Voice of the Sea television series wins six Telly Awards

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Cindy Knapman, (808) 956-7410
Communications Leader, Sea Grant
Posted: Oct 16, 2014

Kanesa Seraphin, center, holds a Telly Award.
Kanesa Seraphin, center, holds a Telly Award.

The Voice of the Sea television series, a signature project of the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant Center for Marine Science Education (UH CMSE), recently received six 2014 Telly Awards, which are the premier regional television awards honoring excellence in programming.

Voice of the Sea promotes ongoing scientific and cultural work in the Pacific from recognized experts in a half-hour television series shown Sundays at 6:00 p.m. on KFVE (K5 The Home Team).

"We are very happy and proud to see that this high-quality, local show is getting acknowledged," said KFVE general manager John Fink. "We continue to be impressed by the breadth of coverage this show provides week in and week out. KFVE is all about showcasing great local shows for our viewers, and Voice of the Sea certainly stands out.”

Voice of the Sea won a silver Telly, the most prestigious award, for Cultural Programming. Voice of the Sea also won five bronze Tellys for Educational Programming, Documentary Programming, Use of Graphics, Editing, and Videography. The UH CMSE is proud to share this honor with its partners, the UH College of Education Curriculum Research & Development Group and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Services Center.

“We are so proud to have won these Telly Awards. To win a single award is fabulous, but to win six ­– we are blown away!” said Kanesa Seraphin, Voice of the Sea host and UH CMSE director. “The Telly Awards recognize us for programming that both entertains and educates. Voice of the Sea helps viewers better understand the world and showcases careers in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics].”

Voice of the Sea covers topics from traditional navigation to cancer research to endangered animals,” said Seraphin. “The show helps increase awareness, interest and knowledge of marine science.” Seven new episodes, featuring Palau and Guam, will air from October 19 through November 30. To watch full episodes or learn more about Voice of the Sea, visit voiceofthesea.org.

The Telly Awards were founded in 1978 to honor excellence and support creativity in local, regional and cable TV programming. This year, Voice of the Sea was selected for the awards out of a highly competitive field of nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents, including ad agencies, production companies, TV stations, cable companies, and other organizations and corporations. The 35th annual Telly Award committee and the Silver Telly Council, which judged the entries, were comprised of top industry professionals and past winners of Silver Tellys.

The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program is part of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s prestigious School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. It supports an innovative program of research, education and extension services directed to the improved understanding and stewardship of coastal and marine resources of the state, region and nation. Science serving Hawai‘i and the Pacific for over 45 years.

The University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant Center for Marine Science Education is dedicated to building partnerships that enhance marine science education at all levels (Kindergarten through graduate school and the public community) in order to foster understanding of the natural world and the role of humans in it.