger Things and Watchmen. .
ENTERTAINMENT
“Chernobyl” HBO Miniseries and SKY in association with Sister, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games (HBO)
This emotionally searing miniseries about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and political aftermath is written, acted, and composed to perfection.
“David Makes Man” Page Fright and Outlier Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
This visually stunning coming-of-age drama by Tarell Alvin McCraney follows a gifted 14-year-old African American boy (superbly acted by Akili McDowell) growing up in the projects in Florida and haunted by the death of a friend.
While set in the appropriate time, this historical dramedy about famous poet Emily Dickinson is infused and energized by a fresh, contemporary sense and sensibility.
“Fleabag” All3Media International Limited and Amazon Studios (Prime Video)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars in the second season of the hilarious and caring show about a woman struggling with the death of a friend, and attraction to a hot priest.
Ramy Youssef writes and stars in a touching, thoughtful, and very funny sitcom focusing on a first-generation American Muslim and his family in New Jersey.
“Stranger Things” Monkey Massacre Productions & 21 Laps Entertainment (Netflix)
Season three continues the fun, nostalgic, horror-meets-sci-fi series about a group of adolescents fighting dark forces in their 1980s Indiana town.
“Succession” HBO Entertainment in association with Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries, and Gary Sanchez Productions (HBO)
Boasting one of the best ensembles on television, the second season of this satiric comic drama follows the devolution of the fictional Roy media magnate family, and their battles over who will succeed its imperial patriarch.
“Unbelievable” Timberman-Beverly Productions, Sage Lane Productions, Escapist Fare, Katie Couric Media, and CBS Television Studios for Netflix (Netflix)
The superb dramatization of intersecting, albeit vastly-differently-executed investigations into a serial rapist, features standout performances from Toni Collette, Merritt Weaver, and Kaitlyn Dever.
“Watchmen” HBO in association with White Rabbit, Paramount, Warner Bros. Television and DC (HBO)
Brilliantly penned by Damon Lindelof, this high concept sci-fi superhero show refashions the famed DC Comics series to tell a story about racism, policing, fear, and more.
“When They See Us” Participant Media, Tribeca Productions, Harpo Films, Array Filmworks for Netflix (Netflix)
Devastating and commanding, the powerful miniseries from Ava DuVernay about the Central Park Five case and the lives it ruined, offers riveting work from a strong ensemble cast.
The organization also announced FRONTLINE and The Simpsons as recipients of Institutional Awards. This distinctive honor goes to programs that have made a significant impact on media programming and the cultural landscape. Cicely Tyson was named winner of the Peabody Career Achievement Award on Monday.
On December 17, 1989, the clouds parted in the now-iconic opening sequence of “The Simpsons,” inviting the world into the town of Springfield for the first time. Already well known to fans of “The Tracey Ullman Show”—which ran a series of animated shorts by creator Matt Groening starting in 1987—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie would soon rocket to international fame. “The Simpsons,” with nearly 700 full episodes to date, is now the longest-running scripted prime-time series in American television history, and likely the most globally recognized program in history.
Following a decade of earnest family sitcoms, the brash yellow splash of “The Simpsons” on TV cleared the way for a more satiric-parodic, deeply ironic mode of comedy. From the outset, the program was eager to question and rib not just the medium its viewers grew up on, but the beliefs upon which they were structured. Decades later, the effect of its witty humor and willingness to question authority is evident in similarly important comedies that followed in Homer’s four-toed path.
“The Simpsons” expanded notions of what the sitcom could be. It gifted us a wonderful family caught between the poles of father Homer’s delightful ignorance and daughter Lisa’s endearing brilliance, a family that would fumble, fight, and fail, and yet who loved each other in spite of it all. It boldly and inventively ushered animation back into primetime. And it has found ways to remain funny, fresh, and insightful while trusting and respecting its audience’s intelligence. In one episode, Homer thumps his television angrily, demanding that it “be more funny.” Peabody commends “The Simpsons” writers, animators, and cast for answering Homer’s call for 30 years.
