The 2025 Peabody Awards have announced the first batch of this year’s nominees.
Nominations in the documentary, news, public service and radio/podcast categories, recognizing impactful stories from broadcasting and streaming media, were revealed on Tuesday.
Noteworthy documentary contenders selected by the Peabody board of jurors include Oscar-nominated docs Black Box Diaries and Sugarcane as well as the following Academy Award-hopeful documentaries: Daughters, Hollywoodgate, The Last of the Sea Women, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and Will & Harper.
News, public service and radio/broadcast nominees include reports from ABC and NBC News, PBS, Vice News, Al Jazeera, The Marshall Project, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Meadowlark Media and Audible. The contenders explore a range of domestic and international issues, including a number of projects focused on the Israel-Hamas war.
This year’s nominees were selected by a unanimous vote of 27 jurors from more than 1,000 entries across TV, radio/podcasts and online.
“As with what always makes Peabody unique, this year’s nominees explore the local and global, the forgotten and the widely celebrated, the extraordinary and beautiful and the ugliest and most horrible side of our inhumanity to others,” Peabody executive director Jeffrey Jones said in a statement. “Peabody-recognized storytelling is always a must-watch and must-listen for anyone who wants to understand the world we occupy together.”
It was previously announced that NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell and Saturday Night Live would each receive Peabody’s prestigious institutional award.
The nominees for the Peabody Awards‘ arts, children’s/youth, entertainment and interactive and immersive categories are set to be announced on Thursday, with winners revealed on May 1.
The 85th Peabody Awards, hosted by Roy Wood Jr., is set to take place on Sunday, June 1 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
More information about this year’s documentary, news, public service and radio/podcast nominees, with descriptions from the Peabody Awards, follows.
DOCUMENTARY
“American Coup: Wilmington 1898” (PBS)
A deadly race massacre and insurrection occurred in North Carolina’s largest city in 1898 – the only coup d’etat in U.S. history, though it is now little-known. This documentary shows how white supremacists, fearing “Negro Rule,” overthrew Wilmington’s democratically elected, multi-racial government.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and PBS North Carolina
“Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story” (CRAVE)
This film brings to life the powerful voice and legacy of Jackie Shane, a Black trans soul singer who vanished at the height of fame and now tells her story in her own works. Blending rare audio recordings, animated visuals, and family revelations, the film honors Shane’s trailblazing journey, celebrating her impact as an icon who lived authentically long before the world was ready.
Bangers Films and the National Film Board of Canada
“Black Box Diaries” (MTV Documentary Films / Showtime)
Black Box Diaries is journalist Shiori Ito’s deeply personal documentary chronicling her journey of coming forward as a survivor of rape in Japan, where sexual violence is highly stigmatized and rarely reported. Through self-recorded video diaries, secret conversations, and raw emotional honesty, Ito exposes the systemic silencing of victims and the personal cost of speaking out, ultimately transforming her pain into a powerful call for societal change.
Hanashi Films, Cineric Creative, and Star Sands
“Bread & Roses” (Apple TV+)
Sahra Mani’s documentary follows the experiences of Afghan women since the Taliban took control of Kabul, including an ex-government employee forced to stay indoors, a woman organizing resistance via her dentistry practice, and a refugee who flees to Pakistan.
Apple Original Films presents an Eyan Foundation presentation in association with Extracurricular
“Daughters” (Netflix)
Daughters follows the lives of four young girls navigating the emotional challenges of having incarcerated fathers as they prepare for a special father-daughter dance at a D.C. jail. Through deeply personal storytelling, the film highlights the generational impact of mass incarceration, the resilience of families, and the urgent need for systemic change.
A Netflix Documentary / An Object & Animal and Epoch Films Production / A Park Pictures and XTR Production in association with OPC, World of HA, Simpson Street, and Two One Five
“Hollywoodgate” (Jolt)
As the Taliban transformed from militia to military regime in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, they reclaimed and repurposed abandoned American weaponry at a former CIA base. With unprecedented access, director Ibrahim Nash’at captures a chilling year inside the regime, revealing the Taliban’s growing military ambitions and the global rise of authoritarian propaganda.
Rolling Narratives in association with Jouzour Film Production, Cottage M and RaeFilm Studios
“The Last of the Sea Women” (Apple TV+)
Director Sue Kim follows a declining community of women in South Korea—most of them now in their 60s or older—who dive to the ocean floor without oxygen tanks to harvest seafood to feed their community.
