Another industry event has been “postponed indefinitely” on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Variety reports that the 13th annual Television Academy Honors awards ceremony won’t go on as planned, but the TV Academy has opted to announce this year’s honorees, which include “Unbelievable,” “Queen Sugar,” and “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal.”
Given in recognition of “meaningful and impactful” television in 2019, the honors pay tribute to works that “shed light on complex issues and challenges facing our society.”
Created by Susannah Grant, Ayelet Waldman, and Michael Chabon, Netflix limited series “Unbelievable” is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning article and a “This American Life” episode about 18-year-old Marie (Kaitlyn Dever), who reported being raped by a man in her apartment. When police called her story into question by pointing out inconsistencies, she acknowledged it might have been a dream, and later admitted that she fabricated the events. She was charged with filing a false report and accepted a plea deal. The series tells Marie’s story and follows the two female detectives (Toni Collette, Meritt Wever) determined to find the truth. Grant and Lisa Cholodenko were among the acclaimed drama’s directors.
An adaptation of Natalie Baszile’s novel of the same name, OWN’s “Queen Sugar” has been directed solely by women. Ava DuVernay created the family drama, which will return for a fifth season with a premiere date TBA. “Queen Sugar” stars Rutina Wesley, Dawn-Lyen Gardner, and Kofi Siriboe as siblings who attempt to revive the family sugar cane business after the death of their father.
“At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal” tells story of the hundreds of women who came forward to accuse former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. The Erin Lee Carr-directed HBO doc also explores how the system enabled Nassar to exploit and abuse his patients for more than three decades.
“We are so pleased to recognize these extraordinary programs and producers whose work is heightening public awareness and profoundly influencing social change,” said Television Academy chairman/CEO Frank Scherma.
Maury McIntyre, Television Academy president and chief operating officer, added, “During this difficult time for our industry and our country, the Television Academy Honors plays an important role in recognizing contemporary programming that speaks to our humanity and brings us together.”
Check out the TV Academy’s descriptions of why “Unbelievable,” “Queen Sugar,” and “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal” were chosen below.
“At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal” (Sidewinder Films II and HBO Documentary Films)
“For more than two decades, Dr. Larry Nassar was the osteopathic physician for the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team as well as a physician at Michigan State University. During that time, he sexually abused hundreds of female athletes. Offering insights that go beyond the sensational headlines, this documentary reveals a dangerous system that prioritized winning over everything else, including protecting young female athletes. Through interviews with dozens of survivors, as well as coaches, lawyers, journalists and Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, the film exposes an environment in which young women spent their youth competing for victory on a world stage, juxtaposed against a culture where abuse was hidden, and lives were forever damaged.”
“Queen Sugar” (Harpo Films and Array Filmworks in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television)
“This contemporary dramatic series from Ava DuVernay is more than entertainment. It addresses issues of race relations, mass incarceration, sexual assault and post-traumatic triggers. Through its fully realized, multi-dimensional depiction of an African American family, this racially progressive show tackles universal issues of culture, class and gender while highlighting specific concerns of the African American community.”
“Unbelievable” (CBS Television Studios for Netflix)
“Inspired by The Marshall Project and ProPublica Pulitzer Prize-winning article ‘An Unbelievable Story of Rape,’ this limited series confronts sexual assault and the handling of victims of trauma, treating the difficult subject matter with respect and empathy toward the victims. The compelling drama, based on the true story of a woman accused of lying about being raped and the two female detectives—hundreds of miles away—who refused to give up their pursuit of a potential serial rapist, incites a bigger conversation about the too-frequent mishandling of rape cases and rape victims and how individual and collective prejudice can shape and sidetrack an investigation.”
