Peabody Awards Names PBS and FUSION Broadcast Partners for 76th Annual Ceremony hosted by Rashida Jones
TV special marks first time red-carpet gala event will be on major broadcast network
The Peabody Awards has partnered with PBS and FUSION on a special television broadcast of the 76th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony. The red-carpet event will be held and taped the evening of Saturday, May 20, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. A joint broadcast of the program is scheduled for Friday, June 2 at 9 p.m./ET. The collaboration marks the first time the awards ceremony—a celebration of one of media’s most coveted honors—will be telecast on both national broadcast and cable television. Rashida Jones, a cast member of Peabody Award-winning “Parks and Recreation,” will serve as the evening’s host. The Peabody Awards are based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
“We are proud to join forces with PBS and FUSION in honoring the year’s best stories in television, radio, podcasts and digital narratives,” Peabody Awards Director Jeffrey P. Jones said. “Today more than ever, Peabody’s mission to highlight the most compelling and empowering stories and their impact on society is vital to public discourse. Broadcasting our awards ceremony to the loyal viewers of PBS and on FUSION’s burgeoning network is a wonderful way to showcase Stories That Matter.”
“The Peabody Awards have a long history of recognizing excellence in media,” said Beth Hoppe, chief programming executive and general manager of General Audience Programming, PBS. “Acknowledging stories that matter is a core value of PBS, and we are thrilled to partner with them to bring the Peabody Awards honoring the best-of-the-best in media to PBS viewers around the country.”
“We are excited to be partnering with PBS and Peabody to celebrate some of the most powerful storytelling of the past year—especially those that elevate underrepresented voices and shine a light on untold stories of significance to the young, diverse communities we serve,” said Daniel Eilemberg, president of FUSION.
Rashida Jones is an actor, director, producer, screenwriter, musician and activist. She currently stars in the hit TBS series “Angie Tribeca” where she plays the title role, in addition to working behind the camera as executive producer and a director of some episodes. A multi-hyphenate in the entertainment space, this past year Jones was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for co-writing the first episode of Netflix’s third season of “Black Mirror.” She also developed “Claws” on TNT, a nail-salon turned money-laundering-front dramedy, set to premiere this summer. This April, she will be releasing a docu-series on Netflix, “Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On,” a continued exploration of themes discovered in her Emmy-nominated documentary in 2015, “Hot Girls Wanted.” The series will focus on society’s relationship with sex and technology. Fans grew to love Jones from her beloved roles on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” and through the romantic film that she wrote and starred in, “Celeste and Jesse Forever.”
For the second consecutive year, 60 finalists from news, documentaries, entertainment, children’s programming, educational programming and public service will be selected and announced April 5. From these finalists, 30 winners will ultimately be chosen and revealed in a series of news announcements beginning April 12.
The gala evening will be a televised special, “The 76th Annual Peabody Awards,” airing nationally on PBS stations and FUSION platforms on Friday, June 2 (9 p.m. ET/PT). FUSION will be producing a half-hour special live from the red carpet starting at 8:30 p.m. Den of Thieves will again produce the telecast.
Supporting sponsors of the 76th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony include the Emerson Collective and The Coca-Cola Co.
About The Peabody Awards
The Peabody Awards honor the most powerful, enlightening and invigorating stories in television, radio and digital media. Each year, Peabody Awards are bestowed upon a curated collection of 30 stories that capture society’s most important issues—known as The Peabody 30. Honorees must be unanimously chosen by the Peabody Board of Jurors, a diverse assembly of industry professionals, media scholars, critics, and journalists who each bring a unique perspective of what constitutes a story that matters. From major Hollywood productions to local journalism, the network of Peabody Awards winners is a definitive collection of society’s most important stories and storytellers, including winners that have ranged from Edward R. Murrow, Carol Burnett, and David Letterman to “The Sopranos,” “Sesame Street,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Serial.” The Peabody Awards were founded in 1940 at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, and are still based in Athens today.
About PBS
PBS, with nearly 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’ premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV – including a new 24/7 channel, online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Pressroom on Twitter.
About FUSION
Through impactful journalism and smart commentary, FUSION covers the stories that matter to the new, rising American mainstream. FUSION content is available to audiences across a broad range of platforms including cable television (channel listings), FUSION.net, various OTT providers and social media platforms. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. FUSION is a part of the Fusion Media Group, a division of Univision Communications Inc.
About Den of Thieves
Den of Thieves has emerged as a force for ambitious music-driven event shows and uniquely stylized television series. Using their extensive experience working with talent, their credits cover a vast array of formats and include ABC’s “The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60,” Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele Super Bowl Special,” MTV’s “Greatest Party Story Ever,” as well as “American Idol” on FOX, the CMT Awards, the iHeart Radio Music Awards, the Radio Disney Music Awards, the MTV Movie Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards.
Date: April 3, 2017Author: Margaret Blanchard, mblanch@uga.edu
Contact: Don Ciaramella,, don@lippingroup.com,
Editor: Pam Golum, pgolum@lippingroup.com
