UPDATED with full list of nominees: Standout TV series Shōgun, Baby Reindeer and Hacks — Emmy best series winners all — are among the loaded list of nominees for the 85th Peabody Awards.
The organization, which put out its full list of nominees Thursday, honors the year’s most captivating and impactful stories in broadcast and streaming media. The 68 nominees across the categories of Arts, Children’s/Youth, Entertainment, Interactive & Immersive, Documentary, News, Public Service, and Radio/Podcast categories represent the best of 2024.
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Winners, chosen by a unanimous vote of 27 jurors, will be revealed June 1 during a ceremony hosted by Roy Wood Jr at the Beverly Wilshire. NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell will receive the Peabody Career Achievement Award and Saturday Night Live the Institutional Award during the event, which is marking the Peabodys’ first time in Los Angeles.
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Last year, a total of 34 winners were selected across the categories including FX’s The Bear, HBO’s The Last of Us and the Oscar-winning doc 20 Days in Mariupol.
In addition to the Emmy-winning trio, the wide-ranging list of nominees in the Entertainment category this year include Clipped, the limited series about the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling; Ripley, based on the Patricia Highsmith novel; Ramy Youssef’s comedy special Ramy Youssef: More Feeling; the all-girl Muslim punk band comedy We Are Lady Parts; and the Gabriel García Márquez adaptation 100 Years of Solitude.
They join nominees that include Documentary entries Sugarcane and Black Box Diaries, both of which were nominated for Oscars this year, as well as hit docs Will & Harper and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. They join programs in the News, Public Service and Podcasts categories from the likes of PBS, NPR, This American Life.
Netflix paced this year’s field with nine nominees, followed by PBS with eight and HBO | Max with seven.
Check out the full list of Peabody nominees below.
Arts
Photographer (National Geographic)
Photographer is a six-part documentary series that dives into the lives and missions of some of the world’s most impactful photographers, showcasing their artistry, personal struggles, and the cultural power of imagery. Through intimate storytelling and diverse perspectives—from wildlife conservation to conflict zones—the series explores what drives image-makers in a world oversaturated with photos, yet still hungry for meaning.(National Geographic, Little Monster Films)
Children/Youth
Out of My Mind (Disney+)
This coming-of-age film, based on a 2010 novel by Sharon M. Draper, stars Phoebe-Ray Taylor as a sixth-grader with cerebral palsy facing the challenges of being in a mainstream class for the first time. Her thoughts are voiced by Jennifer Aniston, the non-verbal character’s favorite actress from Friends, and her family is played by Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, and Judith Light. (Big Beach, Participant, EveryWhere Studios LLC, and Disney Branded Television)
Spirit Rangers (Netflix)
Spirit Rangers is an animated series on Netflix that follows three Chumash and Cowlitz siblings who transform into animal heroes to protect their California national park, blending Native stories, environmental themes, and adventure. As the first U.S. kids’ show created and showrun by a Native American, with an all-Native writers’ room and deep tribal collaboration, it offers authentic, joyful, and empowering representation for Indigenous communities.(Laughing Wild / Netflix)
Entertainment
Alex Edelman: Just For Us (HBO | Max)
Comedian Alex Edelman presents his deeply personal solo show about identity, assimilation, and empathy, centered around his real-life experience attending a meeting of White Nationalists as a Jewish man. Over seven years, the show evolved through conversation, revision, and audience engagement, ultimately becoming a celebrated HBO special that resonated profoundly in a time of rising antisemitism and ideological division. (HBO in association with Enfield Tennis Academy, Above Average, and Seaview Productions)
Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Baby Reindeer follows Donny, a troubled comedian entangled in a toxic relationship with a stalker, as he gradually unravels how his past has shaped his self-destructive behavior and relationships. At its core, the series explores how unaddressed trauma perpetuates cycles of harm, ultimately becoming a powerful and resonant meditation on healing, empathy, and the enduring impact of abuse. (A Netflix Series / A Clerkenwell Films Production)
Clipped (FX/Hulu)
This sports docudrama, created by Gina Welch, based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast The Sterling Affairs, tells the story of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s downfall after his recorded racist remarks were publicized. (FX Productions)
Fantasmas (HBO | Max)
Created by and starring Julio Torres, Fantasmas is a surreal, genre-defying HBO comedy series that blends narrative and sketch to explore themes of alienation, queerness, and identity through a whimsical quest for a lost oyster earring in a dreamlike version of New York City. With its bold visual style, diverse cast, and deeply personal storytelling, the show stands as a singular testament to the value of unconventional, imaginative voices. (HBO in association with Irony Point, Fruit Tree, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Space Prince Inc.)
