May 23, 2016
by Jere W. Morehead, President
Last weekend, UGA community members and friends gathered in New York City with broadcasters, filmmakers, and others for the annual Peabody Awards. This year marked the 75th anniversary of these prestigious awards, which honor excellence in storytelling across all forms of electronic media. Originally known as the “Pulitzer Prize for Radio,” the Peabody Awards have evolved to include new genres and platforms as our technology and culture have changed over the years. One thing has remained the same, however: the Peabodys recognize stories that matter.
The University of Georgia is proud to be home to the Peabody Awards and to the Peabody Awards Collection, which contains more than 90,000 works submitted for the awards program since 1941. The collection is part of our renowned Special Collections Libraries and is open to archival researchers. It is one of the many ways in which UGA carries out its land-grant mission of teaching, research, and service.
This year’s awards ceremony reminded us once again of the value of connecting individuals to important ideas and to one another through stories. The Peabody Awards remain a vital institution, encouraging the media to produce meaningful work that enriches our culture, educates our society, and strengthens our democracy.