The Peabody Awards Honors Longtime NBC News Correspondent Andrea Mitchell with Career Achievement Award and Landmark Comedy Sketch Series “Saturday Night Live” with Institutional Award
Mitchell and “Saturday Night Live” to be feted at the 85th annual Peabody Awards ceremony June 1, 2025, in Beverly Hills.
Athens, GA, April 8, 2025…The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors announced today that NBC News’ vaunted Chief Washington and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell will be honored with the Peabody Career Achievement Award, and iconic, award-winning sketch comedy series “Saturday Night Live” will be honored with the Peabody Institutional Award. Mitchell and “SNL” will be celebrated at the 85th annual Peabody Awards ceremony June 1, 2025, in Beverly Hills, hosted by stand-up comic, television personality and Emmy Award-nominated documentary producer Roy Wood, Jr.
“Andrea Mitchell has been setting the standard for news correspondents with unparalleled coverage of politics and foreign policy for more than three decades. She has quite literally traveled the globe to bring us stories that have shaped history,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody. “And Saturday Night Live is a cultural touchstone that has kept audiences tuning in for five decades through its cutting-edge sketch comedy, pinpoint political satire, and always relevant musical guests. We are thrilled to recognize Mitchell and the SNL community with these special Peabody honors.”
Mitchell is NBC News’ Chief Washington and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent. She has spent the better part of five decades with NBC News—for more than 30 years as the news division’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent—covering some of the biggest stories of our times. She has covered eight White House administrations, 12 presidential races, as well as multiple wars and landmark events around the globe. In addition to winning a Peabody Award for her coverage of the Texas abortion ban, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Television Academy in 2019, and numerous journalism awards throughout the years. Previous Peabody Career Achievement honorees include Mel Brooks, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, Dan Rather, Cicely Tyson and Carol Burnett.
“Saturday Night Live” has been at the forefront of topical comedy for 50 years, under the leadership of creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, winning 101 Emmy Awards, including awards for the series’ specials and digital programs, six Writers Guild of America Awards and three Peabody Awards. The show has produced such indelible characters as Roseanne Roseannadanna, the Church Lady, Fr. Guido Sarducci, Wayne and Garth, the Blues Brothers and Stefon, performed by over 150 cast members during its half century on the air. The series has also satirized presidents and politicians from both major political parties, entertaining millions with sharp writing about the American political landscape. Its ripped-from-the-headlines “cold opens” and longtime “Weekend Update” newsbreak remain the most viral moments in any given week. “SNL” also attracts the biggest stars of music to its stage for innovative, viral performances. Previous Institutional Award honorees include “Star Trek,” “The Simpsons,” “60 Minutes,” “Fresh Air with Terry Gross” and “Sesame Street.”
The Peabody Awards honors stories that defend public interest, encourage empathy and expand our understanding of the world. Respected for its integrity and revered for its standards of excellence, the Peabody, which is chosen each year by a diverse Board of Jurors through unanimous vote, is an honor like no other for television, podcast/radio, and immersive and interactive media. Awards will be given in the following categories: entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, immersive and interactive media, and public service programming.
Nominees for the 2025 Peabody Awards will be announced on April 15 and 17, with winners announced on May 1.
Past Peabody Award winners include some of the most beloved and groundbreaking series of all time, including “Hill Street Blues,” “Murphy Brown,” “The Wire,” “Veep,” The Sopranos,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Office” and “Succession”, and limited/mini-series including “Roots,” “Tales of the City,” “Chernobyl,” and “Dopesick.” Children’s and youth honorees have included “ABC Afterschool Specials,” “Bluey” and “Doc McStuffins,” while landmark educational programs such as “Cosmos” and “NOVA” have also been honored. Peabody began recognizing Interactive and Immersive Media in 2021, with organizations such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post and The New York Times receiving honors.
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ABOUT THE PEABODY AWARDS
The Peabody Awards is celebrating 85 years of honoring stories that defend public interest, encourage empathy and expand our understanding of the world. Respected for its integrity and revered for its standards of excellence, the Peabody is an honor like no other for television, podcast/radio, and immersive and interactive media. Chosen each year by a diverse Board of Jurors through unanimous vote, Peabody Awards are given in the categories of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, and public service programming. The annual Peabody winners are a collection of stories that powerfully reflect the pressing social issues and the vibrant emerging voices of our day. From major productions to local journalism, the Peabody Awards shine a light on the Stories That Matter and are a testament to the power of art and reportage in the push for truth, social justice, and equity. The Peabody Awards were founded in 1940 at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and remain there today. For more information, visit peabodyawards.com to sign up for our newsletter.
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