Hacks (HBO | Max)
Season 3 of Hacks explores the renewed dynamic between comedy legend Deborah Vance and young writer Ava Daniels as they reunite after a year apart, reigniting their creative spark just in time for Deborah’s shot at hosting Late Night. As Deborah fights to claim a long-denied dream and Ava learns to advocate for herself, the season becomes a powerful reflection on ambition, legacy, and the courage it takes—especially for women—to boldly ask for what they want. (Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment)
Mr Bates vs The Post Office (PBS/Masterpiece)
This four-part drama is based on the true story of U.K. sub-postmasters who were falsely accused of theft due to a faulty computer system, revealing one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history. The series sparked nationwide outrage, led to real-world legal reform, and highlighted the extraordinary courage of ordinary people fighting back against institutional abuse. (A Co-Production of ITV Studios, Little Gem, and Masterpiece for ITV)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Netflix)
One Hundred Years of Solitude follows José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula Iguarán as they flee their village and found the mythical town of Macondo, where generations of their family grapple with love, madness, war, and a haunting curse in this stunning adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s 1967 masterpiece. (Netflix / Dynamo)
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings (HBO | Max)
In Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, the comedian reflects on the complexities of being a Muslim public figure in America, confronting issues of representation, Islamophobia, and the emotional toll of being expected to respond to global crises. (HBO presents a Cairo Cowboy and A24 production)
Ripley (Netflix)
Ripley follows a cunning grifter in 1960s New York who is hired to retrieve a wealthy man’s son from Italy, setting off a dark journey into deception, fraud, and murder. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s acclaimed novels, the limited series explores the chilling transformation of Tom Ripley as he manipulates his way through a life built on lies. (Showtime and Endemol Shine North America in association with Entertainment 360 and Filmrights for Netflix)
Say Nothing (FX/Hulu)
This FX limited series, adapted from Patrick Radden Keefe’s nonfiction book, traces the unsolved murder of Jean McConville and the brutal complexities of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Through deeply human storytelling, the series transcends its historical setting to explore universal themes of violence, trauma, idealism, and the moral ambiguities of political conflict. (FX Productions)
Shōgun (FX/Hulu)
Creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks reimagine James Clavell’s classic tale through a modern lens, exploring what it means for two cultures to collide and transform one another with empathy and authenticity. By involving Japanese collaborators in every facet of production, they move beyond the “stranger in a strange land” trope to create a more inclusive, respectful, and culturally rich storytelling process that could serve as a new standard for global filmmaking. (FX Productions)
We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)
We Are Lady Parts is a bold, joyful comedy about an all-female Muslim punk band navigating identity, ambition, and sisterhood, blending sharp humor with themes of inclusivity and representation. In its second season, the series elevates its complexity, challenging cultural stereotypes with heart, humor, and killer music as the band experiences the pressures of success and navigates how to remain true to themselves while monetizing their art. (Working Title Television, a part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group)
Interactive & Immersive
1000xRESIST
This genre-blending narrative adventure game uses time, memory, and shifting gameplay styles to explore themes of identity, resistance, and intergenerational trauma, rooted in the emotional aftermath of the 2019 Hong Kong protests. Created by a majority Asian-Canadian team, the game sets players in a haunting future shaped by a global pandemic and alien occupation, challenging them to reckon with historical memory. (sunset visitor 斜陽過客 and Fellow Traveller)
Body of Mine
Body of Mine is an immersive VR experience that places users in the body of another gender, using interactivity to explore the lived experiences of transgender individuals through intimate, tactile storytelling. Born from a deeply personal journey, the project has grown into a widely impactful tool for empathy, healing, and education, now used in LGBTQ+ centers across North America to foster understanding and connection amid rising transphobia. (Kost)
Failures to Act
