Athens, Ga. — The George Foster Peabody Awards’ 74th annual search for excellence in electronic media has begun.
The deadline for 2014 entries is Thursday, January 15, 2015. Please visit peabodyawards.com for more details.
The Peabody program is eager to attract more entries from the children’s, international and digital realms this year.
“This is an exciting time for creative storytelling across so many locations of the expanding media landscape,” said director Jeffrey P. Jones. “We are aware of quality narratives being told in children’s programming, in digital spaces, even internationally. The Peabody Board of Jurors would really love to see more from these areas, and highly encourage producers to submit their work.”
The Peabody Awards for decades have recognized distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by television and radio stations, networks, producing organizations, individuals and the Internet. But the award’s scope is always expanding. The Peabody program welcomes entries produced for alternative means of electronic distribution, including podcasts, websites, Internet videos (on YouTube, Vimeo, or other internet streaming platforms), video games and educational media.
The Peabodys, established by the National Association of Broadcasters in 1940 but left to the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication to administer independently, are the oldest honor in electronic media.
The 73rd awards, presented in New York in May, were emceed by multiple Peabody winner Ira Glass, creator of This American Life.
The recipients ranged from the political dramas Scandal and Borgen to the interactive documentary Hollow, from Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black to A NeededResponse, a viral video that addressed the issue of campus rape. The diverse winners also included the sci-fi drama Orphan Black, FRONTLINE’s investigation of the National Football League’s concussion crisis, and the musical documentary Six By Sondheim.
The Peabody is considered the most selective and prestigious honor for electronic media programming. It’s unique in that there are no categories for entry or nominations. The submitted entries are judged by an 18-member board that includes television critics, industry practitioners, scholars and experts in culture and fine arts.
For further information regarding the Peabody Awards, call (706) 542-3787, e-mail the Peabody office at peabody@uga.edu, or visit the Peabody web site.
