PBS SoCal and KCET Dominate L.A. Area Emmy Awards with 11 Wins
KCET and PBS SoCal received a combined total of 11 wins from the 2020 Los Angeles Area Emmy® Awards presented on Saturday, July 18 by the Television Academy and its Los Angeles Area Peer Group. The total count more than doubled any other local station (or duopoly). KCET and PBS SoCal were honored in categories that included L.A. local color, education/information, and entertainment.
Two of the categories — Arts Programming and Crime/Social Issues Programming — were filled solely with nominees from KCET and PBS SoCal. Going into the ceremony, the two L.A.-based PBS stations led all others in the region with 26 nominations received this year.
KCET garnered the most awards of any other L.A. broadcast station with eight wins including two for its new food justice series "Broken Bread" (a co-production with Tastemade, hosted by Roy Choi), as well as two for historical series "Lost LA" (produced in conjunction with the USC Libraries), as well as the win by Tom Tanquary and Diana Jenkins for their "Hand Drawn Life," which KCET acquired for broadcast. PBS SoCal took home three Emmys for "Cyberwork and the American Dream," "Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart" and "The 60th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration."
"This recognition from the Television Academy is a testament to the quality of our original content and we are honored that our efforts continue to be recognized each year,” said Andrew Russell, President and CEO of PBS SoCal and KCET. “These stories illuminate new perspectives and shine a light on the diversity of our region, both of which are at the core of our mission.”
“These productions could not have been possible without the hard work, perseverance and belief that what we are doing matters,” said Juan Devis, Chief Creative Officer of PBS SoCal and KCET. “I am honored to work with such talented partners and a creative production staff who continue to impress me with their incredible efforts in telling our stories.”
Portions of the 2020 Los Angeles Area Emmy® Awards were pre-taped without audience at the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center in North Hollywood due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the virtual awards program was streamed on Emmys.com.
The 2020 Los Angeles Area Emmy® Award wins for KCET and PBS SoCal are listed below by category.
Watch all the award-winners by clicking on each link below.
L.A. LOCAL COLOR
Broken Bread – “Transformation” (KCET)
Juan Devis, Executive Producer
Roy Choi, Executive Producer, Host
Emily Mraz, Producer
Matthew Crotty, Producer
Elizabeth Collins, Producer
Natasha Phan, Producer
Aaron Warzynski, Editor
Jacqueline Reyno, Associate Producer
James Mann, Director, Director of Photography
JT Smith, Editor
EDUCATION / INFORMATION
"Cyberwork and the American Dream" (PBS SoCal)
Michelle Merker, Executive Producer
James Shelley, Director, Producer
Elizabeth Cobbs, Producer, Writer
Jon Michaels, Executive Producer
Kevin King, Editor
Rich Underwood, Camera
CRIME / SOCIAL ISSUES
"Freedom Writers: Stories from the Heart" (PBS SoCal)
Don Hahn, Director, Executive Producer
Lori Korngiebel, Producer
Stephen Yao, Editor
ARTS
Artbound – “Masters of Modern Design: The Art of the Japanese American Experience” (KCET)
Juan Devis, Executive Producer
Matthew Crotty, Producer
Jacqueline Reyno, Producer
Akira Boch, Director, Director of Photography, Producer
Tadashi Nakamura, Co-Producer
Amanda Marie Pinedo, Associate Producer
CULTURE / HISTORY
Lost LA – “Three Views of Manzanar” (KCET)
Matt Bass, Director, Director of Photography
Juan Devis, Executive Producer
Matthew Crotty, Executive Producer
Nathan Masters, Executive Producer, Host
Hugh McHarg, Co-Executive Producer
Catherine Quinlan, Co-Executive Producer
Angela Boisvert, Producer
Bill Dotson, Co-Producer
Sasheen Artis, Coordinating Producer
Daniel Leonard, Editor
Kathryn Noonan, Associate Producer
Kathy Kasaba, Supervising Producer
ENTERTAINMENT
SoCal Connected – “Jazz City” (KCET)
Eric Fernandez, Producer
Michael Bloecher, Editor
Michael Ray, Associate Producer
LIVE SPECIAL EVENTS – PROGRAMMING
"The 60th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration" (PBS SoCal)
Kenneth Shapiro, Director, Executive Producer
Nick Schwartz-Hall, Executive Producer
Ming Ng, Executive Producer
Michelle Merker, Producer
Cody Kopp, Producer
Teresa Taylor, Co-Producer
Jason Kessler, Writer
Suzanna Guzmán, Co-Host
Marisa Ramirez, Co-Host
FEATURE SEGMENT
Blue Sky Metropolis – “Women Lead the Future of Aerospace” (KCET)
Peter Jones, Producer, Writer
Brian Tessier, Producer
Juan Devis, Executive Producer
Michael Riley, Executive Producer
Matthew Crotty, Producer
Bryan Darling, Editor
Tanayi Seabrook, Associate Producer
Peter Westwick, Producer
William Deverell, Producer
Dan Lewis, Producer
INFORMATION SEGMENT
Lost LA – “Discovering the Universe” (KCET)
Matt Bass, Director of Photography
Juan Devis, Executive Producer
Matthew Crotty, Executive Producer
Nathan Masters, Executive Producer, Host
Hugh McHarg, Executive Producer
Catherine Quinlan, Executive Producer
Angela Boisvert, Producer
Bill Dotson, Producer
Sasheen Artis, Segment Producer
Kathy Kasaba, Segment Producer
Daniel Leonard, Editor
Edgar Sardarian, Editor
Kathryn Noonan, Associate Producer
SHORT PROMO – NEWS / TOPICAL
"Broken Bread" (KCET)
Juan Devis, Executive Producer
James Mann, Director, Director of Photography
INDEPENDENT PROGRAMMING
"Hand Drawn Life" (KCET)
Tom Tanquary, Director
Diana Jenkins, Editor
KCBS/KCAL anchor Pat Harvey hosted this year’s ceremony for the Television Academy. Kobe Bryant was named the posthumous recipient of the 2020 Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award. Presenters for this year’s online show included "Broken Bread" Executive Producer/Host Roy Choi, as well as other notable names that included Fritz Coleman (KNBC), Christine Devine (KTTV), Dallas Raines (KABC), Gabriela Teissier (Univision) and Colleen Williams (KNBC).