This investigation of the largest government scandal in New Hampshire’s history delves into an abuse case in which nearly 1,300 individuals have sued the state for neglecting to protect them from mistreatment in youth facilities. Through an interactive timeline and detailed personal accounts, this interactive project exposes the widespread nature of the abuse, showing patterns over decades and highlighting the state’s failure to take responsibility despite numerous allegations against over 300 staff members. (New Hampshire Public Radio & The Pudding)
Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour
The New York Times meticulously reconstructs the deadly wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, using 400 resident and tourist videos placed meticulously on a photorealistic 3D map, offering a vivid account of the tragedy. Through interviews, expert analysis, and in-depth reporting, the piece uncovers the failures that contributed to the disaster, providing a comprehensive and gripping narrative of the events. (The New York Times)
One Day in Gaza | Close Up
In One Day in Gaza, Al Jazeera English captures daily life in Gaza through the firsthand lens of Palestinians using their phone cameras, highlighting both the devastation of war and the resilience of those living through it. The piece exemplifies the power of citizen journalism to provide raw, intimate storytelling where traditional media access is restricted, offering a vital and humanizing perspective on a deeply complex conflict. (Al Jazeera Digital)
Tchia
In Tchia, players embark on a tropical open-world adventure to rescue the protagonist’s father from the tyrannical ruler Meavora, exploring a physics-driven sandbox across beautiful islands. Inspired by New Caledonia, the game features creative gameplay and immerses players in the culture and language of the island nation. (Awaceb)
Venba
This narrative cooking game allows players to take on the role of an Indian mother navigating her immigrant experience in Canada while reconnecting with her cultural roots through food. The game explores family dynamics, particularly the strained relationship between Venba and her son, Kavin, highlighting themes of love, loss, and the challenges of being a first-generation immigrant. (Visai Games)
What Does Racial Bias in Medicine Look Like?
Dr. Joel Bervell’s series of informative Instagram and TikTok videos expose racial discrimination in healthcare, highlighting biased medical algorithms and practices. Through well-researched insights, Bervell educates both medical professionals and patients, empowering them with critical knowledge to combat harmful biases in medical care. (Dr. Joel Bervell)
Documentary
American Coup: Wilmington 1898 (PBS)
A deadly race massacre and insurrection occurred in North Carolina’s largest city in 1898 – the only coup d’etat in U.S. history, though it is now little-known. This documentary shows how white supremacists, fearing “Negro Rule,” overthrew Wilmington’s democratically elected, multi-racial government. (American Experience and PBS North Carolina)
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (Crave)
This film brings to life the powerful voice and legacy of Jackie Shane, a Black trans soul singer who vanished at the height of fame and now tells her story in her own works. Blending rare audio recordings, animated visuals, and family revelations, the film honors Shane’s trailblazing journey, celebrating her impact as an icon who lived authentically long before the world was ready. (Banger Films and the National Film Board of Canada)
Black Box Diaries (MTV Documentary Films / Showtime)
Black Box Diaries is journalist Shiori Ito’s deeply personal documentary chronicling her journey of coming forward as a survivor of rape in Japan, where sexual violence is highly stigmatized and rarely reported. Through self-recorded video diaries, secret conversations, and raw emotional honesty, Ito exposes the systemic silencing of victims and the personal cost of speaking out, ultimately transforming her pain into a powerful call for societal change. (Hanashi Films, Cineric Creative, and Star Sands)
Bread & Roses (Apple TV+)
Sahra Mani’s documentary follows the experiences of Afghan women since the Taliban took control of Kabul, including an ex-government employee forced to stay indoors, a woman organizing resistance via her dentistry practice, and a refugee who flees to Pakistan. (Apple Original Films presents an Eyan Foundation presentation in association with Extracurricular and Excellent Cadaver)
Daughters (Netflix)
Daughters follows the lives of four young girls navigating the emotional challenges of having incarcerated fathers as they prepare for a special father-daughter dance at a D.C. jail. Through deeply personal storytelling, the film highlights the generational impact of mass incarceration, the resilience of families, and the urgent need for systemic change. (A Netflix Documentary / An Object & Animal and Epoch Films Production / A Park Pictures and XTR Production in association with OPC, World of HA, Simpson Street, and Two One Five)
Hollywoodgate (Jolt)
As the Taliban transformed from militia to military regime in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, they reclaimed and repurposed abandoned American weaponry at a former CIA base. With unprecedented access, director Ibrahim Nash’at captures a chilling year inside the regime, revealing the Taliban’s growing military ambitions and the global rise of authoritarian propaganda. (Rolling Narratives in association with Jouzour Film Production, Cottage M and RaeFilm Studios)
