New York, N.Y. — April 10, 2018 — Two shows produced by American Documentary—POV on PBS and AMERICA REFRAMED on WORLD Channel—have received nominations for the 77th Annual Peabody Awards, announced today by the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors. POV, American television’s longest-running documentary series, received three nominations for the films Last Men in Aleppo, The Islands and the Whales and Motherland in the Documentary category. AMERICA REFRAMED, which presents independent documentaries featuring stories about American society and culture, received a nomination for the film Deej.
This is the fifth year in a row POV films have been nominated for a Peabody, and the first-ever nomination for AMERICA REFRAMED. To date, the documentary series has won 19 Peabody Awards. Established in 1940 and administered by UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Peabody Awards are the oldest honor in electronic media.
POV was most recently nominated last year for its Season 29 films The Return, The Look of Silence, Hooligan Sparrow and What Tomorrow Brings. Hooligan Sparrow, by Chinese filmmaker Nanfu Wang, received a prize in the Documentary category. Established in 1940 and administered by UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Peabody Awards are the oldest honor in electronic media.
“The nominations today are a testament to the power of public media,” said Justine Nagan, executive producer/executive director of POV/American Documentary. “From Syria to Ohio, these films showed American audiences stories as distinct as they are powerful. They are stories about war, motherhood, the poisoning of our food systems and about dignity for those with neurological disorders. Nowhere else can viewers consistently find this kind of creativity and diversity in storytelling, and nowhere else is it so accessible to American audiences.”
She continued, “This is also a special day for AMERICA REFRAMED, which less than six years ago began as an idea that our ever-evolving country ought to be captured by compelling, diverse nonfiction storytellers. Big congrats are in order for our team at AmRef and our partners at WORLD Channel, and thanks to our funders who make it possible.”
The winning “Peabody 30” programs will be revealed in a series of announcements over the coming weeks.
To date, POV films have won 37 Emmy® Awards, 12 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, three Academy Awards®, two George Polk Documentary Film Awards and the Prix Italia. Last year, AMERICA REFRAMED won its first Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award. Learn more at www.pbs.org/pov/ and worldchannel.org/programs/america-reframed/.
AmDoc’s 77th Annual Peabody Awards finalists follow (click for descriptions, links, embeddable trailers, art and press releases):
POV:
AMERICA REFRAMED:
The full list of nominees for the 77th Annual Peabody Awards is available here.
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About POV
Produced by American Documentary, Inc., POV is public television’s premier showcase for nonfiction films. Since 1988, POV has been the home for the world’s boldest contemporary filmmakers, celebrating intriguing personal stories that spark conversation and inspire action. Always an innovator, POV discovers fresh new voices and creates interactive experiences that shine a light on social issues and elevate the art of storytelling. With our documentary broadcasts, original online programming and dynamic community engagement campaigns, we are committed to supporting films that capture the imagination and present diverse perspectives.
POV Community Engagement and Education (www.pbs.org/pov/engage/)
POV Engage works with educators, community organizations and PBS stations to present more than 650 free screenings every year. In addition, we distribute free discussion guides and standards-aligned lesson plans for each of our films. With our community partners, we inspire dialogue around the most important social issues of our time.
POV Digital (www.pbs.org/pov/)
Since 1994, POV Digital has driven new storytelling initiatives and interactive production for POV. The department created PBS’s first program website and its first web-based documentary (POV’s Borders) and has won major awards, including a Webby Award (and six nominations) and an Online News Association Award. POV Digital continues to explore the future of independent nonfiction media through its digital productions and the POV Hackathon lab, where media makers and technologists collaborate to reinvent storytelling forms. Follow @povdocs on Twitter.
AMERICA REFRAMED (www.americareframed.com)
Co-produced by American Documentary, Inc. and WORLD Channel, AMERICA REFRAMED brings to national audiences compelling stories that illuminate the changing contours of an ever-evolving America. The independent documentary series presents an array of personal voices and experiences through which we learn from our past, understand our present and are challenged to seek new frameworks for America’s future.
American Documentary, Inc. (www.amdoc.org/)
American Documentary, Inc. (AmDoc) is a multimedia company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets. AmDoc is a catalyst for public culture, developing collaborative strategic engagement activities around socially relevant content on television, online and in community settings. These activities are designed to trigger action, from dialogue and feedback to educational opportunities and community participation.
