LOS ANGELES — The Peabody Awards commemorated their 85th anniversary on June 1, 2025, with a distinguished ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, honoring outstanding achievements in television, radio, and digital media. Hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr., the event recognized 34 exceptional works that have significantly contributed to public discourse and culture.
This year’s awards highlighted a diverse array of storytelling that addressed pressing global and societal issues. Netflix emerged as the most awarded platform, securing six honors across various categories. Notable wins included the emotionally charged limited series “Baby Reindeer,” the psychological thriller “Ripley,” and the documentaries “Daughters,” “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa,” “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” and “Will & Harper.”
HBO/Max followed with four awards, recognizing works such as the surreal comedy “Fantasmas” and the investigative documentary “The Truth vs. Alex Jones.” PBS garnered three awards, while FX/Hulu and Al Jazeera each received two.
Documentaries led the categories with 12 awards, underscoring the genre’s power in illuminating complex issues. Entertainment programming received seven awards, followed by four each in interactive/immersive media, podcasts/radio, and news.
Among the news honorees, “Policing Phoenix” by KNXV-TV/Phoenix was recognized for its in-depth examination of law enforcement practices. Al Jazeera English’s “The Night Won’t End” provided a poignant look into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, earning critical acclaim.
In the podcast and radio category, The New Yorker’s “In the Dark” was honored for its investigative reporting on the 2005 Haditha killings, shedding light on issues of military accountability. Other notable winners included “Pulse: The Untold Story,” “Blindspot: The Plague in the Shadows,” and “Yousef, Youmna, Banias, and Majd: Four Lives in Gaza.”
Interactive and immersive media were also celebrated, with awards going to projects like “Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour” by The New York Times, which provided a detailed account of the 2023 Hawaii wildfires. Other winners in this category included “1000xRESIST,” “What Does Racial Bias in Medicine Look Like?,” and “One Day in Gaza | Close Up.”
Special honors were bestowed upon veteran journalist Andrea Mitchell, who received the Peabody Career Achievement Award for her decades-long contributions to journalism. Additionally, “Saturday Night Live” was recognized with the Institutional Award, celebrating its 50-year legacy in shaping American comedy and culture.
Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, remarked on the significance of this year’s honorees: “The winners of the 85th annual Peabody Awards encompass a wide range of contemporary and historical issues, including the war in Gaza, rural healthcare, a focus on disabilities, authoritarianism, and sexual violence. Whether enlightening audiences on global issues or bringing a smile and sense of community through thoughtful entertainment, these works deserve to be recognized and celebrated.”
The Peabody Awards, administered by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, continue to uphold their mission of honoring stories that matter. As the media landscape evolves, the Peabody Awards remain a testament to the enduring power of storytelling in shaping public understanding and empathy.
