15 Jun. 24: The prestigious 84th Peabody Awards made their Southern California debut at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on June 9. The ceremony, hosted by Kumail Nanjiani, celebrated the achievements of notable figures such as Mel Brooks, Quinta Brunson, and the Star Trek franchise.
Among the honorees were Indian documentary filmmaker Vinay Shukla and eminent journalist Ravish Kumar. Shukla’s documentary, While We Watched, has received international acclaim despite facing limited support in India. The film sheds light on the difficulties encountered by Indian media under previous Modi governments and has been lauded at renowned film festivals including Busan and Toronto. The Peabody Awards described it as a “timely depiction of a newsroom in crisis.” The documentary captures Kumar’s efforts to maintain fact-based reporting amidst fake news, declining ratings, and budget cuts.
This year’s event was notable not only for its new Los Angeles location but also for being the first in-person Peabody Awards ceremony since the pandemic forced a virtual shift in 2020. The awards were canceled last year due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Following the ceremony, Kumar shared his reflections, stating, “I was in Los Angeles on June 9. Vinay’s film While We Watched received the Peabody Award here. It was a wonderful evening. I met people doing remarkable work in documentary and entertainment in LA. It was gratifying to see Vinay Shukla’s team among them. I met people from different geographical areas and had many conversations. My English is limited, so once the event ended, I quietly absorbed the evening. I remembered the audience and their love, knowing that I was there because of them.”
In a tweet from Peabody, Kumar remarked that his work had remained unchanged, but receiving the award was “like cake after a bad dinner!”
