PBS KIDS has won the Institutional Peabody Award, a major recognition of the impact it’s had on educating US children for the past 30 years—and the unique circumstances it finds itself facing now. 

The Peabody Awards is a prestigious program that celebrates excellence in TV, radio and online media. This is the awards’ 86th year. 

PBS KIDS’s trophy is part of a special award category that was announced today alongside awards for Career Achievement (Amy Poehler) and a Trailblazer award (Sterlin Harjo, who created the teen/adult drama Reservation Dogs). These awards will all be handed out during the awards ceremony on May 31. (The rest of the Peabody nominees, including in a children’s and youth category, will be announced in April.) 

The Institutional Award recognizes organizations for an enduring body of work and a lasting impact on the media landscape. Past winners of the award include significant TV series like Star Trek and SNL, as well as some radio and TV stations.  

“We are grateful for this recognition from the Peabody Awards spotlighting the impactful and enduring work of the public media community, including our producers and local PBS stations,” said Sara DeWitt, SVP and GM of PBS KIDS and Education. 

The Peabody Awards said in a statement that it is recognizing PBS KIDS for its service to kids through its trusted, research-backed content, building on the legacies of early kids TV pioneers like Fred Rogers and Jim Henson, citing series like Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (pictured) and Alma’s Way. 

It’s a big win for the beleaguered public broadcaster, which is enduring despite losing a significant funding source in the Corporation for Public Broadcasting after the US federal government cut off all funding for public media. PBS KIDS had to cut roughly 30% of its workforce, retired 20 apps and removed dozens of games from its app and website. To top it off, it’s had to scrap all research and pause R&D.

But even with all those challenges, the pubcaster continues to roll out content, including The Jim Henson Company’s 22-minute preschool special Wowsabout, as well as a new original animated series Phoebe & Jay. In a conversation with Kidscreen near the end of last year, PBS KIDS’ De Witt made a point of wanting the kids industry to know that PBS KIDS is still standing—and open to new kinds of partnerships as it looks to shore up financing. 

“The political winds that have turned against all of public television in recent times haven’t spared the children’s sector,” the Peabody’s said in a profile of PBS KIDS. “PBS KIDS will increasingly have to rely on generous viewers and far-sighted philanthropists to endure and thrive. With high hopes for that continued survival—and with deep appreciation for its role in educating and empowering America’s children—we honor PBS KIDS with the Peabody Institutional Award.”