Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday received its first-ever nomination from the Peabody Awards.
In support of the ABC talker’s nomination, the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors wrote, “For more than 23 years, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has used humor and satire to critique powerful figures and reflect American culture, embracing the responsibility of comedy to reveal truths amid political volatility.”
During the 2025 eligibility period, “The show faced unprecedented challenges as President Trump’s second administration came to power, culminating in a brief suspension by ABC (at the behest of the FCC) that sparked a bipartisan defense of free expression on the airwaves, ultimately reinforcing the importance of satire as a vital form of democratic speech.”
In response—and with a nod to Trump—Kimmel quipped on social media, “We are very honored to have been nominated for the first-ever FIFA Peabody Award.”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! has abundant and formidable competition, though, standing in the way of it actually winning this year’s Peabody Awards’ Entertainment category.
Not only is the late-night program nominated alongside Crave/HBO Max’s buzzy Heated Rivalry and HBO Max’s well-lauded The Pitt, it also will vie against Netflix’s Adolescence, Disney+’s Andor, Adult Swim’s Common Side Effects, Netflix’s Death by Lightning, FX/Hulu’s Dying for Sex, Netflix’s Forever, the Australian streamer Stan’s Invisible Boys, Netflix’s Mo, BritBox’s Mr. Loverman, MUBI’s Mussolini: Son of the Century, Apple TV’s Pluribus, and HBO’s The Rehearsal.
The winners of the 86th Annual Peabody Awards will be announced Thursday, April 23, and then celebrated Sunday, May 31, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.
At this year’s ceremony, Saturday Night Live alum and podcast host Amy Poehler will be honored with the Peabody Career Achievement Award; director/screenwriter Sterlin Harjo will be honored with the Peabody Trailblazer Award; James L. Brooks will be honored with the Peabody Industry Icon Award; and PBS KIDS will be honored with the Peabody Institutional Award.
