Iowa PBS and Producer Judy Blank were awarded an Upper Midwest Regional Emmy for Outstanding Program in Entertainment: Long Form Content, for Iowa PBS’s broadcast of “Des Moines Metro Opera presents American Apollo.”

The Des Moines Metro Opera hosted the world premiere performance of American Apollo in 2024, which is a story surrounding a pivotal figure in American art: Thomas Eugene McKeller, a Black hotel worker who served as model and muse for famous portraitist John Singer Sargent.

The Upper Midwest Regional Emmy win is the fifth for the partnership between Iowa PBS and the Des Moines Metro Opera.