The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors has selected 60 nominees that “represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and digital media during 2019.”
The complete list of nominees is here. Below are all the nominees in categories which include items of genre interest.
Works of genre interest in the Entertainment category are Chernobyl, Float, Good Omens, Stranger Things and Watchmen.
In the Children’s & Youth category, Treasure Island 2020 includes time traveling pirates.
CHILDREN’S & YOUTH
“Molly of Denali” WGBH Educational Foundation, Atomic Cartoons (PBS Kids)
This captivating animated show explores Alaskan Native culture and traditions though the eyes of young Molly.
This wonderfully fun podcast inventively reworks Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic, now with time traveling pirates.
ENTERTAINMENT
“Chernobyl” HBO Miniseries and SKY in association with Sister, The Mighty Mint, and Word Games (HBO)
This emotionally searing miniseries about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and political aftermath is written, acted, and composed to perfection.
“David Makes Man” Page Fright and Outlier Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
This visually stunning coming-of-age drama by Tarell Alvin McCraney follows a gifted 14-year-old African American boy (superbly acted by Akili McDowell) growing up in the projects in Florida and haunted by the death of a friend.
While set in the appropriate time, this historical dramedy about famous poet Emily Dickinson is infused and energized by a fresh, contemporary sense and sensibility.
“Fleabag” All3Media International Limited and Amazon Studios (Prime Video)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars in the second season of the hilarious and caring show about a woman struggling with the death of a friend, and attraction to a hot priest.
A figuratively and literally uplifting animated short about parenting a child who is different from their peers.
“Good Omens” BBC Worldwide Limited and Amazon Studios (Prime Video)
This adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s novel about the unlikely friendship of an evil and a good angel and the march to the end of the world is gloriously fun and genre-bending.
“Our Boys” HBO in association with Keshet Media Group and MoviePlus Productions (HBO)
Gripping and heart-wrenching, the series tells the story of the 2014 “retaliation” kidnapping and murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and the ensuing investigation.
Ramy Youssef writes and stars in a touching, thoughtful, and very funny sitcom focusing on a first-generation American Muslim and his family in New Jersey.
“Stranger Things” Monkey Massacre Productions & 21 Laps Entertainment (Netflix)
Season three continues the fun, nostalgic, horror-meets-sci-fi series about a group of adolescents fighting dark forces in their 1980s Indiana town.
“Succession” HBO Entertainment in association with Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries, and Gary Sanchez Productions (HBO)
Boasting one of the best ensembles on television, the second season of this satiric comic drama follows the devolution of the fictional Roy media magnate family, and their battles over who will succeed its imperial patriarch.
“Unbelievable” Timberman-Beverly Productions, Sage Lane Productions, Escapist Fare, Katie Couric Media, and CBS Television Studios for Netflix (Netflix)
The superb dramatization of intersecting, albeit vastly-differently-executed investigations into a serial rapist, features standout performances from Toni Collette, Merritt Weaver, and Kaitlyn Dever.
“Watchmen” HBO in association with White Rabbit, Paramount, Warner Bros. Television and DC (HBO)
Brilliantly penned by Damon Lindelof, this high concept sci-fi superhero show refashions the famed DC Comics series to tell a story about racism, policing, fear, and more.
“When They See Us” Participant Media, Tribeca Productions, Harpo Films, Array Filmworks for Netflix (Netflix)
Devastating and commanding, the powerful miniseries from Ava DuVernay about the Central Park Five case and the lives it ruined, offers riveting work from a strong ensemble cast.
The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors announced the 2019 award winners in the Entertainment and Children’s & Youth categories on April 18.
Two genre programs were among them, The Good Place (Entertainment) and Steven Universe (Children’s & Youth). Click the link for the complete
list at Variety.
A Peabody nominee last year, Michael Schur’s fantasy-comedy about the afterlife keeps refusing to follow the formulas of broadcast network sitcoms, constantly renegotiating its format as our favorite contemporary morality play. The energies of Kristin Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil, and D’Arcy Carden, in particular, keep the show moving with virtuosity in every unexpected laboratory from the Good Place to the Bad Place, the afterlife to the Medium Place, and of course, to Earth.
