Heated Rivalry Takes Home Peabody Award; Complete 2026 Winners List Released

HBO Max's Heated Rivalry has claimed a Peabody Award, marking a significant recognition for the Crave series that remains ineligible for Primetime Emmy consideration.

The honor came Thursday (April 23) alongside other acclaimed programs including Pluribus, The Pitt, and Adolescence. A panel of 28 jurors selected the winners across multiple categories spanning entertainment, documentary, news, podcasts and radio, arts, children's and youth programming, immersive and interactive media, and public service content.

Out of more than 1,000 total entries submitted across all categories, 34 programs earned the distinction of winning.

"The winners of the 86th annual Peabody Awards reflect Peabody's mission to honor storytelling that has the potential to change culture, whether it's examining the destructive tactics of ICE, viewing terminal illness through a deeply personal lens, or resisting attempts to stifle free speech," Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, shared in a statement.

The 2026 ceremony will be held May 31 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. The event will feature several special recognitions: Amy Poehler will receive the Peabody career achievement award, Sterlin Harjo will be presented with the Peabody trailblazer award, James L. Brooks will accept the Peabody industry icon award, and PBS Kids will be honored with the Peabody institutional award.

2026 Peabody Awards Winners by Category:

Entertainment

• Adolescence (Netflix)
• Andor (Disney+)
• Common Side Effects (Adult Swim)
• Dying for Sex (FX / Hulu)
• Forever (Netflix)
• Heated Rivalry (HBO Max)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
• Mussolini: Son of the Century (MUBI)
• The Pitt (HBO Max)
• Pluribus (Apple TV+)
• The Rehearsal (HBO Max)

Arts

• Fela Kuti: Fear No Man (Audible)
• Sly Lives! (a.k.a. The Burden of Black Genius) (Hulu / Onyx Collective)

Documentaries

• The Alabama Solution (HBO Max)
• Come See Me in the Good Light (Apple TV+)
• Mr. Nobody Against Putin (BBC Four)
• No Other Land
• Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max)
• Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (Kino Film Collection)
• Southpaw—The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott (ESPN)
• Thoughts & Prayers (HBO Max)

Children's / Youth

• Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney+)

News

• Fault Lines: "Kids Under Fire" and "The Disappearance of Dr. Abu SaAiya" (Al Jazeera English)
• Immigration Crackdown (PBS NewsHour)
• Los Angeles Burning (ABC News / KABC)
• Restrained (ABC / KMBC 9)
• The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram (PBS)

Podcast and Radio

• Divine Intervention
• Scam Inc
• When We All Get to Heaven

Interactive & Immersive

• Cleared by Fire
• ICE Sweeps Georgia
• Investigating War Crimes in Gaza
• South of Midnight