‘Voice of the Sea’ TV series earns record 10 Telly Awards
Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, host and co-producer of “Voice of the Sea,” interviewing Ikaika Plunkett, poʻokumu (principal) of Kahuku Elementary School
The “Voice of the Sea” television series, produced by the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant), took home a record 10 Telly Awards in the 46th annual competition, the premier global showcase for video and television across all screens. The previous record for the series, which is now in its 12th season, was nine awards in 2020.
The “Voice of the Sea” series won awards in 2025 in five categories:
- Sustainability
- Educational institution
- Science and technology
- Culture and lifestyle
- Public interest and awareness
“Ten Tellys is a huge accomplishment, I’m so excited for everyone whose work was profiled in these episodes,” said Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, “Voice of the Sea” host and co-producer. “These awards honor our tremendous partners and the amazing scientific, community and conservation work they are doing. I hope these awards encourage everyone to check out the episodes, learn more and get involved.”
This year, the Telly Awards received more than 13,000 entries from across the globe for the theme “Stories Take Shape,” focused on blending traditional storytelling techniques with emerging formats. The theme aligns perfectly with the intention of “Voice of the Sea,” which shares the unique moʻolelo (stories) of people and place throughout the pae ʻāina of Hawaiʻi (the entire island chain of Hawaiʻi) and across the Pacific, featuring stunning visuals and one-on-one conversations with the scientists and cultural practitioners highlighted in each episode.
This past season, “Voice of the Sea” covered topics from deep sea exploration, to bacteria in near-shore waters, to native bird conservation—as well as stories of aquaculture and marine science from Hawaiʻi, American Samoa, the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic.
Award-winning episodes
- Farming Clams, Oysters & Sponges, produced in collaboration with Florida Sea Grant, journeys to the Gulf Coast to learn about farming clams, oysters and sponges. This episode garnered awards in the sustainability category (silver), as well as public interest and awareness (bronze).
- Waialeʻe Lako Pono shares the rich cultural history of Waialeʻe on the north shore of Oʻahu and the efforts to rehabilitate its 30-acre wetland. This episode was awarded a silver Telly in the sustainability category and a bronze in culture and lifestyle.
- EXPORTS 6: Miami features the final leg of EXPORTS, a revolutionary, scientific undertaking by NASA and the National Science Foundation to understand the carbon cycle and the fate of the carbon in the deep ocean in order to predict future climate conditions. This episode, which is a culmination of six episodes in the series dating back to the start of the EXPORTS field work in 2018, won both a silver Telly in the educational institution category, as well as a bronze in science and technology for a total of five Telly Awards for EXPORTS episodes.
- Raising Pua, Raising Community celebrates the revitalization of ʻamaʻama (mullet) through efforts to raise puaʻama (baby mullet) for stocking loko iʻa (traditional Hawaiian fishponds), and was awarded a silver Telly in the sustainability category.
- Hadal Profiler features a new science tool that dives down to the deepest part of the ocean, conducting scientific measurements and capturing sound and live video. The Hadal Profiler is being developed by UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology researchers and students; the episode took home a bronze Telly in science and technology.
- Living Shorelines of American Samoa travels to American Samoa to learn about community projects that are helping to bring back abundant natural resources and protect nearshore ecosystems, and was awarded a bronze Telly in culture and lifestyle.
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center visits research labs at the Pacific Biosciences Research Center at UH Mānoa to explore how we can improve ocean health, fight human diseases and protect native birds. The episode was awarded a bronze Telly in science and technology.
The Telly Awards Judging Council, which selects the winning entries, reflects the variety and global nature of the industry and includes jurors from leading global businesses such as Roku Brand Studio, MediaPro, Pluto TV and Open Television, among many others.
Read more on UH News and Hawai’i Sea Grant News.