“Heated Rivalry” isn’t eligible for an Emmy, but the Television Academy has still found a way to award the breakthrough Crave series — seen here in the U.S. on HBO Max. “Heated Rivalry” has been named one of six TV series set to be recognized at the 19th annual Television Academy Honors, which single out “exceptional television programs and their producers who have harnessed the extraordinary power of television to advance social change.
Other shows named this year include Netflix’s “Adolescence,” which earned eight Emmys in 2025 (including outstanding limited or anthology series), Comedy Central’s “South Park” (which has won five Emmys over its long run) and FX’s “Dying for Sex” (which earned nine Emmy noms last year, but was shut out of wins).
Also to be recognized are the Apple TV documentary “Deaf President Now!,” which received two Emmy nominations in 2025 (including outstanding documentary or nonfiction special) and HBO Max’s “Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television.”
The Television Academy noted that this year’s honorees addressed topics including social media and online misogyny; disability rights and the fight for deaf representation; end-of-life caregiving and the bureaucracy of cancer treatment; back history, social justice and racism; political extremism, religious tribalism and media hypocrisy; and LGBTQ+ representation, inclusivity in sports and toxic masculinity.
“Storytelling is a vital source of information regarding important social issues both locally and globally, and television has increasingly become a powerful platform for knowledge and discourse and a catalyst for social change,” said Television Academy chair Cris Abrego in a statement. “We have selected this year’s Honors winners to celebrate their commitment to educating and motivating television viewers around the world.”
The Television Academy Honors selection committee was chaired by Bobbi Banks, Governor of the Sound Editors Peer Group, and Howard Meltzer, CSA, Governor of the Children’s Programming Peer Group.
Programs eligible for this year’s Television Academy Honors aired between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025. The 19th Television Academy Honors ceremony will take place Wednesday, May 20, at the org’s Saban Media Center in North Hollywood.
Here’s how the Television Academy Honors says it chose this year’s recipients:
“Adolescence” (Netflix; produced by Warp Films, Matriarch Productions and Plan B for Netflix): “The series’ impact goes beyond industry acclaim with a storyline that tackles the dangers of social media and online misogyny. ‘Adolescence’ has been made freely available as a teaching tool to all secondary schools across the UK as well as schools in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. It has sparked discussion in the House of Commons and led to a roundtable with the creators, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Children’s Society and the Prime Minister. Globally, conversations surrounding digital safety and the digital age of consent have rocketed in its wake.”
“Deaf President Now!” (Apple TV; produced by Concordia Studio): “‘Deaf President Now!’ was born from the urgency to correct a missing chapter in civil rights history. In 1988, deaf students at Gallaudet University led one of the most unified and successful student protests in American history. In just seven days, they secured the university’s first Deaf president and helped pave the way for the ADA, which now protects nearly 25% of Americans. Led by Deaf filmmakers and a production team that was over 40% Deaf, the documentary sought to break norms in how disability stories are told with a visual and auditory storytelling approach that centers deaf perception rather than translating for hearing audiences. By embedding access, authorship and representation into the filmmaking, the project reflects the principles of self-determination and leadership that the movement demanded.”
“Dying for Sex” (FX/Hulu; produced by 20th Television): “While death, sex and female friendships have been the subject of countless stories throughout human history, ‘Dying for Sex,’ the television adaptation of the hit ‘Wondery’ podcast by the same title, is an honest story in the spirit of the real Molly. After a lifetime of shame, she threw out the rules about what ‘normal’ was supposed to look like. The limited comedy series captures feelings of intimacy and aliveness as it follows a woman simultaneously falling apart and healing without self-judgement while exploring themes of end-of-life caregiving and the bureaucracy of cancer.”
“Heated Rivalry” (Crave/HBO Max; produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media’s Crave): “Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two rookies evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial and self-discovery. Over the next eight years, the pair chase glory on the ice while struggling to navigate their feelings off it. Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile and as powerful as real love.”
“Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television” (HBO Max; produced by HBO Documentary Films presents an Ark Media Production in association with Hoorae): “‘Seen & Heard’ is a living history of Black television — told by the people who made it, lived it and carried its impact into the world. At its core, it is a story about authorship: how Black creatives have fought to define their own narratives in an industry that too often erased them, and how their work has shaped the cultural DNA of America. The documentary links generations from Debbie Allen to Lena Waithe and from Oprah Winfrey to Cord Jefferson and Issa Rae. It arrives in a moment when the future of Black authorship in television is again under threat. By preserving and amplifying these voices, the film offers both a testament to what has been built and a blueprint for what must come next.”
“South Park” (Comedy Central; produced by Comedy Central): “For nearly three decades, South Park has stood as one of America’s most fearless cultural commentators, unafraid to satirize the powerful, take aim at hypocrisy and challenge audiences to reconsider the societal norms we’ve come to passively accept. In an environment where public discourse is increasingly siloed and policed, South Park has leaned into the power and responsibility of satire. Its commentary on political extremism, religious tribalism and the erosion of nuance is uniquely relevant, with episodes that spark conversation across ideological lines without resorting to provocation for provocation’s sake. Season 27 is a testament to the show’s enduring relevance and continued willingness to challenge both its audience and itself. South Park demonstrates how comedy can be a vital conscience in America.”
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