New York Festivals Television & Film Awards has revealed the 2021 Storytellers Gala award-winners. World-class work created by global storytellers from 40+ countries was honored at the October 12 Storytellers Gala, a virtual event due to the cancellation of the 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas.
2021 Grand Awards
âMy Octopus Teacherâ Documentary: Nature & Wildlife (Off the Fence B.V./Sea Change Project/Netflix)
This acclaimed effort was recognized for their Grand Award-winning documentary. The film takes the viewer to a spectacular undersea world few humans have ever seen, rich with unimaginable vistas, creatures, and characters. The 2021 Oscar-winning documentary showcases a fully immersive cinematic experience and redefines the relationship between human and wild animal.
âAll Creatures Great And Smallâ Entertainment Program: Drama (Playground TV for Masterpiece PBS and Channel 5 in association with All3media International and Screen Yorkshire) earned the NYF Grand for their adaptation of the much-loved popular BBC series that ran through the 70s-90s. The new vision for the show preserves the rich spirit, tone, and values of Herriotâs iconic characters and stories and brings his sharply observed, entertaining tales of country life in the North of England to life for a wide modern audience.
âThe Last Danceâ News Program: Best Nonfiction Series (ESPN) The Grand Award winning 10-part documentary series from ESPN Films and Netflix explores the period in 1997 as Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were followed by a film crew as they began their quest to win a sixth NBA title. The result is the film âThe Last Danceâ, a remarkable portrait of an iconic player and a celebrated team ârevealed more than two decades later.
For the fifth consecutive year, Al Jazeera Englishâs coverage of international issues and universal themes earned the network the prestigious title of Broadcaster of the Year. The network garnered medals for a diverse programming roster including Al Jazeera Investigations, Witness, 101 East, Al Jazeera Correspondent, Talk to Al Jazeera, Fault Lines, and Story to Follow.
âWe are delighted to once again win the top accolade of Broadcaster of the Year from the New York Festivals,â said Giles Trendle, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English. âWe consider it a great honour to have our work recognised and rewarded by such a distinguished jury of our industry peers. I attribute this win to all our wonderful and diverse teams at Al Jazeera English who, with professionalism, diligence and creativity, remain committed to reporting and telling the stories that matter.â
This is the 15th year consecutive year that The Edge Picture Company UK earned the prestigious title of Production Company of the Year. The Edge Picture Companyâs corporate and brand-image films earned a robust number of medals for their visionary work for prestigious brands including Deloitte, PwC, Openreach, Standard Chartered, The Guardian Service, Havas Just and Ahmad Tea.
The 2021 New York Festivals Storytellers Gala celebrated Molly Solomon, Executive Producer & President of NBC Olympics Production and Executive Producer for the Golf Channel with the eleventh annual New York Festivals Lifetime Achievement Award. NBC Sports host Mike Tirico presented the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award to Solomon.
For 2021 NYF added 10 categories for social justice across all genres to honor storytellers using creativity to engage audiences on this critical topic. Entries earning Gold include âCBS Sports Presents: 8:46â (CBS Sports), âThe Price of Povertyâ (DW Deutsche Welle), âI Am Not A Commodityâ (ANTENA 3), âA Most Beautiful Thingâ (50 Eggs Films), and âThe Psychiatrist of Aleppoâ (CRTVE). Silver winners include âMomma Lonnae OâNeal Essayâ (ESPN), âMLB Tonight: A Conversationâ (MLB Network), âInsight: Stateless In Indiaâ (Mediacorp Pte Ltd), âThe Time is Nowâ (The Edge Picture Company), and âSurviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoningâ (Kreativ Inc. for Lifetime),
Gold winning Documentaries in the winnerâs circle this year include âWhy We Hateâ Discovery Channel), âWitness â St Louis Supermanâ (Al Jazeera), âSurviving Jeffery Epsteinâ (Bungalow Media + Entertainment and Break Thru Films, Inc For Lifetime), âLove on the Spectrumâ (Northern Pictures Pty Ltd), âBeethovenâs Ninth: Symphony for the Worldâ (DW Deutsche Welle), âThe Real Right Stuffâ (1895 Films/Disney+), âInto Americaâs Wildâ (MacGillivray Freeman Films), âAmericaÂŽs Arctic â A Refuge imperiledâ (Terra Mater Factual Studios GmbH), âThe Meadow â Paradise lost?â (nautilusfilm GmbH), âWild Africa in Pandemic Timesâ (Story Producciones/RTVE), âWild Tokyoâ (NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation Global Content Development Division), and âMesa Para Todos âMesa Para Todos/Table For Allâ (Globo ComunicaçÔes e ParticipaçÔes SA).