Apple Original Films Presents an A24 Production / an Extracurricular Production
“Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” (Netflix)
Directed by Lucy Walker, this film follows Nepali Lhakpa Sherpa as she becomes the first woman to climb Mount Everest ten times while raising two daughters and surviving an abusive marriage.
A Netflix Documentary / An SK Global Entertainment Production / An OBB Pictures Production / An Avocados and Coconuts Production in association with MakeMake Entertainment
“Night is Not Eternal” (HBO | Max)
Filmmaker Nanfu Wang documents Cuban activist Rosa María Payá’s fight for democracy after her father’s state-sponsored killing echoes struggles in both Cuba and China. Through intimate footage and personal experiences of surveillance, exile, and political awakening, the film becomes a powerful exploration of global resistance, the fragility of democracy, and the shared human pursuit of freedom.
HBO Documentary Films presents A Little Horse Crossing the River and Hard Working Movies Production in association with NiKa Media and Secret Sauce Media
“One With the Whale” (Independent Lens, PBS)
A Native teen on a tiny Bering Sea island becomes the youngest person in his village to harpoon a whale, providing vital sustenance that will feed the community for months, but comes into conflict with internet conservation activists when a photo of his accomplishment is posted online.
Vitamin Sea Productions
“Queendom”
Jenna, a 21-year-old queer artist from a remote Russian town, uses haunting, otherworldly performances in the streets of Moscow to protest LGBTQ+ oppression and challenge societal norms around beauty and identity. Documenting Jenna’s bold art and activism, this film offers a powerful, intimate look at resilience under repression.
A Galdanova Film Production in association with Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, International Documentary Association, InMaat Productions, Doc Society and Sopka Films
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” (Netflix)
This Norwegian production, directed by Benjamin Ree, tells the story of Mats Steen, a young man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who cannot participate in most everyday activities, but finds refuge in the online roleplaying game World of Warcraft. After his death at 25, his family discovers the rich life he had online as the character Ibelin Redmoore, a valued member of a World of Warcraft community.
Medieoperatørene and VGTV for Netflix
“The Space Race” (National Geographic Channel)
The Space Race tells the powerful, long-overdue story of Black NASA astronauts who overcame systemic racism to claim their place in the U.S. space program. The films centers on Ed Dwight, the nation’s first Black astronaut trainee who was denied flight but paved the way for future generations. Decades later, Dwight finally reached space at age 90, turning his personal victory into a historic moment of justice.
National Geographic Documentary Films, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Algeria Films & Cortés Filmworks
“STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.” (HBO | Max)
This four-part documentary series traces the rise and fall of Stax Records, the groundbreaking Memphis-based, interracial, soul label that launched the careers of icons such as Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes. Through rare archival footage, intimate interviews, and an immersive sonic experience, the series offers an unflinching, deeply human portrait of artistic innovation, community resilience, and the enduring struggle for Black empowerment in America.
HBO Documentary Films presents in association with Concord Originals, Polygram Entertainment, Warner Music Entertainment; A Laylow Pictures production; A White Horse Pictures production
“Sugarcane” (National Geographic Channel)
Sugarcane investigates the horrors of Canada’s Indian residential school system, revealing new evidence of infanticide, coerced adoptions, and generational trauma tied to the Catholic Church and government. Through intimate storytelling and sweeping visuals, it uncovers buried truths while honoring the resilience of Indigenous communities, sparking national reckoning and historic political action in both Canada and the United States.
National Geographic Documentary Films, Impact Partners, Fit Via Vi, Kassie Films, Hedgehog Films
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” (HBO | Max)
After a devastating accident left him paralyzed, Christopher Reeve became a powerful symbol of resilience, using his platform to inspire hope and advocate for disability rights. Throughout it all, he remained a passionate actor, filmmaker, and devoted family man, with his wife Dana as his unwavering support.
DC Studios / HBO Documentary Films / CNN Films
“The Truth vs. Alex Jones” (HBO | Max)
Director Dan Reed and his team follow Sandy Hook families’ years-long legal battle against Alex Jones and InfoWars. Through unprecedented courtroom access and profound interviews, the film explores both the power and limitations of the legal process in combating monetized disinformation, while asking why conspiratorial thinking has taken such a deep hold in American society.
HBO Documentary Films presents an Amos Pictures Production
“Will & Harper” (Netflix)
Actor Will Ferrell and his longtime collaborator and friend Harper Steele take a road trip across America together, getting reacquainted after Harper’s midlife gender transition. They experience mixed reactions at different stops along the way as Will asks occasionally awkward questions and realizes the limits of his fame to combat prejudice, painting a realistically complex portrait of allyship.
