Four FRONTLINE documentaries — A Thousand Cuts, American Insurrection, Escaping Eritrea and The Healthcare Divide — were named as nominees by the prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards on Wednesday, April 13.

“We’re so grateful to see our reporting tackling pressing issues from across the globe — from Eritrea, to the Philippines, to the United States — be recognized by the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors with these four nominations,” says Raney Aronson-Rath, FRONTLINE executive producer. “We share this exciting news with the intrepid journalists whose commitment to truth-seeking, accountability journalism made these documentaries possible, and with our biggest supporters, GBH, PBS and CPB, who continue to champion FRONTLINE’s journalism.”

With press freedom under threat in the Philippines, A Thousand Cuts, a feature documentary directed by Ramona S. Diaz, went inside the escalating war between the government and the press. The documentary followed renowned journalist Maria Ressa, who has become a top target of President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on the news media, and who went on to be named a winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. The documentary premiered on PBS in January 2021, following a decorated theatrical release in the summer of 2020 by PBS Distribution, and is a production in association with CineDiaz, Motto Pictures and Concordia Studio.

In collaboration with ProPublica and Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program, American Insurrection investigated the rise of extremism in America in the shadow of the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. From director Rick Rowley, correspondent A.C. Thompson and producers Karim Hajj and Jacqueline Soohen, the 90-minute film examined how far-right extremist groups evolved in the wake of the deadly 2017 Charlottesville rally and the contemporary threat they posed. American Insurrection originally premiered on PBS in April 2021, and was honored with a George Polk Award in February 2022.

Escaping Eritrea, an unprecedented undercover investigation into one of the world’s most repressive regimes from FRONTLINE and the UK’s Channel 4, shed new light on shocking allegations of torture, arbitrary detention and indefinite forced conscription. Over five years, producer and director Evan Williams gathered secretly shot footage from inside the country and interviewed people who’ve escaped. Escaping Eritrea premiered on PBS in May 2021.

In collaboration with NPR and American University’s Investigative Reporting Workshop, The Healthcare Divide examined growing inequities in American healthcare exposed by COVID-19, probing how pressure to increase profits and uneven government support widened the divide between rich and poor hospitals, endangering care for low-income populations. The documentary premiered on PBS in May of 2021 and was recently honored with a 2022 Writers Guild Award.

The Peabody Awards said in an announcement that its nominees “represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and streaming media during 2021.” Of the 60 nominees selected by the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors this year, PBS led with 13 nominations.

Since 1940, the prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards have honored excellence in broadcasting. According to the nominee announcement, the winners of the 82nd annual Peabody Awards will be named during a multi-day virtual celebration from June 6 through June 9. Read the full list of Peabody Award nominees here.

You can watch this year’s Peabody Award-nominated FRONTLINE documentaries below:

A Thousand Cuts (credits)

American Insurrection (credits)

Escaping Eritrea (credits)

Healthcare Divide (credits)

FRONTLINE Press Contact: Anne Husted | Manager, Public Relations & Communications | frontlinemedia@wgbh.org  |617-300-5312

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