Heated Rivalry may not have been eligible for an Emmy, but that hasn’t kept the small but mighty Canadian show from taking home another major award.
The steamy gay hockey romance has scored a GLAAD Media Award, four Web Awards, and has now won a 2026 Peabody Award.
Heated Rivalry picked up a prestigious Peabody Award in the entertainment category alongside 33 other winners, including incredible shows and documentaries with queer representation like Pluribus, Adolescence, Pee-wee as Himself, and Mr. Nobody Against Putin.
Once the winners were announced, Heated Rivarly star François Arnaud immediately took to his Instagram Stories to congratulate creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady, and Rachel Reid, author of the Game Changer series the show is based on.
“Incredible. So proud of you,” Arnaud wrote.
The 34 winners were chosen from a list of 1,000 nominees in categories of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, immersive and interactive media, and public service programming.
"The winners of the 86th annual Peabody Awards reflect Peabody’s mission to honor storytelling that has the potential to change culture, whether it’s examining the destructive tactics of ICE, viewing terminal illness through a deeply personal lens, or resisting attempts to stifle free speech," said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, per Variety. "We look forward to recognizing and celebrating these winners."
Last week, it was also announced that Heated Rivalry has been selected as one of six TV series to be recognized at The Television Academy Honors, which focuses on “exceptional television programs and their producers who have harnessed the extraordinary power of television to advance social change.”
