Awards
American Experience has been honored with over 290 awards including the following:
TELEVISION AWARDS:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Oscars
•Nominations for Best Documentary Feature
Last Days In Vietnam (2015)
Daughter from Danang (2003)
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2001)
The Battle over Citizen Kane (1996)
Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern (1996)
Freedom on My Mind (1995)
Wild By Law (1992)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
Radio Bikini (1988)
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - Primetime Emmy Awards
•Exceptional Merit Nomination in Non-Fiction Filmmaking
Chasing The Moon (2020)
• Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Writing
Walt Disney (2016)
• Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Writing
Last Days in Vietnam (2015) Mark Bailey & Keven McAlester
• Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Special
JFK (2014)
•Exceptional Merit in Non-Fiction Filmmaking
Freedom Riders (2010-2011)
•Primetime Emmy Award for Non-Fiction Picture Editing
Freedom Riders (2010-2011)
•Primetime Emmy Award for Non-Fiction Writing
Freedom Riders (2010-2011)
•Primetime Emmy Award for Non-Fiction Directing
My Lai (2009-2010)
•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 (2000-2001)
•Primetime Emmy Award for NonFiction Picture Editing
New York: A Documentary Film (2000)
• Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Series
The American Experience (1998-1999)
• Primetime Emmy Award for Non-fiction Series
The American Experience (1997-1998)
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - Emmy Awards
•Outstanding Individual Achievement - Research
Jesse Owens (2013)
•Outstanding Individual Achievement - Research
The Living Weapon (2008)
•Outstanding Individual Achievement - Writing
Eugene O'Neill (2007)
•Outstanding Individual Achievement - Lighting Direction & Scenic Design
John & Abigail Adams (2007)
•Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft – 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 Cultural and Artistic Programming – Long Form
Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film (2003)
•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
David Grubin and Geoffrey Ward for TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1996)
•Outstanding Individual Achievement - Writing
Edward Gray for The Orphan Trains (1995)
•Outstanding Individual Achievement - Research
Malcolm X - Make It Plain (1994)
•Outstanding Individual Achievement -
Music Composition
Michael Bacon for 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
Robert Levi for 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)
News and Documentary - Emmy Awards
•Nomination for Outstanding Editing in Nonfiction Feature
Last Days in Vietnam, Editor Don Kleszy
•Nomination for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming
Poisoner’s Handbook, Deborah Porfido (Coordinating Producer)
George Foster Peabody Award
The Vote (2021) Nominated
Oklahoma City (2017)
Walt Disney (2016 Finalist)
Last Days in Vietnam (2016 Finalist)
Freedom Summer (2014)
American Experience (2011)
My Lai (2010)
Two Days In October (2005)
Tupperware! (2004)
The Murder of Emmett Till (2003)
Monkey Trial (2002)
Nixon’s China Game (1999)
Riding the Rails (1998)
America 1900 (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)
Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Journalism Award
•Silver Baton (2019-2020)
Chasing The Moon
•Silver Baton (2002-2003)
Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film
•Silver Baton (2000-2001)
New York: A Documentary Film
•Silver Baton (1994-1995)
The American Experience Series for FDR, Battle of the Bulge, and The Way West
•Silver Baton (1991-1992)
LBJ
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
•Best Curated Series
American Experience (2020)
•Creative Recognition Award for Best Editing
Last Days in Vietnam (2014)
•ABCNews VideoSource Award
Wounded Knee (2009)
•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)
NEW YORK FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS
Silver Documentary- History and Society - McCarthy (2021)