The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
Director Sue Kim follows a declining community of women in South Korea—most of them now in their 60s or older—who dive to the ocean floor without oxygen tanks to harvest seafood to feed their community. (Apple Original Films Presents an A24 Production / an Extracurricular Production)
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (Netflix)
Directed by Lucy Walker, this film follows Nepali Lhakpa Sherpa as she becomes the first woman to climb Mount Everest ten times while raising two daughters and surviving an abusive marriage. (A Netflix Documentary / An SK Global Entertainment Production / An OBB Pictures Production / An Avocados and Coconuts Production in association with MakeMake Entertainment)
Night is Not Eternal (HBO | Max)
Filmmaker Nanfu Wang documents Cuban activist Rosa María Payá’s fight for democracy after her father’s state-sponsored killing echoes struggles in both Cuba and China. Through intimate footage and personal experiences of surveillance, exile, and political awakening, the film becomes a powerful exploration of global resistance, the fragility of democracy, and the shared human pursuit of freedom. (HBO Documentary Films presents A Little Horse Crossing the River and Hard Working Movies Production in association with NiKa Media and Secret Sauce Media)
One With the Whale (Independent Lens, PBS)
A Native teen on a tiny Bering Sea island becomes the youngest person in his village to harpoon a whale, providing vital sustenance that will feed the community for months, but comes into conflict with internet conservation activists when a photo of his accomplishment is posted online. (Vitamin Sea Productions)
Queendom
Jenna, a 21-year-old queer artist from a remote Russian town, uses haunting, otherworldly performances in the streets of Moscow to protest LGBTQ+ oppression and challenge societal norms around beauty and identity. Documenting Jenna’s bold art and activism, this film offers a powerful, intimate look at resilience under repression. (A Galdanova Film Production in association with Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, International Documentary Association, InMaat Productions, Doc Society and Sopka Films)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
This Norwegian production, directed by Benjamin Ree, tells the story of Mats Steen, a young man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who cannot participate in most everyday activities, but finds refuge in the online roleplaying game World of Warcraft. After his death at 25, his family discovers the rich life he had online as the character Ibelin Redmoore, a valued member of a World of Warcraft community. (Medieoperatørene and VGTV for Netflix)
The Space Race (National Geographic Channel)
The Space Race tells the powerful, long-overdue story of Black NASA astronauts who overcame systemic racism to claim their place in the U.S. space program. The films centers on Ed Dwight, the nation’s first Black astronaut trainee who was denied flight but paved the way for future generations. Decades later, Dwight finally reached space at age 90, turning his personal victory into a historic moment of justice. (National Geographic Documentary Films, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Algeria Films & Cortés Filmworks)
Stax: Soulsville U.S.A. (HBO | Max)
This four-part documentary series traces the rise and fall of Stax Records, the groundbreaking Memphis-based, interracial, soul label that launched the careers of icons such as Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes. Through rare archival footage, intimate interviews, and an immersive sonic experience, the series offers an unflinching, deeply human portrait of artistic innovation, community resilience, and the enduring struggle for Black empowerment in America. (HBO Documentary Films presents in association with Concord Originals, Polygram Entertainment, Warner Music Entertainment; A Laylow Pictures production; A White Horse Pictures production)
Sugarcane (National Geographic Channel)
Sugarcane investigates the horrors of Canada’s Indian residential school system, revealing new evidence of infanticide, coerced adoptions, and generational trauma tied to the Catholic Church and government. Through intimate storytelling and sweeping visuals, it uncovers buried truths while honoring the resilience of Indigenous communities, sparking national reckoning and historic political action in both Canada and the United States. (National Geographic Documentary Films, Impact Partners, Fit Via Vi, Kassie Films, Hedgehog Films)
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (HBO | Max)
After a devastating accident left him paralyzed, Christopher Reeve became a powerful symbol of resilience, using his platform to inspire hope and advocate for disability rights. Throughout it all, he remained a passionate actor, filmmaker, and devoted family man, with his wife Dana as his unwavering support. (DC Studios / HBO Documentary Films / CNN Films)
