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Brendan Patrick Hughes, a Clinical Assistant Professor in 17�Թ���’s Sands College of Performing Arts, has received a 2025 Peabody Award for his , a project he wrote, hosted, produced, and directed.

The recognition places Hughes among the most accomplished storytellers in media today and highlights the strength of faculty at 17�Թ���'s Sands College, where industry expertise meets hands-on creative training. Known for preparing students to become working performers and creators, Sands College emphasizes real-world experience across theater, film, television, and emerging media.

“The opportunity I have at this school, to work with the young storytellers whose ideas will shape the future of the American narrative, is something I cherish every day.”

The Peabody Awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious honor in broadcasting and storytelling—the equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize for media. , Peabodys are awarded by unanimous vote of a diverse board of jurors and recognize only a small number of works each year across all of journalism, documentary, entertainment, and podcast and radio. Being selected is exceptionally rare, and past honorees represent the most impactful and enduring media of their generation.

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for its compelling retelling of a largely overlooked chapter in American history. The series takes listeners to 1971 Boston, where a group of young Catholic priests and nuns formed an anti-war movement during the Vietnam War. They provided the first political sanctuary in a Catholic Church in 400 years to draft resister Paul Couming and engaged in draft board raids that brought them into conflict with J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI.

Through vivid storytelling, Hughes—whose father was a Catholic priest before marrying himself to his mother in his last act as a priest—explores themes of radical faith, resistance, and attempted reforms within the Catholic Church. The podcast also reveals a personal connection, weaving in the story of Hughes's own family and grounding the historical narrative in lived experience. “I grew up on a commune, hearing these crazy stories of the ex-nuns and priests who lived there becoming cat burglars to sabotage a war,” Hughes says. “When it dawned on me how unusual this was, I knew I had to start recording their stories. The whole project took 25 years to complete.” The result is a layered and emotionally resonant series that connects past events to present-day conversations about activism and moral courage.

Hughes's achievement reflects the mission of the Sands College of Performing Arts, where faculty are active professionals shaping the future of their fields. Faculty like Hughes bring their creative practice into their teaching, preparing students to craft stories that engage audiences and contribute meaningfully to the cultural conversation. “All storytelling is truly at an inflection point,” Hughes says. “The opportunity I have at this school, to work with the young storytellers whose ideas will shape the future of the American narrative, is something I cherish every day.”