2x EMMY® Wins for Metropolis in the Documentary field
GLITTER ON THE RED CARPET…
Congratulations to our team at Metropolis Media for their double Emmy® win for their work on the documentary “Owyhee Canyonlands” at the 2026 NATAS Regional North West Emmy® Awards. With two nominations in tow, Producer & Director team Lauren Bogard and A.J. Carter flew into Washington State for the event, expecting nothing more than a wonderful evening to celebrate the nominations. Being the major underdogs from an independent company, and up against films from the likes of PBS and Fox, the tables erupted for the crew on the announcement of both wins. The producers won their first Emmy® for Best Short Documentary in the Science & Environmental space, and Carter took home a second Emmy® for Best Photography (Cinematography) for a Documentary overall.
“…our families were watching the live broadcast from all over the world so it was a very surreal and rewarding moment for the team.” said Carter.
Owyhee Canyonlands was the 9th and final film in the Postcards: Road to 30 Series that Carter & Bogard produced for their clients Rally and Western Priorities.
2025 EMMY® Win for Metropolis’ senior editor and story producer
ANOTHER EMMY® WIN…
Congratulations to Metropolis’ Christopher and Norma Hoerdemann for their NATAS Regional Emmy® win for their work on the documentary “Making of Mahalia Jackson Court” with PRIME312. The film documents the process and evolution of the project’s concept, construction, and completion, and highlights how the community collaborated to use art and architecture to honor and memorialize a public space for the world-renowned musical artist and civil rights activist.
“…we are proud that we had the chance to help tell an impactful piece of a larger story.” said Christopher.
The film is also screening at many Black history Month events and received notoriety from the MacArthur Foundation. This run of publicity has also proved to be a successful tool for further funding in the Greater Chatham Initiative’s ongoing effort.
A sequel to the documentary is in the works. Stay tuned!
2025 DOCUMENTARY “Road To 30: OWYHEE CANYONLANDS” wins more Film Awards
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Success continues for the team behind the latest documentary produced by Metropolis Media in conjunction with long-time clients Rally and the Center for Western Priorities.
Cinematographer A.J. Carter took out the Gabriel Figueroa Special Award for BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, as well as the BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY award at the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival.
“To receive this continued recognition for all our work at festivals across the USA is a sheer delight for our client, not to mention the elevated exposure for their campaign” said Cinematographer / Co-Director A.J. Carter.
“Owyhee Canyonlands” the ninth film in the Postcards Road to 30 Series, and was painstakingly filmed in the most remote locations of the Owyhee Canyonlands in Oregon, many locations inaccessible by vehicles, to showcase the sheer, un-edited beauty of the Lands.
The film continues its film festival circuit in 2025 after being accepted into a total of 10 international film festivals.
METROPOLIS MEDIA GROUP WINS “BEST TV AD”
AT THE TIME THIS AD AIRED…
85,000 Kaiser Permanente hospital workers were gearing up for what would have been the largest strike in the United States in over two decades.
It didnt happen.
One day after the ad began airing, Kaiser demanded that the networks take it down. Two weeks later, Kaiser’s CEO released a statement insisting our client’s tactics would get them nowhere. Week Three, Kaiser acquiesced, caving to the unions on several key demands and ending the negotiations.
THE WINNING COMMERCIAL…
The idea of featuring a day in the life of a housekeeper to highlight the discrepancy between executive and housekeeper salaries is simple enough. But packing a complete story spanning an entire day at work and home and key message points into a cohesive :30 requires a special level of finesse.
For outstanding execution of a tricky concept, and for helping avoid a strike that would’ve hurt patients and workers, “Fitzgerald” was awarded the highest honor for “Best TV Ad” in the independent category at the 2020 Reed Awards.
Congratulations firstly to our long time client, Rally, for putting together such a brilliant and well strategized overall campaign. And secondly to the entire Metropolis Media Group team who worked tirelessly, filming in two different cities, and our post production team who produced over 30 editorial ‘versions’ of the commercial to arrive at what we consider one of the best & most successful spots we’ve ever produced.