Canadian-made phenomenon Heated Rivalry will be honoured by the Television Academy, despite its ineligibility for the Emmy Awards.
The celebrated Crave series is among six programs and their producers announced as honourees on Thursday, that “have harnessed the extraordinary power of television to advance social change,” according to an Academy release. The Television Academy Honors annually celebrate programs across platforms and genres that raise awareness about complex issues facing society.
Recognizing “the most inspiring and meaningful television of 2025,” joining Heated Rivalry are Adolescence, Deaf President Now!, Dying for Sex, Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television and South Park.
Produced in association with Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brad’s Accent Aigu Entertainment, Heated Rivalry is being recognized for addressing LGBTQ+ representation, inclusivity in sports and toxic masculinity.
Other topics addressed by this year’s honourees include online misogyny, disability rights and the fight for deaf representation, end-of-life caregiving and the bureaucracy of cancer treatment, social justice and racism, political extremism, religious tribalism and media hypocrisy.
“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. “We have selected this year’s Honors winners to celebrate their commitment to educating and motivating television viewers around the world.”
“The selected programs tackle vital and timely topics,” added Bobbi Banks, Governor of the Sound Editors Peer Group. “Through the powerful stories they share and the voices they amplify, these shows highlight television’s unique ability to both inform and entertain while also sparking dialogue; encouraging empathy; and, when necessary, motivating action.”
Produced solely by Canadian entities, Heated Rivalry isn’t eligible for Primetime Emmy consideration, despite being picked up to stream in the U.S. by HBO Max, as foreign productions require a U.S. co-producer to be involved financially and creatively before filming begins.
Television Academy Honors are awarded to programming that aired between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025. Recipients will be celebrated during a ceremony on May 20 at the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center.
