HBO, FX and Louis CK dominate the awards given out by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in the TV category.
The Peabody Awards are considered one of the most prestigious of all honors given to the best in electronic media, so it comes as no surprise that most of the 2017 honorees come from networks that are known for prestige television: FX and HBO. Among the entertainment winners announced on Thursday are the FX shows Better Things and Atlanta, as well as HBO series Veep and Beyonce’s visual album Lemonade.
There are also two winners from across the pond, British dramas Happy Valley and National Treasure, which are distributed in the U.S. via Netflix and Hulu, respectively. Beyond the big wins for HBO and FX, comedian Louis CK was also well represented thanks to a win for his independently produced dramedy Horace and Pete, which was later picked up by Hulu. He also serves as executive producer on Better Things, which is led by his Louie co-star Pamela Adlon.
Veep has been an awards favorite since premiering in 2012, with star Julia Louis-Dreyfus taking home five consecutive Emmys for her role as politician Selina Meyer. The comedy shows no signs of slowing down, once again undergoing a reinvention for Season 6 as the protagonist contemplates her political future after a short stint as the first female president and a failed presidential bid on her own accord. In announcing the winners, the Peabody Awards board of jurors cited the show’s ability to “deliver a sobering message, with sharp dialogue, street savvy—and lots of laughs,” as well as Dreyfus’ “comedic genius.”
The two wins for HBO represent a bounce back after losing out to Netflix and FX at both the SAG and Golden Globe Awards earlier this year as the streaming service and the basic cable network continue to get plenty of accolades from critics. But unlike those more well-known awards shows, the Peabodys haven’t normally been broadcast on TV until recently. The awards will be officially handed out during a May 20 ceremony hosted by Rashida Jones in New York City to be broadcast in early June, according to Variety.
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Donald Glover’s Atlanta has been a surprise hit with audiences and critics alike, earning the actor-turned-rapper a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy and the show itself a win for Best Comedy Series on the same night. The Peabodys aptly described it as an “enchanting series on the struggles of two young black men trying to make it in Atlanta’s rap scene,” that “blends vibrant character study and rich socio-political commentary in delivering a detailed and textured exploration of a Southern city.” Atlanta is just one of several half-hour series with diverse casts that have popped up in the past season or two along with Black-ish and Fresh off the Boat on ABC, and HBO’s Insecure.
The Peabody Awards will air on June 2 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS and Fusion.