The Peabody Awards are looking to (finally) host their first in-person Los Angeles awards ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on June 9.
The organization announced a planned move to Los Angeles (from New York) for its annual awards in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s writers strike have prevented the organization from holding these events in person.
Peabody also announced that it has appointed seven new members to its board of jurors, including Doug Herzog (formerly the president of Viacom’s Music Entertainment Group), Cynthia López (CEO of New York Women in Film & Television), Orwa Nyrabia (artistic director of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), Russ Schriefer (founding partner of Strategic Partners & Media), Cynthia Tucker (Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist), Mark Whitaker (former managing editor of CNN Worldwide, Washington bureau chief for NBC News and editor of Newsweek) and Andrea Wishom (president of Skywalker Holdings, LLC) to its board of jurors. Wonya Lucas has been named as the next chair of the board of jurors.
“For the first time in the history of Peabody, we’re thrilled to recognize the most compelling stories of the year at a joyful and inspiring ceremony in Los Angeles,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, in a statement. “By including more talent and honoring the winners in a city that deeply admires the power of stories, we are confident that we will add some tangible excitement to our ceremony. We’re also thrilled to add Doug, Cynthia, Orwa, Russ, Cynthia, Mark and Andrea — media and storytelling veterans with a wide range of experiences and perspectives — to our stellar board of jurors.”
The Peabody board of jurors is made up of media industry professionals, media scholars, critics and journalists, appointed by the program’s executive director to a renewable three-year term of service.
After five years as a member of the board of jurors, this marks the first year that Lucas will serve as chair of the program’s judging body.
Chosen each year by a diverse board of jurors through unanimous vote, Peabody Awards are given in the categories of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, immersive and interactive media and public service programming. The annual Peabody winners are a collection of stories that powerfully reflect the pressing social issues and the vibrant emerging voices of our day. The program is based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
Nominees for the 84th Peabody Awards will be announced in April with the winners announced in May.