Congratulations are in order for Emmy and Academy Award-nominated director and filmmaker Ava DuVernay!
Per a press release sent to The Root, DuVernay’s ARRAY—the grassroots distribution, arts and advocacy collective focused on films by people of color and women—has been recognized with the Peabody Institutional Award at this year’s Peabody Awards. DuVernay virtually received the award on Tuesday morning, presented by her friend and frequent collaborator Oprah Winfrey.
“It was 10 years ago when Ava DuVernay created a unique, multi-platform arts and social impact collective dedicated to narrative change,” Winfrey began. “Now this vision manifested into a production organization led by a quartet of mission driven entities. The film distribution arm, ARRAY Releasing. The content company, ARRAY Filmworks. The programming and production hub, ARRAY Creative Campus. And, the non-profit group, ARRAY Alliance.”
She added, “ARRAY creates and produces award-winning content in film and television across all the genres. From the stories told, the actors who are carefully cast and the inclusive crew hired—every aspect of their projects are intentional and designed to amplify the voices and work by people of color and women.”
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I truly treasure the Peabody because of the way in which it is determined,” DuVernay stated in her acceptance speech. “Unlike the Hollywood awards, there is no campaigning, no billboards or ads to get attention. And the body that decides this honor is diverse in cultural background but also in professional expertise and area of interest. It’s just a beautiful honor and it’s deeply felt by me and all of us at ARRAY today as we gratefully accept the Institutional Award in our tenth anniversary year”
The Institutional Awards regularly highlights institutions, organizations, as well as various works and programs for their enduring body of work and their exemplary impact “on both the media landscape and the public imagination.”
Additional winners for the 81st annual Peabody Awards will be named during a multi-day virtual celebration starting June 21st through June 24th on the Peabody’s official social sites.