On its surface, Rebecca Sugar’s animated series develops a complex mythology centering around the Crystal Gems—“polymorphic sentient rocks” who protect young Steven and his human friends from cosmic threats. But in this earnest fantasy epic and superhero saga, empathy is perhaps the most important superpower, something our real-world human society needs now more than ever.
The winners will be
celebrated at an event in New York on May 18.
Over the next several weeks, 30 winners from among these
nominees will be announced by category: Documentary on April 16;
Entertainment/Children’s & Youth on April 18; and News/Radio/Web/Public
Service programming on April 23. Last month, the board of jurors named Rita
Moreno as this year’s Peabody Career Achievement Award presented by
Mercedes-Benz.
The
winners will be celebrated at an event in New York on May 18.
The
complete list of nominees is here.
Those of genre interest include Hilda,Steven Universe, and The Good Place.
“A
Dangerous Son” HBO Documentary Films and Moxie Firecracker Films (HBO)
“Blue
Planet II” BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC AMERICA,
Tencent, WDR, France Télévisions and CCTV9 in partnership with The Open
University (BBC AMERICA)
“Brides
& Brothels: The Rohingya Trade” 101 East (Al Jazeera English)
“I
Am Evidence” HBO Documentary Films and Mighty Entertainment in association with
Fixit Productions and Artemis Rising Foundation (HBO)
“Independent
Lens: Dolores” A Carlos Santana Production, in association with 5 Stick Films,
and THE DOLORES HUERTA FILM PROJECT, LLC (PBS)
“Independent
Lens: I Am Not Your Negro” A co-production of Velvet Film Inc., Velvet Film
S.A.S., Artémis Productions, Close Up Films, ARTE France, RTS, RTBF, Shelter
Prod and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) presented in association
with the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), with funding provided by
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) (PBS)
“Independent
Lens: The Judge” A co-production of Three Judges LLC, Idle Wild Films Inc., and
Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided by the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting (CPB) (PBS)
“Lorraine
Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart” Lorraine Hansberry Documentary Project,
LLC in co-production with Independent Television Service and Black Public Media
in association with The Film Posse, Chiz Schultz Inc. and American Masters
Pictures (PBS/WNET/TV)
“Minding
the Gap” Hulu presents in association with Kartemquin, American Documentary |
POV and ITVS (Hulu)
“POV:
QUEST: A Portrait of an American Family” Quest Fury Sound LLC, Vespertine Film
and Media Productions Inc., American Documentary | POV, ITVS (PBS)
“POV:
The Apology” National Film Board of Canada, American Documentary | POV (PBS)
“POV:
Survivors” WeOwnTV, American Documentary | POV, ITVS (PBS)
“Shirkers”
A Netflix Documentary in association with Cinereach (Netflix)
“The
Bleeding Edge” A Netflix Original Documentary in association with Shark Island
Institute (Netflix)
“The
Facebook Dilemma” FRONTLINE (PBS)
“The
Jazz Ambassadors” Thirteen Productions LLC, Antelope South Ltd., Normal Life
Pictures, in association with the BBC and ZDF in collaboration with Arte (PBS)
“The
Rape of Recy Taylor” Augusta Films, in co-production with Transform Films Inc.,
in association with Artemis Rising and Matador Content (Starz)
ENTERTAINMENT
“Atypical”
Sony Pictures Television for Netflix (Netflix)
“Barry”
HBO Entertainment in association with Alec Berg and Hanarply (HBO)
“Hannah
Gadsby: Nanette” Netflix (Netflix)
“Homecoming”
Universal Cable Productions LLC and Amazon Studios (Amazon Prime Video)
“Killing
Eve” Sid Gentle Films Ltd. for BBC AMERICA (BBC AMERICA)
“My
Brilliant Friend” HBO Entertainment in association with RAI FICTION, TIMVISION
