Back in September, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel got himself suspended for remarks he made about the political identity of Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, but on Thursday, he was able to turn that into a Peabody Award for allegedly becoming a free speech martyr. To recap, Kimmel declared on September 15 that "we hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” There was no joke. There was no satire. Kimmel made a good, old-fashioned declarative statement about Kirk’s alleged assassin who, even at the time, was known to be on the left. Nevertheless, Peabody praised Kimmel: For more than 23 years, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has used humor and satire to critique powerful figures and reflect American culture, embracing the responsibility of comedy to reveal truths amid political volatility. The show faced unprecedented challenges as President Trump’s second administration came to power, culminating in a brief suspension by ABC (at the behest of the FCC) that sparked a bipartisan defense of free expression on the airwaves, ultimately reinforcing the importance of satire as a vital form of democratic speech.   Jimmy Kimmel claims "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it" and "This is not how an adult… pic.twitter.com/KMhnskaYWD — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 16, 2025   Other 2026 winners included four anti-Israel Gaza-related pieces, including two by Al Jazeera English, and three LGBTQ-related winners, including Netflix’s Heated Rivalry. PBS’s New Hour was recognized for its immigration coverage, and Frontline: The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram documentary was acknowledged for “revealing the vulnerabilities of youth to online fearmongering rooted in racism, antisemitism, and homophobia.” The Atlanta-Journal Constitution was also recognized for its ICE coverage. In addition to Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ABC and its local affiliates received two other awards. KABC Los Angeles was honored for its coverage of the wildfires that included a focus on “environmental justice” and KMBC Kansas City’s report that “at least 102 individuals across 29 states died or were injured due to the misuse of restraint chairs by law enforcement, often involving excessive force such as beating or tasing restrained inmates, highlighting significant gaps in training and policy.” Left-wing Christians were the only Christians worth honoring. That included one documentary by the Wonder Media Network and iHeart Media that focused on “the radical Catholic left’s resistance during the Vietnam War” and another by Eureka Street Productions about “the powerful stories preserved in 1,200 cassette tapes from a queer church in San Francisco during the AIDS crisis, highlighting the resilience and creativity of LGBTQ Christians amid loss and isolation.” Like so many famous awards, the Peabody Awards are now just an opportunity for liberals to give awards to other liberals.