The Peabody Awards to honor James L. Brooks with inaugural Industry Icon Award

Three-time Academy Award-winner and 21-time Emmy Award-winner James L. Brooks will be honored with the Peabody Awards’ inaugural Industry Icon Award, as announced by the program’s Board of Jurors.  Brooks will be celebrated at the 86^th annual Peabody Awards ceremony, May 31, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. 

Other honorees at this year’s ceremony include multi-award-winning actress, producer and podcast host Amy Poehler, being honored with the Career Achievement Award; director, producer, and screenwriter Sterlin Harjo with the Trailblazer Award; and historic programmer PBS Kids honored with the Institutional Award.

The Peabody Awards were founded in 1940 at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and remain there today. 

“James L. Brooks has shaped the way we understand television as both an art form and a cultural force.  His work blends humor, humanity, and sharp social insight in ways that have influenced generations of storytellers.  It’s an honor to recognize his extraordinary legacy with the inaugural Industry Icon Award,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of the Peabody Awards.

Brooks is receiving the first-time Industry Icon Award in recognition of his enduring impact and leadership in shaping the media landscape.  He has created a legacy that continues to guide the industry.  He is perhaps best known for co-creating iconic television series like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Taxi,” “The Simpsons” and ground-breaking “Room 222.”  He also developed two successful television spin-offs, the comedy “Rhoda” and the drama “Lou Grant.”  “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Lou Grant” and “The Simpsons” are all Peabody Award-winners.  His acclaimed work in film includes such iconic titles as “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News” and “As Good as It Gets.”   

In 1986, Brooks founded Gracie Films, with the first show produced being “The Tracey Ullman Show,” which received 29 Emmy nominations and 8 wins over the course of its run. During this time, Matt Groening created “The Simpsons,” developed by Brooks and Sam Simon.  The show has become a cultural phenomenon, winning numerous awards and running for over 38 years thus far.  Brooks co-produced and co-wrote “The Simpsons Movie” in 2007, further cementing the franchise’s legacy.

Brooks’ work stands alongside a long tradition of Peabody-recognized storytelling that has shaped television and media.  Past Peabody Award winners include some of the most beloved and groundbreaking series of all time, including “Hill Street Blues,” “Murphy Brown,” “The Wire,” “Veep,” The Sopranos,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Office” and “Succession,” and limited/mini-series including “Roots,” “Tales of the City,” “Chernobyl,” and “Dopesick.”  Children’s and youth honorees have included “ABC Afterschool Specials,” “Bluey” and “Doc McStuffins,” while landmark educational programs such as “Cosmos” and “NOVA” have also been honored.  Peabody began recognizing Interactive and Immersive Media in 2021, with organizations such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post and The New York Times receiving honors.  The Peabody Awards precedes The Emmy Awards as the longest running awards program to honor how television/broadcasting, and now digital and podcast programming, can have positive effects on society.

Nominees for the 2026 Peabody Awards will be announced on April 7 and April 9 with winners announced later that month.  

As part of its ongoing work to spotlight stories that shape our culture, Peabody also produces the award-winning podcast “We Disrupt This Broadcast,” co-produced with the Center for Media & Social Impact at American University.  The series is distributed by public media organization PRX and available on-demand across all major podcast platforms.  For more information, please visit peabodyawards.com. 

Contact: Christine Drayer, cdrayer@uga.edu