The Peabody Awards – An Honor Like No Other

The Peabody Awards is an honor like no other with a history like no other. Housed at University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Peabody Awards celebrate excellence in entertainment in documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, youth, and public service programming. The awards are presented to works that reflect social issues, public interest, emerging voices and overall serve as stories to forward change and understanding.

The Peabody Awards were established by the National Association of Broadcasters in 1983, and they hold a special place at UGA as they were first sponsored by John Drewery, the Dean of the Grady School of Journalism. The awards were eventually named after George Foster Peabody (1852-1983) as he was a social activist, supporting women’s suffrage, free trade, and black education in the American South. Along with his social impacts, he contributed to the University of Georgia at large and was therefore posthumously recognized with the renaming of the Peabody Awards in his honor.

Along with documentaries promoting social discussion, popular titles such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ted Lasso, and 60 Minutes have all won a prestigious Peabody Award. These works, and all Peabody Award winners, present impactful commentary on social issues and on change. Nominees for the 2023 awards ceremony are Abbott Elementary, Bob’s Burgers, and many documentaries ranging from showcasing student mental health to sharing the story of Rosa Parks.

In addition to the Peabody Awards, Grady College houses three online programs that support the entertainment industry. If you are interested in a program or career in communications or storytelling, explore the Emerging Media, Narrative Nonfiction, and Screenwriting programs and learn how you can create the next Peabody Awarded piece.