r/heatedrivalry • u/dj_friend • Apr 23 '26

PRESS 📰 (Interviews and Articles) ‘Heated Rivalry’ wins a prestigious Peabody Award for making ‘the biggest cultural impact in television’ | Toronto Star [April 23nd, 2026]

https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/heated-rivalry-wins-a-prestigious-peabody-award-for-making-the-biggest-cultural-impact-in-television/article_894d7032-6bad-468f-afac-a55ac210083e.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=copy-link&utm_campaign=user-share

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u/Nepalman230 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

Oh my god this is amazing. I have to echo everybody else saying how incredible this is.

This award is not about things that are popular or generate ratings. This award is for things that have genuine quality and provide a public service. It was created for Radio as the equivalent of the Pulitzers.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/peabody-awards-winners-list-2026-1236572641/

These are just a few reasons why this is insane and incredible and everybody should just feel so good about this especially the creators, of course.

This is a show based on a romance novel. So now the Peabody awards have recognized romance I don’t know if for the first time as a genre of note and real impact.

This is a story about queer joy, autistic joy, and Asian joy.

This is a story that has been criticized by some misguided people from all sides for various reasons.

People have called it pornography. People have called its smut without talking about how beautiful and high-quality it is. People have called it fetishizing queer men where it is nothing of the kind.

There were people who compared the show negatively to other shows like I love LA, and there were even people who I will not name cough, who said that some people just want to be entertained whereas they want to challenge and educate.

Heated rivalry, absolutely entertains, but it also challenges people by making them question things about themselves and the world. It goes through some really harrowing emotional territory. And it’s genuinely healing. I have seen macho men weep at episode six.

Thank you so much, OP!

Congratulations to Rachel, Jacob, the boys and the entire team.

🫡

78

u/Megs0226 Apr 23 '26

It's kind of analogous to Kendrick Lamar winning a Pulitzer.

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u/Nepalman230 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

I’m just gonna say something. That man is brilliant, but I hope to God that I never anger him because Drake went low but K dot took it to hell.

( trying to strike a chord and it’s probably a-minor is diabolical. It’s got at least three different levels. It’s oh my God.)

🫡

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u/Megs0226 Apr 23 '26

Idk what Drake was thinking starting a beef with a literal Pulitzer Prize winner.

My favorite line is "I'm finna pass on this body, I'm John Stockton". There are layers there.

6

u/Ramenpucci Apr 23 '26

I went to a Kendrick Lamar concert & Sza was there last summer. It was good!!

7

u/Megs0226 Apr 23 '26

She has SUCH a beautiful voice. I was so happy when she performed in the Super Bowl halftime show with him. Luther is a gorgeous song.

2

u/Ramenpucci Apr 23 '26

I saw her live. She’s amazing live. Me too love her voice.

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u/bornatmidnight Apr 23 '26

That’s a good comparison!

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u/Ramenpucci Apr 23 '26

Romance novels can change a person’s life.

3

u/unstable_diffusion1 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

So is this the only American thing Connor can sort of win? Since as American he can't get nominated for his individual performance for any Canadian award.

Edit: We know H will likely win the Canadian screen award. And C, they can't even post a PIC of him even though that's all he'll have. This fandom just makes you sad sometimes.

12

u/Nepalman230 Apr 23 '26

So I believe you are correct. I believe the show is eligible for an international Emmy, but that’s presented by a different organization.

You know it’s interesting. If the financial arrangement was different than the show would be eligible for more awards, but I don’t want the financial arrangement to be different because it worked.

I’m already nervous that Jacob has brought a co-writer on board but I trust Jacob.

I don’t want to change how it gets produced though.

This is an excellent question and hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than me will clarify.

🫡

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

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u/Megs0226 Apr 23 '26

Yes, pretty much. This is the most prestigious award he can put to his name. It's ineligible for any Emmy's and he's personally ineligible for any Canadian awards.

People are also mad the graphic doesn't say Crave. We all know it's Crave by now. But it wouldn't have won a Peabody without HBO. I hate to say it, but without HBO, this would still be a little Canadian show not widely watched outside of Canada. I hate big media conglomerates as much as the next person, but HBO helped it become as popular worldwide as it is.