2014 Peabody Awards: Winners Include 'House of Cards,' 'Scandal' and 'Breaking Bad'

Some of TV's most popular and acclaimed shows, including 'House of Cards,' 'Scandal' and 'Orange Is the New Black,' took home Peabody Awards last night, signalling that the awards season is never really over. 

The 73rd Peabody Awards, which are handed out through the University of Georgia, are basically the Pulitzer Prizes for electronic media recognize excellence in radio, TV and the Internet. Unlike most awards, there are no categories, just merits of excellence, which are chosen by a prestigious panel of experts under a rigorous judging process. As for Peabody himself, he was businessman and philanthropist George Peabody.

This year's unprecedented 46 recipients were chosen from over 1,000 entries. The full list of the winners can be found on the official Peabody Awards site, but here are a few of the scripted series that won and the descriptives from the panel on why they were chosen: 

Netflix’s 'House of Cards' - "By releasing an entire season of episodes at once, Netflix took binge viewing to a new level and obliterated the idea that a hit TV show needs a slot in prime time. We are able to follow Frank Underwood’s political schemes at our own pace and immerse ourselves in the show’s version of Washington, D.C., where desperation for power is the capital city’s lifeblood."

ABC's 'Scandal' - "Loosely based on the exploits of a real Washington, D.C. “fixer,” turbocharged by Kerry Washington’s star turn, 'Scandal' is part 'West Wing' and part 'Dynasty', an exaggerated, outrageous, fun-house reflection of the real-life political shenanigans we’ve come to loathe and jeer."

Netflix’s 'Orange Is the New Black' - "'Orange Is the New Black' turns a notorious drive-in genre – women behind bars – into a complex, riveting character study rich in insights about femininity, race, power, and the politics, inside and outside prison walls, of mass incarceration."

AMC’s ‘Breaking Bad' - "Through a stunning brand of visual storytelling and meticulous character development, we were able to explore the darkest chambers of a human heart in a way never before seen on TV. Over five seasons, Vince Gilligan made good on his promise to utterly transform Walter White from Mr. Chips into Scarface."

BBC America’s ‘Orphan Black' - "It’s all about cloning, but 'Orphan Black' is one of a kind – a super-charged, stylized sci-fi action serial that ponders identity, humanity, bioethics and genetic research when it occasionally stops for breath. Tatiana Maslany is a marvel in the title role."

Journalist Ira Glass will host the May 19 Peabody ceremony in New York City, and it will be televised for the first time on the Pivot cable network.