Kenyan film Softie has been nominated for the 2021 Peabody Awards in its latest nomination since its release in 2020. The film is among the 60 nominees announced by the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. The 60 nominees are in the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and streaming media in 2020 category.
Commenting on the nomination, Softie director Sam Soko stated in a post on Facebook, “I am so proud of our fantastic Softie the film team. Mad love to the crew, incredible supporters, and Boniface and Njeri Mwangi (the subjects of the film). Thank you! Congratulations to the other amazing nominees.”
The Peabody Awards honour excellence in storytelling that reflects the social issues and the emerging voices.
Boniface Mwangi, an award-winning human rights activist and the main act in Softie said, “It is really exciting to be nominated because it means this is an African story that has reached a global audience. A good story has no colour or race. We are honoured to be among other honourable nominees and we hope to win.”
The Peabody Board of Jurors announced this year’s crop of nominees on May 4, listing Softie alongside Athlete A and Disclosure among 16 others in the documentaries segment.
HBO’s I May Destroy You, Amazon Studios’ Small Axe, and Showtime’s The Good Lord Bird also received recognition from Peabody, as did CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The Awards winners will be announced in June, 2021 as the organization plans to honor this year’s nominees, as it did last year, via a virtual event.