The Peabody Awards will honor Sterlin Harjo with the 2026 Trailblazer Award during the 86th annual ceremony on May 31 in Beverly Hills. He will be recognized alongside Amy Poehler, who is receiving the Career Achievement Award, and PBS KIDS, this year’s Institutional Award honoree.
A citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and a Mvskoke descendant, Harjo’s career is centered around stories rooted in Oklahoma, Native communities, and lives television has too often pushed out of the frame. His body of work stretches across independent film, documentary, shorts, and television, including Four Sheets to the Wind, Barking Water, This May Be the Last Time, and Mekko. Through his work with the 1491s, he helped pave the way for Native satire and a sharper, more contemporary Indigenous comedic voice to flourish. In 2024, he received a MacArthur Fellowship.
In announcing the honor, the Peabody Awards described the Trailblazer Award as recognizing “visionaries whose innovative storytelling styles impact culture and effect social change.”
Peabody executive director Jeffrey Jones connected Harjo’s recognition to the broader significance of this year’s honorees, saying, “These honorees represent the very best of storytelling in media and the profound impact it can have on culture. Amy Poehler has built a remarkable career bringing intelligence, humor, and fearless creativity to work that continues to shape comedy and inspire audiences. Sterlin Harjo has expanded the possibilities of television with work that is both deeply personal and culturally groundbreaking, with overdue stories and voices Americans have long ignored. And for decades, PBS KIDS has set the gold standard for educational children’s media, creating thoughtful, enriching stories that continue to shape how young audiences learn, grow, and understand the world. We’re proud to recognize each of them for their lasting impact on the media landscape.”
For many viewers, Reservation Dogs marked a major shift. As co-creator with Taika Waititi, Harjo, the showrunner, writer, director, and executive producer, helped shape a series grounded in Oklahoma Native life that resonated far beyond Oklahoma. Over three seasons, the FX series earned a Gotham Award, two Peabody Awards, two Independent Spirit Awards, and honors from the Television Academy, while helping change the conversation around what Native storytelling and television could be on a major platform.
He has continued that work with The Lowdown, which he created, wrote, directed, and executive-produced. The FX and Hulu series starring Ethan Hawke carries forward Harjo’s gift for getting long-buried truths, hidden realities, and histories to the surface.
Past Trailblazer recipients include Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Quinta Brunson, and inaugural honoree Issa Rae. Harjo now joins these changemakers, who have and continue to pave the way for the future generations of Black and Indigenous Storytellers. Congratulations, Sterlin!
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