The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences yesterday announced the nominees for the 2024 News & Current Affairs categories. The International Emmy® winners will be recognized alongside their American news peers during a ceremony in New York City, on September 25.

Bulgaria's Nova Broadcasting Group won its first ever nomination for the special report The Tragedy in Lokorsko which tells the 18 migrants suffocated in a metal coffin truck near the Bulgarian village. The survivors traveled 7 hours between life and death with no oxygen and no way out. They told the journalists what it is like to have your friends die in your arms.

On the occasion, Nova issued the following statement:

"For the first time in the history of the prestigious Emmy® Awards, a Bulgarian media has been nominated in the News & Current Affairs category. The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honored NOVA investigative journalist Marieta Nikolaeva and cameraman Tassi Asenov's coverage on Bulgaria's biggest refugee tragedy, which occurred near Lokorsko. Proof of NOVA's success are the other nominations in this category from the BBC, Sky News, Channel 4, Al Jazeera, Globo News and UVDA, which come from five other countries - the UK, Brazil, India, Israel and Qatar.

On January 17 last year, 18 migrants - children and men - were found dead near Lokorsko, suffocating in specially-built caches while trying to cross illegally. The vehicle was lined and pressurized like a metal coffin - without oxygen or light. For seven excruciating hours. Some of them survived by chance, as after a technical failure in the truck, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. The survivors who were between life and death, were crawling and looking for help with last efforts. Six of the survivors stood exclusively in front of journalist Marieta Nikolaeva and the camera of Tassi Asenov and told the heartbreaking story of the horror of the deadly journey, of migrant trafficking and of the helpless feeling of friends dying in your arms. They are all escaping from Afghanistan in search of a normal life. They say the truck passed four police checks since it crossed the border into Sofia. Six Bulgarians were arrested for the tragic incident, who organized the illegal transport and took hefty sums for it. Among them is a former border policeman.

"The Emmy® Award nomination is a remarkable achievement for NOVA and Bulgaria. It is a great honor for us that NOVA is the first Bulgarian media to be honored by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in this category with such serious competition. My congratulations go to Marieta and Tassi. Their precise journalistic work ranks them among the most experienced journalists from all over the world. The recognition is all the more precious because it comes in the year in which NOVA celebrates its 30th anniversary and confirms the result of our commitment to offering quality television journalism," commented Dirk Gerkens, CEO of Nova Broadcasting Group."

The other nominees come from Brazil, India, Israel, Qatar and the United Kingdom.

“In a world rocked by increasing turmoil and conflict, the importance of reliable broadcast journalism is more crucial than ever.” said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “We salute the journalists around the world who risk their safety every day, and tragically sometimes their lives, to bring important human and political issues front and center.”