The following announcement is presented in a press release format.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — WTIU Public Television and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music have received a Regional Emmy® Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Central Great Lakes Chapter for The Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music.
The production received the Emmy Award in the Arts/Entertainment – Long Form category as part of the 2026 Central Great Lakes Regional Emmy® Awards competition, which recognizes excellence in television and media production across Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Produced through a collaboration between WTIU and the Jacobs School of Music, The Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music presents choreographer Sasha Janes’ contemporary interpretation of the holiday classic, featuring the renowned Jacobs School Opera and Ballet Theater, the Jacobs School orchestras, and the iconic score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The production was recorded at Indiana University’s Musical Arts Center and distributed nationally through American Public Television. The show currently airs in nearly 290 PBS markets throughout the United States.
"One of the things public media does best is connect audiences with exceptional performances they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience,” states Mike Arnold, Executive Director of Indiana Public Media. The Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music is a great example of that mission in action, and we're proud to have helped bring this production to viewers in nearly 290 PBS markets across the country."
The Regional Emmy® Award recognizes the work of WTIU and Jacobs School collaborators, including producers Todd Gould and Eric Bolstridge; editors Gabriel Lantz, John Timm, graphic designer and colorist Scott Carmichael, videographers Saddam Al-Zubaidi and Jacob Lindsay; audio engineers Brock Hamman, and Kevin Evans, as well as audio engineers Konrad Strauss and Natalie Wells from the Jacobs School of Music. The Emmy winning production team brought together expertise in television production, audio engineering, cinematography, and post-production to create a nationally distributed presentation of the Jacobs School of Music's acclaimed holiday performance.
The Nutcracker at the Jacobs School of Music has been praised by audiences across the country for its fresh approach to the beloved holiday tradition, featuring Sasha Janes’ reimagined narrative centered on young Marie’s journey of imagination, growth, and discovery.
About WTIU Public Television
WTIU Public Television serves Indiana and beyond through trusted journalism, educational programming, arts and culture content, and locally produced documentaries and features. WTIU is part of Indiana Public Media, a service of Indiana University.
About the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is one of the world’s leading music schools, recognized internationally for its distinguished faculty, exceptional student performers, and commitment to artistic excellence across performance, scholarship, and creative activity.
Media Contact
Jesse Loudenbarger
Associate Director of Communications & Marketing
Indiana Public Media
jloudenb@iu.edu
812-855-2119