Happy news for NBC News and MSNBC this morning: On Assignment with Richard Engel has been announced as a winner in this year’s Edward R. Murrow Awards, announced by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA).
On Assignment, which airs on MSNBC in weekend primetime, received the Murrow Award in the News Documentary category for the hour-long special, The Covid Frontlines. Just six months after the first Covid-19 outbreak, Engel reported from around the globe, examining the different ways countries were responding to the pandemic. The team’s reporting on the Coronavirus was also honored this year as a finalist for the Scripps Howard Awards.
And if you’ve been watching NBC News in recent days, you’ve seen NBC News chief foreign correspondent reporting around the clock from Afghanistan.
Speaking of NBC News programming, NBC’s Today has been honored with the Edward R. Murrow Newscast award for America in Crisis, which featured Savannah Guthrie reporting live from Herald Square, Hoda Kotb from Studio 1A and Craig Melvin from Washington, D.C., as they explored the aftermath of the June 2020 racial justice protests. The Murrow Award win marks the second win for America in Crisis, following the Gracie Award for News Program earlier this year.
CNN has won a Murrow for its investigation with Bellingcat into the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward (who has had quite an intense week) led the investigation.
NBC and CNN aren’t the only winners. In fact, ABC News won a whopping 9 Murrow Awards, including the coveted Excellence in Television Award for the third consecutive year.
ABC Audio is also the recipient of the Overall Excellence in Radio award for the first time in six years. This year, ABC News received more combined television and radio awards than any other network.
“These awards reflect the hard work and dedication of the entire news division. I am grateful to each of you for your commitment to powerful storytelling and world class journalism … Congratulations to you all!” ABC News president Kim Godwin said in a memo to staff.
Here are the Murrow Awards earned by ABC News:
- Television Network: Overall Excellence| ABC News
- Television Network: Breaking News | Anger on the Streets of America
- Television Network: Excellence in DEI | ABC News: Turning Point
- Television Network: Excellence in Video | Guardians of the Amazon
- Radio Network: Overall Excellence| ABC News Radio Overall Excellence
- Radio Network: Breaking News | COVID-19: President Trump Tests Positive
- Radio Network: Continuing Coverage | A Nation Divided
- Radio Network: Investigative Reporting | Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein
- Radio Network: News Series | Pandemic: A Nation Divided
Additionally, CBS News & Stations earned six Murrows this year. The awards were earned by CBS News and the CBS owned and operated station WBBM-TV Chicago.
60 Minutes received the Murrow for News Series for three Bill Whitaker stories on voting in the pandemic in the presidential election.
The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell was honored for the second straight year with the Excellence in Writing Award for CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman’s On the Road series.
CBS News Radio won two Murrow awards, including Best Newscast—for the ninth year in a row—for the Nov. 20, 2020 World News Roundup and for Excellence in Writing for the commentaries of Dave Ross.
WBBM-TV won the national Overall News Excellence crown and anchor Brad Edwards was recognized for Writing Excellence.
National winners will be recognized at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on Oct. 27 in New York.