Hawaiʻi Sea Grant’s Voice of the Sea television series wins record 10 Telly Awards, including a Gold Telly!
Marine debris technicians from PMDP lift a large ghost net from the water in September, 2025. Photo by Andrew Sullivan-Haskins
Voice of the Sea host and producer, Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, interviewing Davianna Pōmaika’i McGregor
Honolulu, Hawai‘i—The Voice of the Sea television series, produced by the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant), took home ten Telly Awards, the world’s largest honor for video and television across all screens, including a Gold Telly for Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP).
The 47th annual Telly Awards Judging Council, who select the winning entries, features more than 250 expert judges from across the world of video, including Google, HBO, BBC, and Netflix, among many others.
James Morioka, executive director of PMDP, said “Papahānaumokuākea is more than a protected area, it is a living ancestral and ecological system, connecting people, species, and place across the paeʻāina. Partnering with the Voice of the Sea team on this special episode, sharing our work with the viewers, and being recognized with a Gold Telly helps us continue supporting vulnerable wildlife, restoring sensitive habitats, and perpetuating Hawaiian culture.”
The Voice of the Sea series, now in its 13th season, won awards across ten categories, including Culture & Lifestyle; Education & Training; Educational Institution; History; Nature & Wildlife; Music, Dance, & Performance; Not-for-profit; Public Interest & Awareness; Science & Technology; and Sustainability.
This year, the Telly Awards received over 13,000 entries from across the globe.
Andrew Sullivan-Haskins, Emmy-award winning conservation expedition photographer with PMDP, noted “Working as a storyteller in Papahānaumokuākea means being trusted to share places and stories that most people will never experience firsthand. It’s not just about doing the work, it’s about helping people understand why these environments matter. That can be physically and emotionally challenging, but it also feels like a real privilege and responsibility to contribute to awareness and protection in a meaningful way.”
“The level of competition is so high, I’m incredibly excited to win a Gold Telly Awards with our partners and show off the amazing footage PMDP collected,” said Dr. Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, Voice of the Sea host and co-producer. “Winning nine more awards is just spectacular! I hope these Telly Awards encourage everyone to check out our episodes and get involved with projects they care about!”
Gold and Silver Telly Winner
Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project shares what it is like to remove massive amounts of plastic pollution from Papahānaumokuākea, the 582,570 square miles of coral reefs, atolls, and aquatic habitat of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The episode was awarded a Gold Telly in the Not-for-profit category, and a Silver Telly in Nature & Wildlife.
Silver and Bronze Telly Winner
Symphony of the Hawaiʻi Seas celebrates a symphony focused on the Hawaiʻi seas that combines science, art, culture, and the Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra. It was awarded a Silver Telly in the Culture & Lifestyle category, and a Bronze Telly in Music, Dance, & Performance.
Multiple Bronze Telly winner
Oral Histories of Waialeʻe visits Waialeʻe on the north shore of Oʻahu, where oral histories are informing the revitalization of this rich community resource; the episode also visits the Center for Oral History at UH Mānoa to learn about cataloging Hawaiʻi’s past. The episode took home Bronze Tellys in the Educational Institution and History categories.
Silver Telly winners
Ciguatera Poisoning shares information about ciguatera poisoning, the seafood illness that comes from toxins produced by microscopic algae in warm, nearshore waters, and the research that aims to help people eat safe seafood. It was awarded a Silver Telly in Public Interest & Awareness.
Innovative Aquaculture looks at the future of aquaculture at the Hawaiʻi Ocean Science and Technology Park at Keāhole Point, on Hawaiʻi Island — where unique seawater facilities support over 50 cutting-edge tenants, including Blue Ocean Mariculture, Symbrosia, and Cyanotech. The episode was awarded a Silver Telly in Sustainability.
Bronze Telly winners
Aquaculture Internships reviews aquaculture jobs and internships, from cutting-edge, fish mariculture and traditional fishponds in Hawaiʻi, to village-level aquaponics in American Samoa. The episode was awarded a Bronze Telly in Education & Training.
Estuary Team shares information on the different types of estuary systems in Hawaiʻi, how the Division of Aquatic Resources Estuary Team monitors estuaries, the importance of estuaries for protecting critical fisheries habitat, and why Waimea River on the west side of Kauaʻi is such a special place. The episode was awarded a Bronze Telly in Sustainability.
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, extension, and communication services directed to increasing sustainability of coastal and marine resources and resilience of coastal communities of the state, region, and nation. Science serving Hawai‘i and the Pacific since 1968.
Hawai’i Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs across the nation supported by NOAA