Press Releases

History Makers Award Winners Announced

(January 29, 2010) Hosted by Daljit Dhaliwal of WNET.ORG's Worldfocus, the 2010 History Makers Awards gathered winners, nominees, jurors and special guests to honour the year's best programming in 7 newly expanded categories, including the best usage of archives in current affairs and history television.

The general category winners for the evening were:


Two special category awards were also presented, including the Lifetime Achievement Awards to the legendary Professor Guido Knopp, producer and co-writer of many internationally renowned documentaries such as Hitler - Eine Bilanz (Hitler - a Profile), Hitlers Helfer (Hitler's Henchmen) and the 2009 Emmy-nominated docu-drama Die Wölfe (The Wolf Pack). A Special Jury Award was also was also presented to The People vs. Leo Frank (Ben Loeterman Productions).

History Makers Announces 2010 Nominees and Awards Host - The 2010 History Makers Summit has announced this year’s nominees in five prestigious award categories as well as a very impressive host for the upcoming event.

(January 12, 2010) – Daljit Dhaliwal, anchor of WNET.ORG’s Worldfocus and a seasoned broadcaster who has worked for some of the world’s most respected news organizations, including CNN International and BBC News, has been confirmed as the Host of the 2010 History Makers Awards taking place on January 28, 2010 in New York City.  Dhaliwal is a perfect fit for this year’s awards as she has covered many of the major news stories of the last ten years, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the conflicts in the Middle East and the Balkans.  Most recently, Dhaliwal hosted Foreign Exchange, a weekly half-hour international affairs series on PBS that examines America’s role in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.  Dhaliwal has reported from Singapore and India, and most recently from the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for Worldfocus. Since its launch in August 2008, Worldfocus has won the Robert F. Kennedy award for Journalism and nominated for two Emmy awards. The show is now seen on 90% of public television stations across the country. 

The History Makers Awards recognize excellence in History and Current Affairs production in five categories, some of which were new to this year’s competition.  “We are thrilled with the amount of award entries received,” says Bill Nemtin, History Makers Executive Producer. “The nominees are a perfect reflection of not only the calibre of programs submitted, but of the international scope of the event as well.”
2010 History Makers Awards Nominees:
Best Current Affairs Production
•    The Fifth Estate - CBC Television, Canada
•    Iran and the West – Brook Lapping Productions, UK
•    Tiger Spirit – Storyline Entertainment in association with National Film Board of Canada, Canada
•    The Final Inch – HBO, US
•    Under Our Skin – Open Eye Pictures, US
•    The Spy Factory – WGBH NOVA, US
Best Use of Archive in a Current Affairs Production
•    Trouble the Water – HBO, US
•    The Most Secret Place on Earth - The CIA's Covert War In Laos – Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion Köln GmbH & Co. KG, Germany
•    Allende, A Closed Affair – TVE, Spain
Best History Production
•    Paper Dolls - Australian Pinups of World War 2 - Marina Films, Australia
•    To Kill or Not to Kill – NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.), Japan
•    The Stasi File of Hans Kramer - Context TV GmbH in association with Cinetévè, Germany
•    Busting the Berlin Wall – ZDF Enterprises, Germany
•    Looking for Lincoln – Thirteen WNET, US
•    The People vs. Leo Frank - Ben Loeterman Productions, Inc. (BLPI) In association with South Carolina ETV, US
Best Use of Archive in a History Production
•    Apocalypse: The Second World War – Clarke, Costelle & Cie / Smithsonian Networks, US
•    Eliot Ness versus Al Capone - Temps noir in association with ARTE France, France
•    For Which I Am Prepared To Die – Lindy Wilson Productions, South Africa
•    Paris 1919 – National Film Board of Canada in co-production with 13 Production with Galafilm in co-production with ARTE France, Canada
•    The Spies Who Came From the Sea - Radio-Canada in association with CBC, Canada
•    Teddy: In His Own Words – HBO, US
Most Innovative Production
•    Inuit Odyssey - Clearwater Documentary, Canada
•    Manson – HISTORY, US
•    The Naked Archaeologist: Coat of Many Colours? – Associated Producers Ltd., Canada
•    Busting the Berlin Wall – ZDF Enterprises, Germany
•    The Naked Archaeologist: Babes, Brothels and Baths - Associated Producers Ltd., Canada
•    Generals at War – Windfall Films, UK
About WNET.ORG
New York public media company WNET.ORG is a pioneering provider of television and web content.  The parent of THIRTEEN, WLIW21 and Creative News Group, WNET.ORG brings such acclaimed broadcast series and websites as Worldfocus, Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Wide Angle, Secrets of the Dead, Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, Visions, Consuelo Mack WealthTrack, Wild Chronicles, Miffy and Friends, and Cyberchase to national and international audiences.  Through its wide range of channels and platforms, WNET.ORG serves the entire New York City metro area with unique local productions, broadcasts and innovative educational and cultural projects.  In all that it does, WNET.ORG pursues a single, overarching goal – to create media experiences of lasting significance for New York, America and the world.  For more information, visit www.wnet.org.
 

