The Abbey Mecca team proudly received two New York Emmy Awards at the 67th Annual Emmy Awards ceremony on Saturday, October 26, 2024, in New York City. The honors were earned for Two Wars, The Road to Integration, a powerful documentary film created for the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park that explores the historical path from segregation to the integration of the U.S. armed forces.
The first Emmy, awarded in the Military Content (Long or Short Form) category, recognizes the film’s moving portrayal of the challenges faced by African Americans fighting in a segregated military. The second Emmy was awarded in the Creative Arts category for Editing, honoring Abbey Mecca’s Director of Video Content, Sean Donovan, for his outstanding work that brought depth and emotion to the documentary’s story. The awards represent the first Emmys for Abbey Mecca.
The 30-minute film tackles the topic of segregation and eventual integration of the United States Military and features interviews with veterans, scholars and historians. Since the earliest days of the Republic, African Americans have been part of the nation’s fighting force fighting to defend the very freedoms they could not enjoy as citizens. You can view the film here.
In 2022, the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park created an original exhibit and educational program entitled Two Wars, The Road to Integration. Director of Education, Steven Tedesco created the exhibit to tell the story and major events in U.S. history that involved the segregated armed forces and the changes leading to an integrated fighting force. Tedesco also wrote and co-directed the film.
“Creating Two Wars, The Road to Integration was deeply meaningful work for the Abbey Mecca team,” said Daniel Mecca, President and Managing Creative Director of Abbey Mecca. “This project represented an opportunity to help the Buffalo Naval Park tell an important story and preserve critical history – something that is central to their mission. The impact of this story is something we are honored to share, and we are grateful to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park for trusting us with such a significant narrative.”
Expanding into documentary and longer-form content has allowed Abbey Mecca to support its clients in bringing important stories to light through powerful visual storytelling. The success of Two Wars underscores Abbey Mecca’s ongoing dedication to innovation in creative work.
The 67th New York Emmy’s were held at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan and included more than 2000 entries across all categories. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) was founded in 1955. It is dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry. It recognizes excellence in television with the coveted Emmy ® Award. Regional Emmy ® Awards are given in nineteen regions across the United States. National Awards are given for Daytime Entertainment, News & Documentary, Community Service, Sports and Technology & Engineering.
Check out some of the highlights from 67th New York Emmy Awards ceremony.
