Shakhtar Donetsk Wins Emmy Award For “Football Must Go On” Documentary

Shakhtar Donetsk’s four-episode documentary series “Football Must Go On,” produced by Paramount+, has won the prestigious Sports Emmy Award in the Documentary Series category.

The Docuseries, which chronicles Shakhtar’s performances in the Champions League 2022/23 season, during the full-scale war in Ukraine, triumphed over other notable nominees including Netflix’s “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” and “Quarterback,” HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” and Apple TV’s “Monster Factory.”

The 45th Annual Sports Emmy Awards ceremony was held and presented live at the Jazz Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, in New York City, with more than 1,200 attendees including a star-studded group of sports television personalities and distinguished guests. 

Serhii Palkin, CEO of FC Shakhtar, expressed mixed emotions after this recognition, saying: “I am happy and sad at the same time about this. I am happy because this is our victory where we competed with such giants as Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Quarterback. So, I congratulate all our supporters and fans on this victory!

“I am grateful to CBS, Peter Radovich, Alex Gale, Volodymyr Mula, and the entire creative team that worked on the series. I am sad because this is a film about the terrible days of war, about pain, tears, suffering. But in any case, it is a victory. Our victory, the victory of all Ukraine.”

The documentary not only highlights the challenges faced by the club but also serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of the Ukrainian people.

“The world must know about the war,” added Palkin “and we will use every opportunity to gain world support in the fight against the aggressor.

“I believe that each of us should strive to win in what we do and the desired big victory will come through such small successes. I believe in it. Football Must Go On! Glory to Ukraine!”

The “Football Must Go On” series is currently available for audiences on the Paramount+ platform.