This year's Peabody Awards have been announced, and the list of winners include "Louie," "Southland," "Switched at Birth," "Girls," "This American Life" and Robin Roberts of ABC News, among others.
The Peabody Awards, which are in their 72nd year, honor excellence in electronic media, and thus documentaries, news reports, radio shows, scripted programs and Web sites are all included in this year's list of winners. The Peabody Awards ceremony will be held May 20 in New York, and CBS News' Scott Pelley will host.
I am fortunate enough to be one of the 16 Peabody board members, and it's been an honor and a pleasure to spend much of the last few months reviewing submissions and meeting with the rest of the board to discuss and debate the merits of the hundreds of worthy television programs, radio shows and Web sites. Each winner must receive a unanimous vote from the entire board, and the resulting lists are always eclectic, as you can tell from the 2012 and 2011 rosters. By the way, most Peabodys, aside from the Institutional Awards, are for work done in 2012.
Without further ado, here is the complete list of Peabody Award winners and where to find them (where applicable):
Entertainment Winners
"D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List"
Comedy Central
The comic's hourlong special took on the question of whether black men should be on the endangered species list.
"Game Change"
HBO
A TV movie that examined John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as running mate.
"Girls"
HBO
The show by Lena Dunham that explores the lives of young women (and young men) in New York.
"Louie"
FX
Louis C.K.'s groundbreaking comedy -- a show that defies categorization.
"Southland"
TNT
A cop show set in LA that is full of vivid characters and memorable partnerships.
"Switched at Birth"
ABC Family
This ABC Family soap tells the story of two very different families while allowing its audience to explore the nuances of deaf culture.
Institutional Winners
"Doctor Who"
BBC/BBC America
For those who keep track of time (and Time Lords), it's the classic sci-fi show's 50th anniversary.
Lorne Michaels
Michaels is the executive producer and all-around guru of "Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock," "Portlandia" and many other comedic ventures in television and film.
The "Up" series of documentaries ("7 Up," "14 Up," "21 Up," etc.) by Michael Apted
This series of television documentaries, which check in on a cross-section of English men and women every seven years, have been enormously influential for several decades.
News, Education & Documentary Winners
Breaking News: Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary
WVIT-TV
The local West Hartford's station's coverage of the tragedy.
CNN's Coverage Inside Syria and Homs
CNN
The cable news channel's reports from inside war-torn Syria.
"Deception at Duke"
"60 Minutes"/CBS
This story, which details a medical breakthrough that proved to be too good to be true, is available in its entirety here.
"Design Ah!"
NHK, Japan
An engaging show about design that is aimed at young viewers.
"Exposure"
ITV
This British TV program wins for two documentaries it broadcast in 2012: "The Other Side of Jimmy Savile" and "Banaz: An Honour Killing."
"Ford Escape: Exposing a Deadly Defect"
KNXV-TV
A Phoenix station's coverage of a serious problem in two different cars led to national action.
"Investigating the Fire"
KMGH-TV
A Denver TV station's meticulous reconstruction of everything that went wrong before, during and after a controlled burn that went awry and took several lives.
"Investigating the IRS"
WTHR-TV
An Indianapolis' station's coverage of a surprising (and costly) tax loophole that is used nationwide.
"Joy in the Congo"
"60 Minutes"/CBS
This uplifting story about an African symphony is available in its entirety here.
"The Loving Story"
HBO/Augusta Films
A documentary about an interracial couple who married in 1958 and whose legal odyssey took them to the Supreme Court.
"Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present"
HBO
An illuminating portrait of the performance artist and her recent MoMA show.
"MLK: The Assassination Tapes"
Smithsonian Channel
An assemblage of local Memphis news reports, interviews and radio pieces recorded before and after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Rapido y Furioso" ("Fast and Furious")
Univision
A thorough examination of the controversial Fast and Furious/"gunwalking" program as seen through the eyes of Mexicans who endured its consequences.
"Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel"
HBO
A well-regarded program that airs sports news, features and interviews.
"Reel Time: Salat (Bone Dry)"
GMA TV
A documentary from the Philippines that takes viewers inside the lives of an impoverished young girl and her family.
"Robin's Journey"
ABC News
A series of pieces documenting Robin Roberts' illness, treatment and recovery, as well as her efforts to publicize bone-marrow donation.
"Russia, Putin and the West"
Brook Lapping Productions/National Geographic Channel
An in-depth recounting of Vladimir Putin's rise to power and his relationships with former Soviet-bloc nations, Russia's citizens and Western nations.
SCOTUSblog.com
A thorough and timely collection of law resources and coverage of the Supreme Court.
"Sheikh Jarrah, My Neighborhood"
Al Jazeera
A documentary about a young boy who is evicted from his home in East Jerusalem, but who finds an unexpected ally.
"Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek"
The New York Times
An in-depth and innovative examination of an accident that killed or injured several skiers.
"Sri Lanka's Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished"
Channel 4
A documentary presenting evidence of atrocities committed in Sri Lanka near the end of the country's civil war. It can be viewed in its entirety here (registration required).
"Summer Pasture"
PBS/Independent Lens
An up-close look at the life of a Tibetan herder and the choices he and his family face.
Superstorm Sandy
ABC News
The network's coverage of the devastating storm that hit the East Coast.
"Under Fire: Journalists in Combat"
JUF Pictures; aired in the US on Documentary Channel
A documentary about reporters and photographers on the front lines of combat and other dangerous situations (this film is on Netflix and Amazon).
"Why Poverty?"
PBS/Steps International
A series of eight documentaries on wealth, poverty and the attempts to bridge the gap between the two. The documentaries are: "Solar Mamas" (directed by Mona Eldaief & Jehane Noujaim), "Welcome to the World" (Brian Hill), "Poor Us: An Animated History" (Ben Lewis), "Park Avenue" (Alex Gibney), "Land Rush" (Hugo Berkeley & Osvalde Lewat), "Give Us the Money" (Bosse Lindquist), "Stealing Africa" (Christoffer Guldbrandsen) and "Education, Education" (Weijun Chen). The documentaries are available in full here.
Radio Winners
Coverage of Syria
NPR
NPR's ongoing coverage of the conflict in Syria.
"Inside the National Recording Registry"
WNYC/PRI
A series of explanatory programs about the musical pieces chosen for the National Recording Registry.
"The Leonard Lopate Show"
WNYC-FM
Lopate and his show are New York City institutions.
"Teen Contender"
Radio Diaries
A young female boxer tells her story.
"What Happened at Dos Erres"
This American Life/WBEZ
An account of an atrocity that occurred during Guatemala's civil war, and the ways in which it continues to reverberate through the lives of those who were there.
