Television Academy Honors Information
About the Award
Originally created to recognize "Television with a Conscience," the Television Academy Honors recognizes programming that explores issues of concern to our society in a compelling, emotional and insightful way, and powers social change. Scripted, unscripted and documentary programs that enlighten and educate, create awareness and motivate positive change will be honored.
The Television Academy Honors is separate and distinct from Emmy's recognition of television excellence. The purpose of Television Academy Honors is to celebrate programming that taps the power of television to change hearts and minds.
Eligibility
Programs (and individual achievements within them) are eligible if they originally broadcast, cablecast or streamed during the eligibility year to at least 50% of the total potential U. S. television market., Eligibility is to the program rather than individuals or companies associated with the making or distribution of the program, e.g., producers, directors, writers, networks, studios, production companies, etc. Entries may be made for limited series, television movies, documentaries, and for regular series. There is a limit of one entry per series. The person who signs the entry form is the entrant but not necessarily the acceptor if the entry goes on to become an honoree. The acceptor will be designated by the entrant when notified of their program's selection as an honoree.
Any film placed on the AMPAS viewing platform will be deemed a theatrical motion picture and thus ineligible. Any program that has been nominated for an Oscar is no longer eligible to submit into Television Academy Honors. Television programs that are offered for "general theatrical release" occurring prior to their airing or Internet exhibition are not eligible. A "limited theatrical release" prior to the airing or Internet exhibition of the television program cannot exceed an aggregate of up to seventy (70) days prior exhibitions. A program with a prior theatrical release loses eligibility if it does not air within a year of its initial public exhibition, regardless if this is or is not a general release. Film festival screenings do not count as theatrical screenings. Showing a foreign television program that otherwise qualifies as an eligible foreign co-production shall not be disqualified because of a prior limited theatrical release. Single-day mass releases, e.g., more than seventy theaters on one date, disqualify a program for subsequent Television Academy Honors eligibility
Submission Requirements
Check back here on January 4, 2022 for the link to create an account, fill out the entry form, and upload video file(s).
Click here for the Video File Specifications
Note: The viewing experience of the video on the Honors website is dependent on the technical specifications of the end user's computer, and the amount of network bandwidth available. TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOUR PROGRAMMING IS ENCODED USING THE PRECISE SPECIFICATIONS.
Your entry information and program upload will be reviewed by the members of the Television Academy Honors Selection Committee.
Processing Fee
For each entry there is a processing fee of $250.
Voting
Entries will be judged by the Television Academy Honors Selection Committee.
Recipients of the 14th Television Academy Honors are:
For Life (ABC Signature in association with Sony Pictures Television)
For Life is a fictional serialized legal and family drama inspired by the life of Isaac Wright Jr., imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. The series' protagonist Aaron Wallace becomes a lawyer while in prison, litigating cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence. Through the window of Wallace's ferocious struggle and complicated relationship with a progressive female prison warden, the flaws and challenges in our penal and legal systems are exposed. (ABC)
I Am Greta (B-Reel Films)
The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage in this intimate documentary from Swedish director Nathan Grossman. Starting with her one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament, Grossman follows Greta—a shy student with Asperger's—in her rise to prominence and her galvanizing global impact as she sparks school strikes around the world. The film culminates with her extraordinary wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City. (Hulu)
I May Destroy You (HBO in association with BBC)
Michaela Coel stars in this fearless, frank and provocative series that explores the question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation. (HBO)
Little America (Apple/Universal Television)
Inspired by true stories featured in Epic magazine, Little America goes beyond the headlines to look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and surprising stories of immigrants in America, when they're more relevant now than ever. (Apple TV+)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
As countless social justice crises played out against the backdrop of a global pandemic, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah marked these tragedies as chances to elevate marginalized perspectives and help audiences make sense of the world's many contradictions. Alongside the most diverse news team in late night, Trevor harnesses his unique ability to calmly analyze, skillfully explain and provide crucial commentary on complex social issues including race, equity and social justice—all while deftly balancing humor with advocacy for underrepresented points of view. (Comedy Central)
The Social Dilemma (An Exposure Labs Production in association with Argent Pictures for Netflix)
Digital platforms have increasingly become our lifelines to stay connected. In The Social Dilemma, key tech insiders question the consequences of our dependence and show how social media is reprogramming civilization by exposing what's hiding on the other side of your screen. (Netflix)
Welcome to Chechnya (HBO Documentary Films presents a Public Square Films production, a David France and Joy A. Tomchin film in association with Ninety Thousand Words, Maylo Films and BBC Storyville)
Directed by acclaimed writer and Oscar-nominated director David France, Welcome to Chechnya shadows a group of brave activists risking their lives to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ campaign in the Russian republic of Chechnya. With unfettered access and a commitment to protecting anonymity, this documentary exposes these underreported atrocities, while highlighting an extraordinary group of people confronting deadly brutality. (HBO)
15th Television Academy Honors Calendar
January - December
January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Eligibility year
January
January 4, 2022
Online entry site and entry video upload window opens
January 31
Entry deadline
March
March 28
Committee deliberations conclude
TBD
Announcement of Honorees
TBD
Presentation of Awards
updated 12.7.21