The Truth vs. Alex Jones (HBO | Max)
Director Dan Reed and his team follow Sandy Hook families’ years-long legal battle against Alex Jones and InfoWars. Through unprecedented courtroom access and profound interviews, the film explores both the power and limitations of the legal process in combating monetized disinformation, while asking why conspiratorial thinking has taken such a deep hold in American society. (HBO Documentary Films presents an Amos Pictures Production)
Will & Harper (Netflix)
Actor Will Ferrell and his longtime collaborator and friend Harper Steele take a road trip across America together, getting reacquainted after Harper’s midlife gender transition. They experience mixed reactions at different stops along the way as Will asks occasionally awkward questions and realizes the limits of his fame to combat prejudice, painting a realistically complex portrait of allyship. (A Netflix Documentary / A Wayfarer Studios Film / A Delirio Films Production / A Gloria Sanchez Production)
You Are Not Alone: Fighting the Wolf Pack (Netflix)
This Netflix film explores the case of a gang rape that occurred during the 2016 San Fermin “running of the bulls” festival, leading to Spain’s first #MeToo reckoning and resonating across the ocean to Latin America. (Netflix Presents Una Producción de Lucernam Films)
News
ABC News Investigates – Zombie Wells: The Threat Beneath (ABC)
ABC News uncovers the significant and surprising threats that abandoned oil and gas wells across the country pose to their surrounding communities. (ABC News and ABC Reporting Partners KABC – Los Angeles, KAKE – Wichita, KMGH – Denver, KTRK – Houston, WRTV – Indianapolis)
China, the U.S. & the Rise of Xi Jinping (PBS)
This two-hour Frontline documentary explores China’s transformation into a global superpower under President Xi Jinping amid the country’s escalating tensions with the United States. Through rare interviews and deep reporting, the film traces Xi’s rise, his authoritarian rule, and the far-reaching implications of his policies on human rights, Taiwan, global trade, and U.S.-China relations. (Frontline (PBS))
Confronting Hate (WTVF-TV)
Amid a significant increase in hate-group activity in and around Nashville, dogged WTVF reporter Phil Williams exposes their violence, anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant demonstrations, racist stunts, online agitating, and plans to seize political power.
Death Trap: No Safe Place in Gaza (NBC News)
This NBC News special series by Hala Gorani investigates the Israeli military’s strikes on designated safe zones, hospitals, and journalists in Gaza, uncovering patterns of attacks that contradict official denials. Drawing on satellite imagery, exclusive footage, and interviews, the reports reveal the collapse of healthcare, targeted killings of media workers, and the human toll on civilians who were promised safety.
Driven to Death (KXAS-TV/NBC 5)
This 14-month-long investigation from NBC5 in Dallas dives into statistics that show the city has the highest traffic death rate among the ten largest cities in America, finding that high speeds, poor roadway design, and outdated features are to blame.
Policing Phoenix (ABC15 Arizona (KNXV-TV)
ABC15 Arizona’s Policing Phoenix is a groundbreaking video series that renders the DOJ’s most sweeping investigation of a local police department into a powerful, visual account, rooted in years of investigative journalism. The 32-part series exposes the systemic failures of the Phoenix Police Department and brings anonymized DOJ findings to life through real cases, footage, and people.
South Korea’s Adoption Reckoning (PBS)
Frontline and the Associated Press examine allegations of abuse and fraud amid South Korea’s foreign adoption boom and find that many children had been stolen from their birth parents and handed over to unwitting Americans desperate to adopt. (Frontline (PBS), The Associated Press)
Surviving Nova (Vice TV)
Vice News follows survivors and the families of those taken hostage or killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on the Nova music festival that came as part of the deadliest day in Israel’s history. The coverage highlights their experiences as they cope with the trauma of the attack while grappling with Israel’s response. (Vice News)
The Night Won’t End (Fault Lines / Al Jazeera English / Television)
This film from Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines investigates the Israeli military’s killing of civilians in Gaza and America’s role in these actions. While the United States continued to supply bombs, artillery shells, and tanks to Israel, Fault Lines followed three families’ efforts to survive. (Al Jazeera English)
War in the Holy Land (PBS NewsHour)
As the war between Israel and Hamas continued throughout 2024, PBS NewsHour provided extensive reporting, highlighting the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the displacement of citizens in northern Israel and Southern Lebanon.