A Netflix Documentary / A Wayfarer Studios Film / A Delirio Films Production / A Gloria Sanchez Production
“You Are Not Alone: Fighting the Wolf Pack” (Netflix)
This Netflix film explores the case of a gang rape that occurred during the 2016 San Fermin “running of the bulls” festival, leading to Spain’s first #MeToo reckoning and resonating across the ocean to Latin America.
Netflix Presents Una Producción de Lucernam Films
NEWS
“ABC News Investigates – Zombie Wells: The Threat Beneath” (ABC)
ABC News uncovers the significant and surprising threats that abandoned oil and gas wells across the country pose to their surrounding communities.
ABC News and ABC Reporting Partners KABC – Los Angeles, KAKE – Wichita, KMGH – Denver, KTRK – Houston, WRTV – Indianapolis
“China, the U.S. & the Rise of Xi Jinping” (PBS)
This two-hour FRONTLINE documentary explores China’s transformation into a global superpower under President Xi Jinping amid the country’s escalating tensions with the United States. Through rare interviews and deep reporting, the film traces Xi’s rise, his authoritarian rule, and the far-reaching implications of his policies on human rights, Taiwan, global trade, and U.S.-China relations.
FRONTLINE (PBS)
“Confronting Hate” (WTVF – TV)
Amid a significant increase in hate-group activity in and around Nashville, dogged WTVF reporter Phil Williams exposes their violence, anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant demonstrations, racist stunts, online agitating, and plans to seize political power.
WTVF-TV
“Death Trap: No Safe Place in Gaza” (NBC News)
This NBC News special series by Hala Gorani investigates the Israeli military’s strikes on designated safe zones, hospitals, and journalists in Gaza, uncovering patterns of attacks that contradict official denials. Drawing on satellite imagery, exclusive footage, and interviews, the reports reveal the collapse of healthcare, targeted killings of media workers, and the human toll on civilians who were promised safety.
NBC News
“Driven to Death” (KXAS-TV/ NBC 5)
This 14-month-long investigation from NBC5 in Dallas dives into statistics that show the city has the highest traffic death rate among the ten largest cities in America, finding that high speeds, poor roadway design, and outdated features are to blame.
KXAS-TV/NBC 5
“Policing Phoenix” (ABC15 Arizona (KNXV-TV))
ABC15 Arizona’s Policing Phoenix is a groundbreaking video series that renders the DOJ’s most sweeping investigation of a local police department into a powerful, visual account, rooted in years of investigative journalism. The 32-part series exposes the systemic failures of the Phoenix Police Department and brings anonymized DOJ findings to life through real cases, footage, and people.
ABC15 Arizona (KNXV-TV)
“South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning” (PBS)
FRONTLINE and the Associated Press examine allegations of abuse and fraud amid South Korea’s foreign adoption boom and find that many children had been stolen from their birth parents and handed over to unwitting Americans desperate to adopt.
FRONTLINE (PBS), The Associated Press
“Surviving Nova” (VICE TV)
VICE News follows survivors and the families of those taken hostage or killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on the Nova music festival that came as part of the deadliest day in Israel’s history. The coverage highlights their experiences as they cope with the trauma of the attack while grappling with Israel’s response.
VICE News
“The Night Won’t End” (Fault Lines / Al Jazeera English / Television)
This film from Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines investigates the Israeli military’s killing of civilians in Gaza and America’s role in these actions. While the United States continued to supply bombs, artillery shells, and tanks to Israel, Fault Lines followed three families’ efforts to survive.
Al Jazeera English
“War in the Holy Land” (PBS News Hour)
As the war between Israel and Hamas continued throughout 2024, PBS NewsHour provided extensive reporting, highlighting the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the displacement of citizens in northern Israel and Southern Lebanon.
PBS News Hour
PUBLIC SERVICE
“Breakdown in Maine” (PBS)
FRONTLINE partners with the Portland Press Herald and Maine Public to examine the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history and pinpoint the missed opportunities to prevent it, including police, military, and mental health care system breakdowns, as well as law loopholes unique to the state.
FRONTLINE (PBS), Portland Press Herald, Maine Public Radio
“Inside Story” (The Marshall Project and Scripps)
The Inside Story video series makes informative programming for incarcerated people, tackling issues such as false convictions, understaffing in prisons, and restoring voting rights upon release. Created by The Marshall Project’s Lawrence Bartley and Donald Washington, Jr., both of whom are formerly incarcerated, it has been seen in 1,431 jails and prisons across the country.