It’s a British Invasion at History Makers 2010- Daljit Dhaliwal Confirmed as Host of History Makers Awards Together with Leading British Producers and Broadcasters

(January 11, 2010) -  The British are out in full force at the History Makers summit January 27th to 29th where producers and broadcasters from over 20 countries gather in New York to explore the latest in program trends and industry intelligence. History Makers has continually attracted international attendees and speakers, but this year is clearly the year of the Brit.
History Makers has just confirmed that respected veteran broadcaster Daljit Dhaliwal of CNN International and BBC News will be hosting the Awards ceremony on January 28th. UK born Dhaliwal is the anchor of World Focus which covers breaking news and features live interviews with a wide range of the world’s newsmakers such as the late Yasser Arafat, Benazir Bhutto, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov and former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright.
Other big names from the UK who will be speaking at the event include John Grierson Life Time Achievement Award winner Norma Percy and partner Brian Lapping of Brook Lapping Productions, Roly Keating, Director of BBC archives, Philip Armstrong-Dampier, Head of ITN Factual, and esteemed producer Bill Cran who will preview his latest film about little known concentration camps in North Africa, Among the Righteous: Lost Stories from the Holocaust in Arab Lands.
In addition, Lion Television’s Richard Bradley and Bill Locke will take centre stage, hosting a Master Class on children’s history programming, sharing their expertise and strategies on how to create successful and engaging programming such as the BBC’s Horrible Histories.  Alan Hayling of Renegade Pictures will also be presenting his 3D historical films which made the Channel 4’s 3D season, including the remarkable The Queen in 3D, a 3D version of the Queen’s 1953 Coronation.
Known for its focus on content and networking opportunities, History Makers has also attracted some leading British Commissioning Editors, including Channel 4’s Julia Harrington, BBC Storyville’s Nick Fraser and  AETN UK’s Richard Melman who will all be taking meetings and speaking during the event.

Chris Moore and Anthony Arnove, co-executive producers and co-directors of The People Speak Join History Makers 2010 Line-up

(January 7, 2010) -  History Makers 2010 has just announced that Chris Moore and Anthony Arnove, co-executive producers and co-directors of HISTORY’s The People Speak will be presenting a Master Class entitled “Hollywood and History” during the History Makers summit taking place January 27th to 29th  at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. The series currently being adapted by AETN UK for a British audience, and AETN UK’s Richard Melman will also take part in the Master Class to discuss how the words and actions of ordinary activists and dissidents have had an impact on History, and how the concept of “People’s History” was dramatized for television.

“The People Speak fascinating example of how performances by popular, accomplished actors can raise a subject like ‘people’s history’ and make it accessible and appealing to a much larger audience,” states Bill Nemtin, Executive Producer of History Makers.

Inspired by Howard Zinn’s iconic books, “A People’s History of the United States” and “Voices of a People’s History,” The People Speak presents a view of American history in motion, telling the stories - through celebrity performances - of the men and women who have defined democracy.
Featuring musical and spoken adaptations of historical documents by performers such as Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover, Marisa Tomei, Bruce Springsteen, and John Legend.

Equally informative and entertaining, Arnove and Moore will discuss both the historical and the production aspects of the work. Arnove is editor, with Howard Zinn, of the book, “Voices of a People’s History of the United States”, which has been read in dramatic performances across the country since 2004. He and Zinn also co-founded the non-profit organization Voices of a People’s History of the United States.

Moore’s past executive production experiences in film include the highly successful series of American Pie films, and the Academy Award–winning Good Will Hunting. He is also the co-founder of progressive media production company First Tuesday Media.

History Makers 2010 Announces International Best Selling Author as Keynote Speaker

December 17, 2009 – Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, author of #1 international bestseller Hitler’s Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust and winner of Germany’s prestigious triennial Democracy Prize, has been confirmed as Keynote speaker at the upcoming 2010 History Makers Conference being held in New York City from January 27th – 29th.