Silver Documentary- History and Society - The Vote (2021)
Gold World Medal Documentary- The Circus (2018)
Organization of American Historians
•Erik Barnouw Award
Chasing The Moon (2020)
Chinese Exclusion Act (2019)
The Mine Wars (2017)
Death and the Civil War (2013)
The Gold Rush (2007)
Reconstruction (2005)
Partners of the Heart (2004)
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2002)
The Richest Man in the World: Andrew Carnegie (1998)
Freedom on My Mind (1995)
In the White Man’s Image (1993)
Coney Island (1991)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
Indians, Outlaws and Angie Debo (1989)
Radio Bikini (1988)
•Honorable Mention
We Shall Remain (2010)
The Lobotomist (2009)
The Boy In the Bubble (2007)
Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2006)
Two Days in October (2006)
Patriots Day (2005)
Ulysses S. Grant (2003)
Hawaii's Last Queen (1998)
Writers Guild
•Best Documentary--Other Than Current Events
The Eugenics Crusade (2019)
The Great War, Part II (2018)
Command and Control (2017)
The Forgotten Plague (2015)
Silicon Valley (2014)
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer (2010)
The Fight (2005)
The Murder of Emmett Till (2004)
Monkey Trial (2002)
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)
NHK Japan Prize
•Grand Prix Prize
Freedom Riders (2011)
•Maeda Prize
Earth Days (2010)
•Japan Foundation President’s Prize
The Massie Affair (2005)
The Columbus International Film & Video Festival – The Chris Awards
•Chris Statuette Award
Death and the Civil War (2013)
•Silver Chris Award
Freedom Riders (2011)
•Bronze Plaque
Silicon Valley (2013)
My Lai (2010)
Roads to Memphis (2010)
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 Screenwriting)
RFK (2005)
The Ohio State Award
Simple Justice (1993)
LBJ (1992)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
Christopher Award
Freedom Riders (2011)
American Experience – Special Award (2006)
Eleanor Roosevelt (2001)
TR, The Story of Theodore Roosevelt (1996)
Eisenhower (1994)
Focal Awards
Best Use of Footage in Factual Production
Last Days In Vietnam (2015)
Chicago International Film Festival
•Gold Plaque
American Experience Series (2013)
Clinton (2013)
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 (1991)
Johnstown Flood (1991)
American Experience Series (1990)
Ballad Of A Mountain Man (1990)
Battle For Wilderness (1989)
That Rhythm, Those Blues (1988)
Hearts and Hands (1988)
•Gold Hugo
The Way West (1995)
LBJ (1992)
•Silver Hugo
Fidel Castro (2006)
Chicago: City of the Century (2003)
Riding the Rails (1997)
The American Experience Series (1996)
Radio Bikini (1988)
•Silver Plaque
The Amish (2013)
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)
Eisenhower (1994)
Tribeca Film Festival
•Outstanding Achievement in Documentary
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
American Film Institute Docs (AFI Docs)
Audience Award for Best feature- Chasing The Moon (2019)
San Francisco International Film Festival
•Golden Gate Award
Jonestown (2006)
Daughter From Danang (2003)
George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods On Fire (2000)
LBJ (1992)
Yosemite - The Fate Of Heaven (1990)
Battle For Wilderness (1990)
Radio Bikini (1988)
•Special Jury Award
Wild By Law (1992)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
American Film & Video Festival
•Blue Ribbon
Duke Ellington: Reminiscing in Tempo (1992)
Last Stand at Little Big Horn (1992)
In the White Man’s Image (1992)
Nixon, Part I and 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
My Lai (2011)
Jonestown (2008)
•Special Jury Award
My Lai (2011)
Jonestown (2008)
•CINE Gold Eagles
Oklahoma City (2018) (for the Nonfiction Content, Feature – Historical and Biographies catergory)
The Great War (2018 finalist for Nonfiction Content/Series/Mini-Series – Episodses of 30:01 minutes or longer category)
Rachel Carson (2018 finalist for Nonfiction Content/Feature – Enivironment and Science category)
The Battle of Chosin (2017 finalst for nonfiction feature category)
Last Days in Vietnam (2016) (for the Nonfiction Content, Feature – Historical and Biographies category)
American Experience (2016) (for the Nonfiction Content, Series/Mini-Series – Episodes of 30:01 minutes or longer category)
