Benjamin Bryant

We didn't come home with statues last night, but it was a great experience, nonetheless.

The best part about getting our first Emmy nominations in our late 40s? The perspective that comes with the life experience we’ve already gained. For so many of us in the creative arts (we include journalists and documentarians in this group, for sure—making resonant, accurate rhetorical and/or visual magic from objective facts and existing assets is absolutely an art), our view of awards changes with time. In the beginning, things like personal validation, attention, and career benefits dominate—and boy is that a roller coaster. But then something magical happens.

Enough years of near misses and even outright disappointments means you stop worrying about that stuff and just get on with the work. You learn to find validation in the personal joy and professional satisfaction in doing good work alone—for yourself and everyone else involved in each new project. Attention and career go where they will, it turns out, and that suits you just fine. It’s a wonderfully free place to be, and it means something like this nomination—win or lose—can be special enough on its own.

But, that said, there is one way such perspective makes “losing” a harder: While you want the honors for yourself less, you find yourself wanting it even more for everyone else. Theatrical producer Sonia Friedman recently noted, while “awards are really important…I find them quite stressful [and] difficult because there are always thousands of people who’ve worked so hard, and they are not recognized.” This. Is. True. There are so many others contributing to every successful project, without whom there would be no nomination.

In our case, it was the dozens of our fellow team members from the The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration; the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and government civilians from multiple agencies who teamed up in unprecedented ways; contractors, partners, and volunteers and contributors, and the thousands of Vietnam veterans whose stories, photographs, videos, and other shared experience informed and shaped our project; and, of course, the millions of Vietnam veterans and family members who inspired our tribute in the first place—our mission, first and foremost, is to thank and honor them.

We would really have liked to bring home the award for them, and not being able to do so stings way more than not having statuettes on our mantle this morning. It’s heartening to know, however, that the nomination itself is a tremendous honor, recognized around the world, and that will endure. Nothing can diminish or take away that achievement from this incredible group of contributors.

No list of thank-yous and acknowledgements would be complete or sufficient, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t thank Scott Vincent and the US Army Military District of Washington, the military bands from each of the Services (especially SGM Thomas Dell’Omo and The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” who anchored the program), the joint chorus, co-hosts Joe Theismann, Sharlene Wells-Hawkes, Lauren B. Martin, and Jon Hacker, keynote speakers President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, live show director Jeff Anthony, head writer Michael Tucker, co-creative director Cathy Arevian (and the entire team of logisticians and creatives assembled by The Bridge Group), music director Daniel Boothe, and each and every current and former employee of the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration (not least of which the VWC’s Task Force 23/Operation Welcome Home team, my right hand man Daniel Smith, and hype-woman extraordinaire Trina Chisholm Gonzalez), under the leadership of MG (ret) Peter Aylward and MG Edward Chrystal, Jr. without whom none of this would be possible. And on a personal note, we can’t thank friends and fellow storytellers Jennifer Bassey, Carrie Genzel, Lauren B. Martin (again), David Eggers II, Markos Papadatos and my amazing parents, Al and Renée Antoinette Bryant, for their encouragement, support, and, in many cases, specific advice and brainstorming sessions over phone calls and text exchanges along the way. And the inspiration and examples of excellence provided by master storytellers and friends like Joie Chen, Richard Lui, and Olivia Liveng—it all made the final work better and stronger.

It's traditional to say “it wasn’t our year,” when it comes to these things, and I’ve certainly said it enough times in the past 18 hours, but in writing this, I realize how deep and abundant my personal and professional blessings have been, the support and the network we’ve benefitted from, and the many ways we’ve been able to serve our primary mission of thanking an honoring Vietnam veterans and their families. It very much has been a great year for us, for the VWC, and for our unique mission. For that, we have nothing but gratitude. Onward and upward, guys. Remember, the work continues!

❤️

Such exciting news for Bryant Zamberlan Group and BZ/MP's Benjamin Bryant ! We couldn't be prouder or more excited for him and all of this year's Indie Series Awards nominees.

Previously nominated in 2018 as a producer of the digital series "Anacostia," Ben has now been nominated as a producer and/or actor in all three ISA genre categories: drama, comedy, and audio fiction! Congratulations to the nominees in every category and GOOD LUCK to all!

Ben Bryant The Bryant Zamberlan Group

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

May he rest in eternal peace. Thank you