Goldhagen, an esteemed award winning author, will be on hand to discuss his most recent work, Worse Than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity. Tackling issues around understanding and reconceptualising genocide, Worse than War recounts what Goldhagen has learned about genocide through his years of study.

The themes explored in Worse than War are the basis of a major feature-length documentary of the same name, produced by JTN Productions and WNET. The film follows Goldhagen as he travels around the world to interview not only the survivors of genocide, but also the perpetrators and politicians involved.
Worse than War will be the focus of Goldhagens’ keynote at History Makers, and will draw upon his experiences during his nearly two decades of study. The author will, “explain how we have thoroughly misunderstood what genocide is and why it happens, illuminate why the killers killed, and, based on this new understanding, propose a set of new policies that would be sure to radically reduce the incidence of mass killing, saving potentially millions of lives. My work and my talk are devoted to making the phrase ‘never again’ finally mean it for everyone.”

Goldhagen is also the author of the bestselling A Moral Reckoning: The Role of the Catholic Church in the Holocaust and Its Unfulfilled Duty of Repair, and has written multiple international articles. His work has been the subject of dozens of scholarly and popular books and he has has been profiled on television and in magazines, including Dateline, New York Times Magazine and the New York Review of Books. Goldhagen will be speaking at History Makers on January 28th, 2010 from 9:45 – 10:30 am. History Makers 2010 is being held at the Grand Hyatt New York, New York City.

History Makers to Present Lifetime Achievement Award to ZDF’s Guido Knopp

Toronto, ON (November 20, 2009) – Michael Katz, Chairman of the History Makers 2010 Advisory Board and Vice President of AETN International has announced that Professor Guido Knopp, Head of History for German broadcaster ZDF will be awarded the lifetime Achievement Award at the annual History Makers award ceremony on January 28, 2010.
Expanding on the boards decision, Katz stated, “Throughout his career as an historian, journalist and producer, Guido Knopp has been regarded as one of the most prolific and insightful producers of historical programming of the 20th century. Around the globe, Knopp is known predominantly for programs dealing with the 3rd Reich and WWII. While there have been literally hundreds of programs on this period of world history, his work is second to none, and he and his staff are somehow always able to uncover the hidden archive or the exceptional telling story. His artistic sensibility takes that which might turn out to be mundane and brings it to a true art form.”

Bill Nemtin, Executive Producer of History Makers declared that Guido Knopp is a true hero among European program makers of History. “He literally broke the German silence about the Nazi era and in the 1980’s began to produce an unparalleled body of work including such productions as The Doomed War (1991), Hitler’s Henchmen (1996), The Hitler Youth ( 2000), Holokaust, 6parts (2007), and The Germans , 10parts, (2009). His programs have been seen in over 60 countries and he has been the recipient of many awards.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award winner is chosen by the History Makers Advisory Board, which is composed of broadcasters and producers from Europe and North America. The award recognizes an individual who has consistently achieved excellence in performing services to history and current affairs programming.  Past recipients include Laurence Rees, former Head of BBC History (2009) and journalist Walter Cronkite (2008).

Other members History Makers Board of Advisors express their admiration for Prof. Knopp:

“The name of Guido Knopp attached to a programme is a hallmark for intelligent, creative history television,” say Richard Melman, History Makers Board Member and Channels Director AETN UK.

Piero Corsini of Rai Storia states, "Knopp’s work is known for its quality, content, in-depth research, and deeply satisfying storytelling. A classic of his own."

France TV’s Ann Julienne also states, “Guido Knopp's contribution to history on television is threefold: astute popularization; irreproachable historical accuracy; incredibly appealing story-telling.”
 

History Makers 2010 Presents New Categories for 2010 Awards
The Industry’s best to be recognized at awards ceremony January 28th, 2010 in New York

Toronto, ON (November 16, 2009) – History Makers has added 5 new production based categories to its coveted awards, recognizing excellence in International History and Current Affairs productions.  The 2010 conference, which runs from January 27th to 29th at the Grand Hyatt New York, will feature top speakers, sessions and industry networking in the world of Factual History programming, with the awards Gala held on January 28, 2010. 

New History Makers Awards categories: 
•    Best History Production
•    Best Use of Archive in a History Production
•    Best Current Affairs Production
•    Best Use of Archive in a Current Affairs Production
•    Most Innovative Production
Nominees and winners will be selected by international jury members appointed by Jury Hosts in judging centers around the world.  Each jury is comprised of top-names in History and Current Affairs production.