American Experience

'The American Experience is one of the high spots of the PBS schedule, bringing long-forgotten episodes of the nation's history into the light, refreshing our memories of familiar stories, reacquainting us with revered heroes.' - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Broadcast Awards
American Experience, television's longest-running and most-watched history series, has been honored with over 240 awards, including:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- Oscars

Nominations for Best Documentary Feature
Daughter from Danang (2003)
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)
The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1995)
Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (1995)
Freedom on My Mind (1994)
Wild By Law (1992)
Adam Clayton Powell (1989)
Radio Bikini (1988)

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences -- Primetime Emmy Awards

Exceptional Merit in Non-fiction Filmmaking
Two Days in October (2005-2006)

Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Directing
Stanley Nelson for The Murder of Emmett Till (2002-2003)

Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Writing
Michelle Ferrari for Seabiscuit (2002-2003)

Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Special
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)

Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Series
American Experience (1998-1999)

Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Series
American Experience (1997-1998)

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences -- Emmy Awards

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Writing
Eugene O'Neill (2007)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Lighting Direction & Scenic Design
John & Abigail Adams (2005)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Direction
The Fight (2005)

Outstanding Science, Technology and Nature Programming
The Pill (2004)

Outstanding Historical Programming -- Long Form
The Center of the World (New York, Episode 8 (2004)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Research
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Research
TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1996)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Writing
TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1996)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Writing
The Orphan Trains (1995)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Research
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Music Composition
The Kennedys (1993)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Research
Last Stand at Little Big Horn (1993)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Writing
The Kennedys (1993)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Research
Duke Ellington: Reminiscing in Tempo (1991)

Best Director
Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven (1990)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Music Composition
Series Theme by Charles Kuskin (1989)

Outstanding Individual Achievement -- Writing
Eric Sevareid's Not So Wild a Dream (1989)

Alfred I. duPont/Columbia Journalism Award

Silver Baton (2002-2003)
Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film

Silver Baton (2000-2001)
New York: A Documentary Film

Silver Baton (1994-1995)
FDR
Battle of the Bulge
The Way West

Silver Baton (1991-1992)
LBJ

George Foster Peabody Award

Two Days in October (2005)
Tupperware! (2004)
The Murder of Emmett Till (2003)
Monkey Trial (2002)
Nixon's China Game (1999)
America 1900 (1998)
Riding the Rails (1998)
Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (1997)
The Presidents (1997)
The Battle over Citizen Kane (1996)
Battle of the Bulge (1994)
FDR (1994)
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994)
The Donner Party (1992)

Sundance Film Festival

Special Jury Prize
The Murder of Emmett Till (2003)

Grand Jury Award -- Best Documentary
Daughter from Danang (2002)

Grand Jury Award -- Writing
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2001)

Grand Jury Award and Audience Award
Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (1995)

Grand Jury Award -- Best Documentary
Freedom on My Mind (1994)

IDA Awards

Continuing Series
American Experience (2006)

ABCNews VideoSource Award
Jonestown (2006)

Continuing Series
The Murder of Emmett Till (2003)

Limited Series
Woodrow Wilson (2002)

Video Source Award
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000)

Feature Documentary
FDR (1995)

Organization of American Historians

Erik Barnouw Award
The Gold Rush (2007)
Reconstruction (2005)
Partners of the Heart (2004)
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2002)
The Richest Man in the World: Andrew Carnegie (1997)
Freedom on My Mind (1994)
In the White Man's Image (1992)
Coney Island (1991)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
Indians, Outlaws and Angie Debo (1989)
Radio Bikini (1988)

Honorable Mention
The Boy in the Bubble (2007)
Two Days in October (2006)
Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2006)
Patriots Day (2005)
Ulysses S. Grant (2003)
Hawaii's Last Queen (1998)

Writers Guild

Best Documentary -- Other Than Current Events
The Fight (2005)
The Murder of Emmett Till (2004)
Monkey Trial (2003)
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2001)
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2000)
Hoover Dam (1999)
Truman (1998)
The Way West (1995)
America and the Holocaust (1994)
The Donner Party (1993)
LBJ (1992)
Nixon (1991)
Mr. Sears' Catalogue (1990)

The Grierson Awards

Best Historical Documentary
Two Days in October (British title: How Vietnam Was Lost) (2006)

NHK Japan Prize

Japan Foundation President's Prize
The Massie Affair (2005)

The Columbus International Film & Video Festival -- The Chris Awards

Bronze Plaque
The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken (2005)
Eleanor Roosevelt (2001)
Meltdown at Three Mile Island (1999)
Surviving the Dustbowl (1998)
Last Stand at Little Big Horn (1993)

Silver Plaque (Best of Division)
RFK (2005)

Edgar Dale Award (Best of Informational Screening)
RFK (2005)

The Christopher Award

2006 Special Christopher Award
American Experience (2006)

TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1996)
Eisenhower (1994)

Chicago International Film Festival

Gold Plaque
Jonestown (2007)
Two Days in October (2006)
TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1996)
Amelia Earhart (1994)
America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference (1994)
George Washington -- The Man Who Would Not Be King (1993)
The Donner Party (1993)
The Kennedys (1993)
LBJ/Special Achievement of Music Score (1992)
God Bless America and Poland Too (1992)
Johnstown Flood (1991)
American Experience (1990)
Ballad of a Mountain Man (1990)
Battle for Wilderness (1989)
That Rhythm, Those Blues (1988)