and Wildside, Fandango, and Umedia (HBO)
“Patriot
Act with Hasan Minhaj” Netflix (Netflix)
“Pose”
Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions (FX Networks)
“Random
Acts of Flyness” HBO Entertainment in association with A24 and MVMT (HBO)
“The
Americans” Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions (FX Networks)
“The
Chi” SHOWTIME Presents, Fox 21 Television Studios, Kapital Entertainment, Verse,
Freedom Road Productions, Hillman Grad Productions, Elwood Reid Inc. (Showtime)
“The
End of the F***ing World” Clerkenwell Films/Dominic Buchanan Productions for
Channel 4 Television and Netflix (Netflix)
“The
Good Place” Universal Television, Fremulon and 3 Arts Entertainment (NBC)
“This
Close” Killer Films and Super Deluxe (SundanceNow)
NEWS
“Anatomy
of a Killing” BBC Africa Eye (BBC)
“Aquí
y Ahora: The Faces of the Immigration Crisis” Univision Network (Univision
Network)
“CBS
News Special: 39 Days” CBS News (CBS)
“Back
of the Class” KING Television (NBC affiliate/KING)
“Cambridge
Analytica” ITN for Channel 4 News (Channel 4 News)
“Inside
Yemen” PBS NewsHour (PBS)
“NewsChannel
5 Investigates: Toxic School Water” WTVF-TV (WTVF-TV)
“Nima
Elbagir: Human Rights Reporting” CNN (CNN)
“On
the Fire Line” PBS NewsHour (PBS)
“Separated:
Children at the Border” FRONTLINE (PBS)
“$2
Tests: Bad Arrests” WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta (WAGA-TV)
PUBLIC SERVICE
“Student/Trafficked”
R.AGE (Star Media Group)
WEB
“Zero
Tolerance” ProPublica
RADIO/PODCASTS
“Bag
Man” MSNBC (MSNBC)
“Believed”
Michigan Radio (NPR)
“Buried
Truths” WABE (WABE)
“Caliphate”
The New York Times (The New York Times)
“Ear
Hustle”PRX’s Radiotopia (PRX’s Radiotopia)
“In
The Dark (season 2)” APM Reports (Podcast)
“Kept
Out” Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, PRX, PBS Newshour, and
the Associated Press (Public radio stations nationwide)
“Monumental
Lies” Type Investigations and Reveal from The Center for Investigative
Reporting and PRX (Public radio stations nationwide)
“My
World Was Burning: The North Bay Fires and What Went Wrong” KQED and Reveal
from the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX (Center for Investigative
Reporting and PRX)
“This
American Life Episode #657: The Runaways” This American Life and ProPublica
Inc. (Public Radio Stations, podcast)
“The
Daily” The New York Times (The New York Times)
The Handmaid’s Tale
Hulu, MGM, White Oak Pictures, The Littlefield Company, Daniel Wilson Productions (Hulu)
Also, the Institutional Award was given to The Fred Rogers Company to recognize the continued legacy of the company’s founder and creator of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood which premiered 50 years ago. The show itself won a Peabody Award in 1968, and another was presented to Rogers in 1992.
News/radio/public service programming winners remain to be named on April 24.
The field will be narrowed to 30 winners, says The Hollywood Reporter, to be revealed by category starting April 17 with the documentary winners on April 17, entertainment/children’s and youth on April 19, and news/radio/public service programming on April 24. In addition, the inaugural Peabody Career Achievement Award presented by Mercedes-Benz will be announced April 12.
Jurors selected the finalists out of 1,200 entries across TV, radio/podcasts and the web.
Here are the nominees of genre interest:
Child and Youth Programming
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Netflix (Netflix)
Entertainment
Legion
FX Productions, Marvel Television (FX Networks)
Star Trek: Discovery
CBS Television Studios (CBS All Access)
The Good Place
Universal Television, Fremulon, 3 Arts Entertainment (NBC)
The Handmaid’s Tale
Hulu, MGM, White Oak Pictures, The Littlefield Company, Daniel Wilson Productions (Hulu)