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FRONTLINE Wins 7 Emmy Awards

Emmy Awards (photo credit: Eric Gulliver)
Emmy Awards (photo credit: Eric Gulliver)

By

Anne Husted Blatt

September 22, 2016

Four documentaries and one digital interactive project from FRONTLINE, the acclaimed investigative series on PBS, won seven Emmy Awards last night at the 37th Annual News & Documentary Emmys — covering topics ranging from the power of the NRA, to the story of the Ebola outbreak, to the spread of ISIS.

With seven wins in all, FRONTLINE was the most-decorated television series of the night.

ISIS in Afghanistan, an investigation that reveals the rise of ISIS in the country, and how the group is focusing its efforts on training a new generation of jihadis, won two Emmys. From reporter and correspondent Najibullah Quraishi, the documentary was recognized for “Best Report in a News Magazine,” and for “Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a News Magazine.” The film was previously honored with a Peabody Award this past April.

My Brother’s Bomber, a brother’s gripping search for the terrorists who blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, took home two Emmys. The emotional three-part series from filmmaker Ken Dornstein was recognized in both the “Outstanding Investigative Journalism — Long Form” and “Outstanding Research” categories.

Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA, from veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker Michael Kirk and his team, won the Emmy for “Outstanding Informational Programming — Long Form.” The January 2015 film is an in-depth look inside the politics of America’s gun debate, tracking the political evolution and influence of the NRA, and how it has consistently succeeded in defeating new gun control legislation.

The documentary Outbreak, filmmaker Dan Edge‘s investigation into how the Ebola outbreak began, and why it wasn’t stopped before it was too late, was recognized for “Outstanding Coverage of a Current News Story: Long form.”

FRONTLINE was also recognized for its work in interactive storytelling, winning an Emmy for Inheritance — a multimedia exploration of filmmaker Ken Dornstein’s grief over the death of his brother David in the bombing of Pan Am 103, as explored in My Brother’s Bomber. The project was produced by Michelle MiznerChris Amico and Jeff Soyk, and was awarded a Peabody-Facebook Award this past May.

“It’s such an honor for our journalism to be recognized in this way,” says Raney Aronson-Rath, executive producer of FRONTLINE. “These awards are a testament to our tremendously talented journalists and producers, all of whom have dedicated themselves to telling thoughtful and compelling stories with fairness, innovation and depth. We’re so thankful to PBS, CPB, WGBH and our viewers for their support of the work we do.”

Including this year’s wins, FRONTLINE has earned 82 Emmy Awards to date. With 14 wins, PBS was the most-decorated network of the night. You can read the full list of all winners from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences here — and you can watch the winning FRONTLINE documentaries below.

 

Outstanding Informational Programming: Long Form

Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA: How the NRA uses its unrivaled political power to stop gun regulation in America. (Credits)

Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a News Magazine

ISIS in Afghanistan: Inside the rise of ISIS in Afghanistan and how they’re training the next generation of jihadists. (Credits)

Outstanding Coverage of a Current News Story: Long Form

OUTBREAK: The inside story of how the Ebola outbreak began, and why it wasn’t stopped before it was too late. (Credits)

New Approaches: Documentary

Inheritance: An interactive story of loss, through the items a man kept after his brother was killed in a terrorist attack. (Credits)

Inheritance

Outstanding Investigative Journalism: Long Form

My Brother’s Bomber: A brother’s gripping search for the terrorists who blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. (Credits)

 

 

Outstanding Research

My Brother’s Bomber: A brother’s gripping search for the terrorists who blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie. (Credits)

 

 

Best Report in a News Magazine

ISIS in Afghanistan: Inside the rise of ISIS in Afghanistan and how they’re training the next generation of jihadists. (Credits)

Announcements
Anne Husted Blatt

Director of Marketing & Communications, FRONTLINE

Email:

anne_husted@wgbh.org
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FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. Web Site Copyright ©1995-2025 WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with major support from Ford Foundation. Additional funding is provided the Abrams Foundation, Park Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Trust, with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. Web Site Copyright ©1995-2025 WGBH Educational Foundation. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

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