Ramona Diaz’s ‘A Thousand Cuts’ wins prestigious Peabody Award

In the Peabody Award jurors’ citation, “A Thousand Cuts” was recognized for its “astonishing access and chilling precision” and was honored as “a journalistic profile in courage for our time.” PBS

“A Thousand Cuts,” FRONTLINE’s 2021 documentary on the escalating war between the government and the press in the Philippines, won a George Foster Peabody Award in the Documentary category.

The award-winning feature-length documentary by filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz follows renowned journalist Maria Ressa, CEO of the independent news site Rappler and a top target of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on press freedom. In December 2021, Ressa went on to be named a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the Peabody Award jurors’ citation, “A Thousand Cuts” was recognized for its “astonishing access and chilling precision” and was honored as “a journalistic profile in courage for our time and a cautionary tale for global press freedom straining against the rise of populist autocracies around the world.”

The documentary premiered on PBS in January 2021 following a decorated theatrical release in the summer of 2020 by PBS Distribution. Most recently, the film was awarded a 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in the International TV category.

“We are thrilled to see Ramona Diaz’s ‘A Thousand Cuts’ be recognized by the George Foster Peabody Awards,” said FRONTLINE Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath. “At a time when the critical practice and public service of journalism is increasingly under attack in countries across the globe, we are proud to share Maria’s courageous story with our PBS audiences. We share this honor with our production partners at CineDiaz, Motto Pictures and Concordia Studios, and we will continue to champion Maria and other journalists in pursuit of the truth.”

“I’m very honored to receive a Peabody Award for A Thousand Cuts,” said Diaz. “It’s been a privilege to be able to tell Maria Ressa’s story. She has been sounding the clarion call for social media disinformation and its effects on democracy since 2016. This important recognition from Peabody goes a long way in helping us amplify this universally resonant story.”

Since 1940, the prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards have honored excellence in broadcasting. The awards now recognize excellence in digital storytelling as well.