Gold Hugo
The Way West (1995)
LBJ (1992)

Silver Hugo
Fidel Castro (2006)
American Experience (1996)
Radio Bikini (1988)

Silver Plaque
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994)
Love in the Cold War (1992)
Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice (1990)

Certificate of Merit
John and Abigail Adams (2006)

San Francisco International Film Festival

Golden Gate Award
Jonestown (2006)
Daughter from Danang (2003)
George Wallace: Settin' the Woods on Fire (2005)
LBJ (1992)
Radio Bikini (1988)
Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven (1990)
Battle for Wilderness (1990)

Special Jury Award
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)

American Film & Video Festival

Blue Ribbon
Last Stand at Little Big Horn (1992)
In the White Man's Image (1992)
Nixon, Part III (1991)
Forbidden City, USA (1990)
Battle for Wilderness (1990)
Demon Rum (1990)
The Radio Priest (1990)
Radio Bikini (1989)
Yosemite: The Fate of Heaven (1989)
Geronimo and the Apache Resistance (1988)
Eric Sevareid: Not So Wild a Dream (1988)

Red Ribbon
Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry (1992)
Wild By Law (1992)
Lindbergh (1991)
Forever Baseball (1991)
The Iron Road (1991)
Roots of Resistance: A Story of the Underground Railroad (1991)
The Great Air Race of 1924 (1990)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
A Family Gathering (1990)

Council on International Non-theatrical Events (CINE)

Master Series Award
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2008)

CINE Gold Eagles
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2007)
Victory in the Pacific (2006))
Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2006)
Kinsey (2006)
Mary Pickford (2004 & 2006)
Partners of the Heart (2004))
Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film (2003)
New York: A Documentary Film Episode 7 (2003)
New York Underground (1998))
Truman (1998)
Mr. Miami Beach (1998)
A Midwife's Tale (1998)
Influenza 1918 (1998)
Around the World in 72 Days (1997)
The Way West (1996)
FDR (1995)
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994)
America and the Holocaust (1994)
D-Day (1994)
Amelia Earhart (1994)
The Hunt for Pancho Villa (1994)
The Hurricane of '38 (1994)
Simple Justice (1993)
The Donner Party (1993)
The Kennedys (1993)
Goin' Back to T'Town (1993)
Last Stand at Little Big Horn (1993)
In the White Man's Image (1992)
Duke Ellington: Reminiscing in Tempo (1992)
The Johnstown Flood (1992)
Love in the Cold War (1992)
LBJ (1992)
The Quiz Show Scandal (1992)
After the Crash (1991)
Lindbergh (1991)
God Bless America and Poland Too (1991)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
Forbidden City, USA (1990)
Battle for Wilderness (1990)
Geronimo and the Apache Resistance (1989)

Banff Rockie Awards

Outstanding Achievement
WGBH for American Experience, Arthur, Frontline, Nova, Masterpiece Theatre (1996)

Best History and Biography Program
Tupperware (2004)

National Cowboy Hall of Fame

First Prize
Ishi, the Last Yahi (1994)
The Donner Party (1992)
Indians, Outlaws and Angie Debo (1989)

Birmingham International Educational Film Festival

Geography and History Award
The Donner Party (1993)
Roots of Resistance -- A Story of the Underground Railroad (1992)

Houston Film Festival

Gold Special Jury Award
The Way West (1996)
FDR (1995)

Gold Medal
The Battle over "Citizen Kane" (1996)
The Battle of the Bulge (1994)
Simple Justice (1992)
The Kennedys (1992)
LBJ (1991)

Silver Medal
America and the Holocaust (1994)
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1992)

Television Critics Association Award

Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
American Experience (1998)

Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
American Experience (1997)

National Education Association

Freedom on My Mind (1996)
FDR (1995)
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994)
Simple Justice (1993)
American Experience Series (1991)

The Ohio State Award

Simple Justice (1993)
LBJ (1992)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)

National Educational Media Network

Best of Festival
Adam Clayton Powell (1989)

Gold Apple
The Way West (1995)
Eisenhower (1994)
Amelia Earhart (1994)
Coney Island (1992)
Forbidden City, USA (1989)
Battle for Wilderness (1989)
Eric Sevareid's Not So Wild a Dream (1988)

Silver Apple
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1995)
The Donner Party (1993)
Pearl Harbor: Surprise & Remembrance (1991)
Duke Ellington: Reminiscing in Tempo (1991)
Nixon, Parts I & II (1991)
The Great San Francisco Earthquake (1989)

Savannah Film Festival

Best Documentary - Jury Prize
Tupperware! (2004)

New Orleans Film Festival

Grand Jury Prize
The Murder of Emmett Till (2004)

Documentary Award
The Murder of Emmett Till (2004)

Massachusetts Cultural Council

Commonwealth Award
Tupperware! (2004)

Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame

11th Annual Festival of Film & Video
Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind (2001)

Western Writers of America - Spur Awards

Best Western Documentary Script
The Gold Rush (2007)

CNN ImageSource Award

Best Use of Footage in a Factual Production
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2007)