The 16th annual Television Academy are recognizing six titles and their producers that exemplified the power of television to enact social change.
Announced Thursday, the six titles that earned the Academy’s distinction are A24’s “Mo,” ESPN Films’ “37 Words,” Peacock’s “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks,” Amazon’s “As We See It,” Florentine Films and WETA’s “The U.S. and the Holocaust” and HBO Max’s “We’re Here”, representing a mix of scripted, nonfiction and documentary entries.
As part of their mission statement, the Television Academy Honors “celebrates programs across numerous platforms and genres that raise awareness about complex issues facing society represented in both fictional and nonfictional works—that address neurodiversity; civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights; equal rights for women; the experience of immigrants and refugees; and racism, xenophobia and antisemitism.”
“These exceptional programs and producers have used television to adeptly address some of the most significant and challenging issues facing communities across the globe,” Television Academy chairman and CEO Frank Scherma said in a statement. “Our medium is incredibly powerful, and these six programs have leveraged it to inspire transformational change.”
In addition to this year’s honorees, the Honors selection committee is giving special recognition to the documentary series “Profiled: The Black Man” (Discovery+) and will receive a certificate acknowledging its thought-provoking social justice content.
Past honorees of this award have included HBO’s “I May Destroy You” and “Watchmen,” Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Hulu’s “Dopesick” and FX’s “Reservation Dogs.”
The Honors recipients will be celebrated during a recognition ceremony slated for May 31. Below are the full list of recipients and reasons for selection:
“37 Words” (ESPN Films, Industrial Media and Trilogy Films)
The full story of Title IX—the hard-fought battle to push for equal rights in education and athletics, the decades-spanning effort to nullify its impact, and the rippling impacts of the landmark civil rights law that continue to resonate today. This four-part documentary charts the spectacular transformation that 37 words have inspired in American culture and the lives of women as well as the many ways in which the spirit of this bold law has yet to be fully realized.
“As We See It” (True Jack Productions; Yes Studios; Universal Television; Amazon Studios)
This empathetic comedy series follows 20-something roommates with Autism as they strive to get a job, keep a job, make friends, fall in love and navigate a world that eludes them. With the help of their families, aides and sometimes each other, these roommates experience setbacks and celebrate triumphs on their own unique journeys toward independence and acceptance.
“Mo” (A24)
The heartfelt comedy that follows Palestinian refugee Mo Najjar as he straddles the line between two cultures and three languages while constantly living one step away from asylum on the path to U.S. citizenship. Mo brilliantly captures the experience of immigrants and refugees navigating institutional systems.
“The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks” (A Peacock Original, SO’B Productions)
This comprehensive feature delves deep into the life of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, her historic work and her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Through interviews with those who knew her, powerful archival footage and her own words, this documentary tells the story of Parks’ extensive organizing, radical politics and lifelong dedication to activism.
“The U.S. and the Holocaust” (Florentine Films and WETA, Washington, D.C.)
Inspired in part by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibition and supported by its historical resources, this documentary examines the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany in the context of global antisemitism and racism, the eugenics movement in the United States and race laws in the American South.
“We’re Here” (HBO Max)
This Emmy Award-winning series follows renowned drag queens Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela on a journey to find deeper truths in small- town America, spreading love and connection through the art of drag. The queens recruit a diverse group of local residents to share their stories, increase awareness and promote acceptance in their communities by participating in one-night-only drag shows, at times facing increased opposition and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation laws.
