Al Jazeera English wins Peabody Award for documentary ‘The Cut’

Al Jazeera English Channel has been named as one of the recipients of the 77th annual Peabody awards for its documentary ‘The Cut’, which explores the dangerous and painful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in many countries around the world.

The Peabody awards honour some of the most influential, illuminating, and powerful stories in media. There are seven categories of awards: news, entertainment, documentaries, children's programming, education, interactive programming, and public service. Each year, more than 1,000 entries are evaluated by some 30 committees.

Al Jazeera’s ‘The Cut’ explores the precarious practice most prevalent in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, but which also happens in Europe, the United States and Latin America. At least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation, the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, also known as "cutting". 

Commenting on the award Giles Trendle, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English said; “We are honoured and delighted to receive this leading, prestigious and coveted award for our courageous journalism. As ever, such work is highly collaborative and I wish to congratulate Fatma Naib, our correspondent for bringing this documentary forward; the executive producer who recognized the importance of tackling this sensitive topic; the filmmaker, the local producers, crew and the film editor who helped bring the story to the screen. And last but not least, I would like to thank the women we filmed in different countries telling their stories with such courage and candour.”

Al Jazeera Media Network is pleased to be commended for the work of its journalists who continue to focus and cover difficult human stories and who provide global, in-depth coverage to our audiences in the United States and across the world.

This Peabody award follows a number of recent high-profile award wins for Al Jazeera English including over thirty-five awards from the New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards and its recognition as Broadcaster of the Year for the second year running.

Founded in 1941 and administered by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Peabody is the oldest award in electronic media and recognises achievements and public service in television, radio and online.

To watch ducumantry: The Cut