Telly Award Win for Chicago Native Karon Hamlet and Visions Blu Film ‘The Nell’

Chicago native and Visions Blu Institute Executive Director Karon Hamlet announced today its latest effort “The Nell” has been named Best Bronze Telly Winner Web Series Pilot in Online – Comedy: Short or Episodic in the 44th Annual Telly Awards.

The Telly Awards honors excellence in video and television across all screens and is judged by leaders from video platforms, television, streaming networks, production companies, including Adobe, BBC World Service, Netflix, Dow Jones, Complex Networks, Jennifer Garner, A&E Networks, Hearst Media, Nickelodeon, National Geographic Society, ESPN Films, RYOT, Partizan and Vimeo.

Click here to watch the trailer for The Nell

Visions Blu Institute is a 501©3 organization. They focus on changing the pervasive negative narrative of minority communities with emboldened content. They envision empowered communities of color being inspired and subsequently spreading inspiration through unique story-telling. Their mission is to help develop content creators and encourage powerful narratives.

Executive Director Karon Hamlet states, “We are overwhelmed with excitement and pride to be one of the recipients of such a prestigious award, The Telly Award.”

“The caliber of the work this season coming from creators such as Visions Blu Institute truly has reflected the theme of breaking out and standing out,” said Telly’s Executive Director Sabrina Dridje. “Our industry is experimenting with new technologies like never before, crafting truly compelling stories to draw attention to some of the world’s most pressing issues, and companies big and small are turning to more sustainable practices to break the cycle of past production processes”.

The win caps a year-long celebration of creators and talent who truly stand out during a time when the ubiquity of screens brings more clutter than quality into our lives. These are the creators and innovators who spotlight diverse voices, who are building a more sustainable industry, and who break through the static with their creativity.

In function of this, a series of new categories were introduced to reflect and celebrate ways in which video is being used as a force for good.

This was a record-breaking year for the Telly Awards with nearly 13,000 entries from across the globe and top video and television content producers such as Airbnb, Audible, BET Networks/BET Digital, BritBox, Disney, FEMA, Gaumont, Golden State Warriors, MediaMonks, NASA, National Geographic Society, Netflix, Paramount, PBS Digital Studios and more.

The full list of the 44th Annual Telly Awards winners can be found at www.tellyawards.com/winners.

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