The Marshall Project
“Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust”
This podcast examines how the U.S. became deeply divided over guns and how violence has escalated into an epidemic. The series traces the history of this great American debate from the writing of the Second Amendment to Columbine and beyond.
Long Lead, The Trace, Campside Media, and PRX
“The Only Doctor” (Reel South / PBS)
Dr. Karen Kinsell, the sole doctor in rural Clay County, Georgia, has spent more than two decades providing care without pay, but now faces the tough choice between retirement and saving her struggling clinic. As a possible lifeline emerges from a university medical group, Kinsell insists on maintaining affordability and access in this documentary highlighting the high-stakes battle for rural healthcare amid political and pandemic-related turmoil.
Reel South, BellaFran Productions, PBS North Carolina, South Carolina ETV, Louisiana Public Broadcasting
RADIO/PODCAST
“Blindspot: The Plague in the Shadows”
WNYC Studios and The History Channel bring listeners stories from the early days of the AIDS epidemic, highlighting the people on the frontlines of activism and showing the long-term effects of the disease decades later.
WNYC and The History Channel
“The Good Whale”
Serial Productions and The New York Times tell the story of efforts to free the orca who played the title role in the film Free Willy from an amusement park in Mexico City. The epic experiment takes a number of unexpected turns, calling into question the practice of keeping animals in captivity—even, and maybe especially, celebrity animals.
Serial Productions and The New York Times
“In the Dark: The Killings in Haditha”
The New Yorker’s investigative podcast considers the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians by U.S. Marines, questioning whether they were war crimes, murder, or legitimate combat actions. Reporter Madeleine Baran and her team took four years, traveling to 21 states and three continents, to get the story.
The New Yorker
“Lost Patients”
NPR’s Lost Patients reframes the conversation around mental illness in the United States by centering the voices of those experiencing psychosis and exposing systemic failures in mental health care.
KUOW Public Radio, The Seattle Times, NPR
“Pablo Torre Finds Out: Watching the Dallas Cowboys on Death Row”
Correspondent David Fleming explores an unusual phenomenon in a Texas supermax prison: death row inmates using their final words to cheer for their favorite sports teams. Through the story of Charles Flores, the piece reveals how sports fandom offers inmates a way to express identity, connection, and humanity, even in their final moments.
Meadowlark Media
“Pulse: The Untold Story”
In this Audible production, host Trevor Aaronson challenges the established narrative surrounding the Pulse nightclub shooting, revealing that it was not a premeditated anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crime, but rather an opportunistic act by shooter Omar Mateen—a shocking revelation that has received little coverage.
Trevor Aaronson, Western Sound, and Audible
“Ripple”
In its first season, this investigative podcast revisits the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, revealing ongoing ecological and health crises faced by Gulf Coast communities long after media attention faded.
Western Sound and APM Studios
“Salmon Wars”
Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica team up to look into the disappearing salmon population in the Northwest, telling the story through the voices of one Yakama Nation family fighting to save the fish.
Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica
“Supermajority”
NPR’s Embedded presents this special four-part series following three mothers as they try to take on Tennessee’s Republican-controlled state legislature, hoping for changes to gun laws after their children’s school suffered a mass shooting in 2023. The lifelong conservatives assumed they would be heard by their own party, but face challenging truths along the way.
Nashville Public Radio and NPR’s Embedded
“Tested”
Hosted by Rose Eveleth, Tested delves into the ongoing debate surrounding who qualifies to compete in women’s sports, focusing on athletes Christine Mboma and Maximila Imali, who face challenges due to new regulations regarding testosterone levels. The series highlights broader issues of fairness, identity, and the societal implications of enforcing strict gender binaries, while also facilitating important conversations around sex and gender in sports.
Bucket of Eels, CBC, NPR’s Embedded
“This is the Case of Henry Dee”
This American Life spotlights the parole case of Henry Dee, who is seeking release after 50 years in prison. Listeners are taken along the difficult process, which ultimately calls into question the function of parole, and the meaning of crime and punishment.
This American Life
“Yousef, Youmna, Banias, and Majd: Four Lives in Gaza”
This American Life reports on the personal stories of individuals affected by the conflict in Gaza, showcasing their experiences and decisions through intimate phone conversations. Chana Joffe-Walt’s series of episodes provides a unique perspective on the war, emphasizing the humanity and agency of those living through it – from families navigating relocation to children coping with trauma, ultimately illustrating the resilience of life amid despair.
This American Life
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