University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television alum Lindsay Utz (‘03) earned major recognition at the 2026 News & Documentary Emmy Awards on Thursday night, as Prime Minister, the HBO documentary she co-directed with Michelle Walshe, won two Emmy Awards, including Best Documentary and Best Politics and Government Documentary.
The film, which chronicles the leadership of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, has continued its remarkable run following its debut at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary. The Emmy wins further cement Utz’s standing as one of the leading voices in contemporary documentary filmmaking.
Since graduating from TFTV in 2003, Utz has built an acclaimed body of work as an editor, producer and director. Her editing credits include American Factory, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2020, as well as Miss Americana, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry and Martha.
In recent years, Utz has expanded into directing. Prime Minister combines intimate personal footage, audio diaries and behind-the-scenes access to examine Ardern’s rise to global prominence and her leadership during moments of national crisis.
The News & Documentary Emmy Awards are presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and honor excellence in documentary, news and public affairs programming.
Read more in Variety