FRONTLINE Wins Two Overseas Press Club Awards

The Overseas Press Club of America announced today that two FRONTLINE documentaries — For Sama and Trump’s Trade War — have been recognized with 2020 OPC Awards.

For Sama, our epic feature documentary with Channel 4, Channel 4 News and ITN Productions was honored with the prestigious Peter Jennings Award for best TV, video or documentary about international affairs. Trump’s Trade War, our in-depth investigation with NPR into President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, was honored with The Morton Frank Award for best international business news reporting.

From directors Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts, For Sama offers a gripping, first-person account of one woman’s experience of the Syrian conflict. Recognized earlier this year with an Academy Award nomination, the film follows al-Kateab’s life over five years of the uprising in rebel-held Aleppo, capturing as she falls in love, marries one of the last practicing doctors in the city, gives birth to Sama, and says goodbye to her beloved — and besieged — home, all on camera. In comments shared with FRONTLINE, the OPC judges praised For Sama as a “beautiful documentary about horrible events that continue to wreak havoc on the people of Syria.”

From Rick Young, Emma Schwartz, Fritz Kramer and Laura Sullivan, Trump’s Trade War offers the inside story of President Trump’s gamble to confront China over trade. Reporting from the U.S. and China, the documentary offered an investigation into what led the world’s two largest economies to the brink. In their extended comments provided to FRONTLINE, the OPC judges said that Trump’s Trade War “provides a coherent overview not just of what happened inside the White House but in the broader U.S. business community,” and commended the investigation for shedding light on “key moments and decisions that brought us to where we are today.”

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by our reporting peers at the OPC.  The film was a true collaborative effort, and props go to our production team based at American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop, our partners at NPR and the leadership of FRONTLINE for all their guidance and support,” said Rick Young, the director. “This distinction, and the efforts of OPC, are especially appreciated at this particular moment, as we’re reminded once again of the need to better understand our increasingly interconnected world.”

“We are honored by the OPC’s recognition of both For Sama and Trump’s Trade War,” says Raney Aronson-Rath, FRONTLINE executive producer. “We’re proud to bring critical stories like these to our PBS audience, and we share this honor with our For Sama production partners at Channel 4, Channel 4 News, and ITN Productions, and our Trump’s Trade War partners at NPR. As always, we thank PBS, CPB and WGBH for championing FRONTLINE’s journalism.”

Founded in 1939, the OPC describes itself as America’s oldest, largest association of journalists engaged in international news. Its annual awards recognize excellence in international news coverage.

The OPC Awards will be presented on September 25, 2020 in New York City. To date, FRONTLINE has won 16 OPC Awards. You can read a full list of the 2020 Overseas Press Club Award winners here, and watch our award-winning documentaries below.

For Sama (credits)

Trump’s Trade War (credits)