FRONTLINE Honored with 5 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards

Winning five News & Documentary Emmy® Awards during the two-night virtual ceremony, FRONTLINE has received 100 News & Documentary Emmys® to date.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored FRONTLINE with five News & Documentary Emmy® Awards at this year’s 42nd annual News & Documentary Emmy® Awards ceremony.

The five Emmys® mark a significant milestone for the PBS investigative series: FRONTLINE has been recognized with 100 Emmy® Awards to date.

During Tuesday’s virtual “News” Emmys® ceremony, FRONTLINE was recognized for investigative reporting, video journalism and storytelling in three awards categories:

• The Luanda Leaks, FRONTLINE’s January 2020 investigation with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, won the Emmy® for “Outstanding Investigative Report in a Newsmagazine.” Produced by James Oliver and Evan Williams, the film examined how Africa’s richest woman, Isabel dos Santos, built a business empire with access to state funds from one of the poorest countries on earth — and the role U.S. companies played in helping her amass her fortune.
• Taliban Country, FRONTLINE’s January 2020 special report following correspondent Najibullah Quraishi on a dangerous journey inside both Taliban- and ISIS-held territory, won the Emmy® for “Outstanding Video Journalism: News.” Filmed and directed by Karim Shah and from senior produced Dan Edge and Monica Garnsey, the film exposed the harsh reality of the Taliban’s power and the looming threat of ISIS.
• Love, Life & the Virus, FRONTLINE’s August 2020 documentary following one mother’s fight to survive COVID-19 and see her newborn baby, won the Emmy® for “Best Story in a Newsmagazine.” Written, produced and directed by Oscar Guerra, the film chronicled how the coronavirus hit one immigrant family, their struggle to be reunited and the community that rallied around them.

During Wednesday’s virtual “Documentary” Emmys® ceremony, the series was acknowledged for its historical, business and economic documentary storytelling with two more awards:

• Once Upon a Time in Iraq, FRONTLINE’s two-hour July 2020 documentary telling story of the Iraq War through the perspective of Iraqis who lived through it, won the Documentary Emmy® for “Outstanding Historical Documentary.” From director James Bluemel, the film offers a lens into the personal accounts and lasting memories of Iraqis who lived under Saddam Hussein, the U.S.-led invasion of their country and the 17 years of chaos that followed — from the sectarian violence to the rise and brutal rule of ISIS.
• Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos: FRONTLINE’s two-hour February 2020 investigation on one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world, won the Documentary Emmy® for “Outstanding Business & Economic Documentary.” Written and produced by James Jacoby and Anya Bourg, the documentary examines the richest man in the world, the business empire Bezos built, and his power to shape everything from the future of work to the future of commerce to the future of technology.

“We are thrilled to see our international and domestic investigative reporting recognized by the News & Documentary Emmys,” says FRONTLINE Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath. “We celebrate our dogged Emmy-winning and -nominated directors, reporters and staff tonight, and congratulate our PBS colleagues who were also honored over the past two nights. And as always, we remain deeply grateful for the support of GBH, PBS and CPB in our pursuit of unflinching journalism.”

FRONTLINE was nominated for 19 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards this year — the most nominations the series has received in a single year since its inception.

You can watch FRONTLINE’s five 2021 News & Documentary Emmy® Award-winning films — The Luanda Leaks; Taliban Country; Love, Life & the Virus; Once Upon a Time In Iraq; and Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos — below:

Outstanding Investigative Report in a Newsmagazine

The Luanda Leaks (credits)

Outstanding Video Journalism: News

Taliban Country (credits)

Best Story in a Newsmagazine

Love, Life & the Virus (credits)

Outstanding Historical Documentary

Once Upon a Time in Iraq (credits)

 

Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary

Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos (credits)

*This post was updated to reflect Wednesday’s additional wins.