The Television Critics Association announced its nominees for the 2016 TCA Awards, set to take place on August 6 at the Beverly Hilton.
One of the TV industry’s most acclaimed and respected events, the TCA is known for recognizing programs often overlooked by Emmy voters. This year, these include two very different news programs nominated in the “Outstanding Achievement in News and Information Category.” They are CBS Sunday Morning and CNN’s United Shades of America.
CBS Sunday Morning launched in 1979 and is television’s most-watched morning news program. In fact, it is coming off of its best May Sweeps period since 1987. Longtime CBS News anchor Charles Osgood has hosted the 90-minute program since 1994. Sunday Morning won its first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program in 2013, beating out Today and GMA in the category. It also won a Peabody Award in 2007 for the feature segment The Way Home.
Unlike Sunday Morning, CNN’s United Shades of America is new to the television landscape. Comedian and social commentator W. Kamau Bell hosts the unscripted program, which features his travels around the country, exploring various communities that possess “unique” subcultures. As he told TVNewser in a Q&A earlier this month, Bell aims to put a spotlight on sensitive and controversial issues, bringing humor to each situation.
Adweek’s Jason Lynch will be at the TCA in August, so check back for coverage on Adweek and TVNewser.