Public Service
Breakdown in Maine (PBS)
Frontline partners with the Portland Press Herald and Maine Public Radio to examine the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history and pinpoint the missed opportunities to prevent it, including police, military, and mental health care system breakdowns, as well as law loopholes unique to the state. (Frontline (PBS), Portland Press Herald, Maine Public Radio)
Inside Story (The Marshall Project and Scripps)
The Inside Story video series makes informative programming for incarcerated people, tackling issues such as false convictions, understaffing in prisons, and restoring voting rights upon release. Created by The Marshall Project’s Lawrence Bartley and Donald Washington Jr., both of whom are formerly incarcerated, it has been seen in 1,431 jails and prisons across the country. (The Marshall Project)
Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust
This podcast examines how the U.S. became deeply divided over guns and how violence has escalated into an epidemic. The series traces the history of this great American debate from the writing of the Second Amendment to Columbine and beyond. (Long Lead, The Trace, Campside Media, and PRX)
The Only Doctor (Reel South / PBS)
Dr. Karen Kinsell, the sole doctor in rural Clay County, Georgia, has spent more than two decades providing care without pay, but now faces the tough choice between retirement and saving her struggling clinic. As a possible lifeline emerges from a university medical group, Kinsell insists on maintaining affordability and access in this documentary highlighting the high-stakes battle for rural healthcare amid political and pandemic-related turmoil. (Reel South, BellaFran Productions, PBS North Carolina, South Carolina ETV, Louisiana Public Broadcasting)
Radio/Podcast
Blindspot: The Plague in the Shadows
WNYC Studios and The History Channel bring listeners stories from the early days of the AIDS epidemic, highlighting the people on the frontlines of activism and showing the long- term effects of the disease decades later. (WNYC and The History Channel)
The Good Whale
Serial Productions and the New York Times tell the story of efforts to free the orca who played the title role in the film Free Willy from an amusement park in Mexico City. The epic experiment takes a number of unexpected turns, calling into question the practice of keeping animals in captivity — even, and maybe especially, celebrity animals. (Serial Productions and the New York Times)
In the Dark: The Killings in Haditha
The New Yorker’s investigative podcast considers the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians by U.S. Marines, questioning whether they were war crimes, murder, or legitimate combat actions. Reporter Madeleine Baran and her team took four years, traveling to 21 states and three continents, to get the story. (The New Yorker)
Lost Patients
NPR’s Lost Patients reframes the conversation around mental illness in the United States by centering the voices of those experiencing psychosis and exposing systemic failures in mental health care. (KUOW Public Radio, The Seattle Times, NPR)
Pablo Torre Finds Out: Watching the Dallas Cowboys on Death Row
Correspondent David Fleming explores an unusual phenomenon in a Texas supermax prison: death row inmates using their final words to cheer for their favorite sports teams. Through the story of Charles Flores, the piece reveals how sports fandom offers inmates a way to express identity, connection, and humanity, even in their final moments. (Meadowlark Media)
Pulse: The Untold Story
In this Audible production, host Trevor Aaronson challenges the established narrative surrounding the Pulse nightclub shooting, revealing that it was not a premeditated anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crime, but rather an opportunistic act by shooter Omar Mateen — a shocking revelation that has received little coverage. (Trevor Aaronson, Western Sound, and Audible)
Ripple
In its first season, this investigative podcast revisits the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, revealing ongoing ecological and health crises faced by Gulf Coast communities long after media attention faded. (Western Sound and APM Studios)
Salmon Wars
Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica team up to look into the disappearing salmon population in the Northwest, telling the story through the voices of one Yakama Nation family fighting to save the fish. (Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica)
Supermajority
NPR’s Embedded presents this special four-part series following three mothers as they try to take on Tennessee’s Republican-controlled state legislature, hoping for changes to gun laws after their children’s school suffered a mass shooting in 2023. The lifelong conservatives assumed they would be heard by their own party, but face challenging truths along the way. (Nashville Public Radio and NPR’s Embedded)
Tested
Hosted by Rose Eveleth, Tested delves into the ongoing debate surrounding who qualifies to compete in women’s sports, focusing on athletes Christine Mboma and Maximila Imali, who face challenges due to new regulations regarding testosterone levels. The series highlights broader issues of fairness, identity, and the societal implications of enforcing strict gender binaries, while also facilitating important conversations around sex and gender in sports. (Bucket of Eels, CBC, NPR’s Embedded)
This is the Case of Henry Dee
This American Life spotlights the parole case of Henry Dee, who is seeking release after 50 years in prison. Listeners are taken along the difficult process, which ultimately calls into question the function of parole, and the meaning of crime and punishment. (This American Life)
Yousef, Youmna, Banias, and Majd: Four Lives in Gaza
This American Life reports on the personal stories of individuals affected by the conflict in Gaza, showcasing their experiences and decisions through intimate phone conversations. Chana Joffe-Walt’s series of episodes provides a unique perspective on the war, emphasizing the humanity and agency of those living through it – from families navigating relocation to children coping with trauma, ultimately illustrating the resilience of life amid despair. (This American Life)