‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Atlanta’ among 2023 Peabody Awards honorees

"Andor," "Aftershock" and "We Need to Talk About Cosby" are also among the honorees for the ceremony set to take place this June.

The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors have announced their 2023 winners. Among the 35 winners across various categories are hit shows like “Abbott Elementary” and “Atlanta,” films like “Aftershock” and “We Need to Talk About Cosby” and more.

Each year, the Peabody Awards select multiple winners that showcase “the most compelling and empowering stories” across various mediums including interactive media, streaming and broadcast, per their official site.

Janine (played by Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (played by Tyler James Williams) take a field trip to Philadelphia's Franklin Institute in the season 2 finale of "Abbott Elementary."
Janine (played by Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (played by Tyler James Williams) take a field trip to Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute in the season 2 finale of “Abbott Elementary.” (ABC/Gilles Mingasson)

“Representing a wide range of mediums, genres, and narrative approaches, this year’s winners continue to advance what it means to craft storytelling that is compelling, powerful, and prescient,” executive director of the Peabody Awards Jeffrey Jones said in a statement along with the recipients’ list. “Whether capturing the lives of teachers in Philadelphia or young women in Afghanistan, these stories are powerful enough to make us laugh, cry, and learn. They are all deserving of this honor, and we are thrilled to shine a light on their amazing achievement. All citizens should seek out, watch, and engage these winners.”

“Abbott Elementary” earns its award in the Entertainment category after a year of other accolades including Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice, and Emmy Award wins. “The show isn’t content to present funny scenarios absent any social context,” reads a statement along with the winners’ list describing the series and its impact. “Abbott Elementary” insists on surfacing the structural issues that make its teachers work so hard.”

Joining “Abbott” is “Atlanta,” which aired its final season on FX last year to rave reviews. The series from the mind of Donald Glover won its first Peabody Award back in 2016 when the first season aired, and wins this year for its ability to showcase “a wealth of creativity and insight.”

“Andor,” the Star Wars series which saw Forest Whitaker return as Saw Gerrera, is also among the Entertainment honorees, as well as “We’re Here,” HBO’s docuseries that sees former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela and Eureka O’Hara spread the joy of drag throughout small-town America.

"Aftershock" New York Screening
Omari Maynard, Paula Eiselt, Tonya Lewis Lee and Bruce McIntyre attend the “Aftershock” New York Screening on July 14, 2022, at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Winners in the documentary category include projects like “Aftershock,” which as theGrio previously reported, was one of the biggest films to come out of Sundance in 2022. The film from Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee focuses on the U.S. maternal health system and how Black women are disproportionately failed by it. “We Need To Talk About Cosby,” the documentary mini-series on Bill Cosby’s career, impact and sexual assault cases, also joins the list along with “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks.”

The 83rd Annual Peabody Awards will be held on Sunday, Jun. 11 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, and will mark the first in-person ceremony since 2019. For the full winners’ list and information on the upcoming ceremony, head to the official site here.

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