‘Heated Rivalry’ wins a prestigious Peabody Award for making ‘the biggest cultural impact in television’

“Heated Rivalry” is now a Peabody Award winner.

The breakout Canadian TV series has been named one of 11 winning television programs in the entertainment field, representing the year’s most captivating and inspiring stories across broadcast and streaming media.

Crave’s gay hockey romance series, created by director-screenwriter Jacob Tierney and based on author Rachel Reid’s novels, quickly grew into a global cultural phenomenon. Viewers became hooked on the story of two hockey players, played by Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who keep their developing love a secret from the league and their families.

How the Peabody jurors voted

The series was selected by a unanimous vote of 28 jurors. They were seeking stories that “encourage empathy, champion public interest, and expand our comprehension of the world around us.”

In its decision, the jury praised “Heated Rivalry” for balancing “complex themes of sexuality and emotional connection, inspiring fans and promoting non-toxic masculinity, ultimately making what was arguably the biggest cultural impact in television this year.”

The Peabody winners will be celebrated during a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles on May 31. Special honourees include comedian Amy Poehler and Oscar-winning screenwriter James L. Brooks.

More Peabody 2026 winners

Other winners in the entertainment category included the single-shot Netflix drama “Adolescence”; “Andor,” one of the latest chapters in the Star Wars series; Noah Wyle’s hospital trauma centre drama “The Pitt”; and “The Rehearsal,” a docu-comedy starring Vancouver-raised Nathan Fielder.

In the documentary category, the 10 winners included two features that have already won Oscars: this year’s “Mr Nobody Against Putin” and last year’s “No Other Land.”

The Star’s ownLeft To Their Own Devices podcast was nominated for a Peabody Award this year, although it didn’t win. The 10-part investigative podcast explores the profound impact of social media and technology on youth.