Entertainment entries captivated viewers and earned Gold including: âDas Bootâ (Bavaria Fiction/Sky Studios), âDear Santaâ (UM Studios), âFreudâ (Satel Film/Bavaria Fiction), âMasterChef Australiaâ (Banijay Rights), âBarefoot Contessa: Cook Like A Proâ (Pacific Television), âThat Animal Rescue Showâ (CBS Studios), â100 DĂas Para Enamorarnosâ (Telemundo), âDesâ (New Pictures/ITV, UK), and âBĂ€ckströmâ and âCaliphateâ (Banijay Rights).
Entries earning Gold in Special Events include âThe 2020 Innovators Awards: Wall Street Journal Magazineâ (WSJ. Magazine), âOne World: Together at Home â(Global Citizen), and âSpace Launch Live: America Returns to Spaceâ (Discovery Channel).
Broadcast Journalism from around the globe showcased breaking news and headline topics emerging from the world stage. Gold winning work includes âThe Search for Assad Executionersâ (Al Jazeera Media Network), â101 East â Indiaâs Child Sex Highwayâ (Al Jazeera English), and âFrom China With Love: An Adoption Storyâ (Voice Of America). Silver trophy winners include âNBC Nightly News: Kids Editionâ (NBC News) with anchor Lester Holt, and âBeirut Blastâ (Al Jazeera English).
Sports content scored Gold. ESPNâs inclusive coverage and in-depth sports reporting earned Gold including: âBackstory: The Decisionâ, âLanceâ, âThe All-American Cuban Cometâ, âFirst Take: George Floyd and Police Brutality Protest Showâ, and âD. Wade: Life Unexpectedâ. Additional Gold winners in the spotlight include âKick Off! Explainsâ (DW Sports), âStories of Women in Sports: 2020 Animated Vignette Seriesâ (CBS Sports Network), and âMLB Network Presents: Juniorâ (MLB Network).
Compelling Promos enticed viewers. Gold Medalists include: âMonday Night Football Openâ (ESPN), âAgatha Christie Compilationâ (BBC Studios), âDinda â The Voice of Barcelona Bekasiâ (beIN SPORTS Asia), âAstro Citra August Monthly Highlightâ (Measat Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd), âLove and Destinyâ (Shanghai Xia Yi Culture Communication CO. Ltd.), and âWhatâs your story? // Was ist deine Geschichte?â (Luxlotusliner GmbH).
Corporate and Brand Image Films showcased the mission and vision of prominent brands. Networks and production companies honored with Gold trophies include: The Edge Picture Company, Seed Audio-Visual Communication, CBS Sports, UM Studios, KWP and Zoom Film TV, Indigo View Productions, and Sledgehammer Studio.
New York Festivals TV & Film Awards Grand Jury recognized global content creators across all platforms and in all genres and awarded in total 3 Grand Awards, 126 Gold World Medals, 136 Silver and 124 Bronze.
This year is the eleventh year of NYFâs strategic partnership with NAB Show, the ultimate marketplace for people passionate about media, entertainment, and technology.
Entries to each of the competitions are judged around the world by panels of peers in their respective industries. For more information, go to www.newyorkfestivals.com.