Walt Disney (2016) (finalist for Nonfiction Feature category)
Death and the Civil War (2013)
Earth Days (2010)
My Lai (2010)
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer (2009)
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 (2006)
Mary Pickford (2004)
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)
Coney Island (1991)
Adam Clayton Powell (1990)
Forbidden City, USA (1990)
Battle For Wilderness (1990)
Geronimo And The Apache Resistance (1989)
Hearts and Hands (1988)
Banff Rockie Awards
•Outstanding Achievement
WGBH for American Experience, Arthur, Frontline, Nova, Masterpiece Theater (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
The American Experience (1998)
•Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
The 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)
National Educational Media Network
•Best of Festival
Ishi, the Last Yahi (1994)
Adam Clayton Powell (1989)
•Gold Apple
The Way West (1995)
Amelia Earhart (1994)
Eisenhower (1994)
Coney Island (1992)
Battle For Wilderness (1989)
Forbidden City, USA (1989)
Eric Sevareid’s “Not So Wild A Dream” (1988)
•Silver Apple
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1995)
The Donner Party (1993)
Wild By Law (1992)
Nixon, Parts I & III (1991)
Duke Ellington: Reminiscing in Tempo (1991)
Pearl Harbor: Surprise & Remembrance (1991)
The Great San Francisco Earthquake (1989)
•Crystal Apple
Hearts and Hands (1988)
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)
The Grierson Awards
•Best Historical Documentary
Two Days In October (How Vietnam Was Lost) (2006)
Western Writers of America - Spur Awards
•Best Western Documentary Script
Wyatt Earp (2011)
Kit Carson (2008)
The Gold Rush (2007)
CNN ImageSource Award
•Best Use of Footage in a Factual Production
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2007)
Alma Awards
•Best Made for TV Documentary
Roberto Clemente (2008)
Newport Beach Film Festival
•Humanitarian Vision Award
Earth Days (2009)
Imagen Awards
•Best Documentary/Television
A Class Apart (2009)
AFTRA National American Scene Award
•Best Documentary
We Shall Remain (2009)
The Population Institute Global Media Awards
For Excellence in Population Reporting
•Best Film
Earth Days (2009)
Heartland Film Festival Crystal Heart Award
Freedom Riders (2010)
Columbus International Film & Video Festival
•Bronze Plaque
My Lai (2009)
•Honorable Mention
Roads to Memphis (2009)
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
•Western Heritage Award - Best Documentary
Wyatt Earp (2010)
Boulder International Film Festival
•People's Choice Award
Freedom Riders (2011)
Gabriel Awards
•Television: Documentary - Honorable Mention
The Vote (2021)
•Television: Documentary - National Release
The Abolitionists (2013)
My Lai (2011)
Silver Gavel Awards
Honorable Mention
The Vote (2021)
WEB AWARDS:
The Webby Awards
•Television Category
American Experience (2010)
•Official Honoree – Media and Entertainment
American Experience: Walt Disney (2016)
The Davey Awards
Film/Television Category
•Gold Award
Interactive Multimedia
First Days Story Project (2015)
•Silver Winner
American Experience (2015)
American Experience (2013)
American Experience (2010)
W3 Awards
•Gold Award
Community
First Days Story Project (2015)
General Education
American Experience (2015)
American Experience (2013)
American Experience (2010)
•Silver Award
Capital and Labor Video Series (2018)
General Education
Walt Disney (2016)
General Education
American Experience (2012)
Communicator Awards
•2021 Communicator Award of Excellence
Individual-Documentary for Online Video
Langston Hughes on Trial (2020)
•2021 Communicator Award of Excellence
General- Cultural for Websites
She Resisted (2020)
•2021 Communicator Awards Distinction
Individual- Documentary for Online Video
Mississippi Justice (2020)
•2021 Communicator Awards Distinction
Individual- Documentary for Online Video
McCarthyism: Anatomy of an Investigation (2020)
•Gold Excellence Award
Online Video: Documentary
American Experience (2010)
•Gold Excellence Award
Online: Education
American Experience (2010)
THE SHORTY AWARDS
Social Good: Storytelling - This Is My Brother (2019)