Going Clear, The Knick and Homeland Among 9th Television Academy Honors

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The Television Academy today announced this year’s honorees for the Ninth Annual Television Academy Honors, recognizing an extraordinary slate of programming that leveraged the unique immediacy of television to tackle complex issues and advance social change.

The honorees for 2015 are: Born This Way, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Homeland, The Knick, Mississippi Inferno and Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom.

Separate from the Emmy Awards, Television Academy Honors celebrate network, cable and online programming and programmers that explore and expose issues of concern to our society in compelling, poignant and insightful ways. The Television Academy will celebrate the showrunners, filmmakers and producers of the winning programs during a special presentation and reception, hosted by Emmy Award-winning actress Dana Delany at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, June 8. In the week leading up to the ceremony, the Television Academy will highlight the honored programs and causes with daily posts at TelevisionAcademy.com and Yahoo.com.

“By its very nature, television has a special ability to touch the hearts and minds of viewers and move the needle on social change. Each of this year’s honorees makes artful use of television’s distinct power to raise awareness, expand understanding and promote meaningful discussion of issues of importance,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum.

The six programs honored this year feature themes and storylines that explore the lives of young adults with Down syndrome, Scientology whistle blowers, online surveillance and security in the global fight against terrorism, a doctor’s quest to treat addiction, the role of black landowners and farmers in the Civil Rights movement, and the fight for democracy in present-day Ukraine. Lucia Gervino chaired the Television Academy Honors Selection Committee for the third consecutive year.

Recipients of the Ninth Annual Television Academy Honors are:

• Born This Way (A&E) – This series is the first to bring the issue of Down syndrome and adults who have it to light. It follows a group of seven young adults as they pursue their passions and lifelong dreams, explore friendships, romantic relationships and work – all while defying society’s expectations. In their willingness and courage to openly share their lives through a lens that is not often shown on television, we learn they have high hopes like anyone else. (Produced by Bunim/Murray Productions)
• Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (HBO) – The film, from multiple Emmy-winning documentarian Alex Gibney, draws attention to the plight of ex-Scientologists brave enough to blow the whistle. The heart of the film is a series of shocking revelations by former Scientology insiders, including high-ranking and recognizable members such as acclaimed screenwriter Paul Haggis (Crash), as they describe the systematic history of abuse and betrayal by Church officials, including the current leadership of the Church. (Produced by HBO Documentary Films in association with Sky Atlantic and Jigsaw Productions)
• Homeland (Showtime) – In its fifth season, this political thriller starring three-time Emmy winner Claire Danes tackles current affairs through plot lines involving surveillance, hacking and a security breach reminiscent of Edward Snowden’s unauthorized disclosures to focus on the globalized state of warfare today, positing that fighting in the Information Age involves higher stakes and a universal playing field. At a time when radicalization happens online and terrorists plot attacks in secret conversation, Homeland holds a mirror to our encrypted world. (Produced by SHOWTIME Presents, Fox 21 Television Studios, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet)
• The Knick (Cinemax) – Set in 1901, The Knick Season 2 sees Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen) returning from an unsuccessful stay at a hospital for addicts and drunkards, determined to use his skills as a physician and the resources of his hospital in a futile quest to find a definitive cure for addiction. The series reflects society’s ongoing struggle with addiction and the continued search for answers. (Produced by Cinemax Entertainment in association with Amberg Screen Products, Anonymous Content and Extension 765)
• Mississippi Inferno (Smithsonian Channel) – This documentary spotlights the largely unknown, yet critical role of black landowners and independent farmers in the Civil Rights movement – standing up against white supremacy and segregation. Narrated by Danny Glover, it features first-person accounts of the courageous individuals and families who risked their lives to end racial inequality in the most repressive state in the South — and wound up changing the course of history. (Produced by Thunk It Productions, Ltd. in Association with Mentorn Media)
• Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom (Netflix) – This Oscar-nominated film witnesses the formation of a new civil rights movement in Ukraine in 2014. It explores the universal values of democracy and freedom of speech as it captures the remarkable mobilization of nearly a million citizens across the country protesting the corrupt political regime that utilized extreme force against its own people. (Produced by Netflix, Afineevsky – Tolmor Production, UkrStream.TV and SPN Production, in association with Passio).

Eligible programs for this year’s Television Academy Honors aired during the 2015 calendar year, and were submitted in the fiction/nonfiction categories as whole series, single episodes or story arcs up to three episodes. Television movies, limited series and fiction/nonfiction specials were also eligible to apply for Television Academy Honors.