Athens, Ga. – The George Foster Peabody Awards’ 74th annual search for excellence in electronic media has begun.
The deadline for 2014 entries is Jan.15, 2015. See 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 awards’ 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 ceremony, presented in New York in May, was 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 Needed Response,” 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 see the Peabody website.
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Established in 1915, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication offers undergraduate majors in journalism, advertising, public relations, digital and broadcast journalism and mass media arts. The college offers two graduate degrees, and is home to the Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism and the Peabody Awards, internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious prizes for excellence in electronic media. For more information, see www.grady.uga.edu or follow @UGAGrady on Twitter.
