Australian Refugee Series 'Go Back To Where You Came From' Bags International Emmy Award

Australian controversial refugee series "Go Back To Where You Came From" has won a prestigious International Emmy award Monday night in a star studded ceremony in New York. The two part series which airs on SBS, took home the award for the Best Non-Scripted entertainment category at a ceremony.

"Go Back To Where You Came From" bagged the award by defeating out competition from South Africa, Israel and Columbia. It was Australia's only entry to the awards, hence the win is special. The series revolved around lives of six high-profile Australians of differing political views who try to visualise the world through the eyes of refugees and in the process they visit the conflict zones and refugee camps.

The three-part series was produced by Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder (CJZ) and was aired on SBS in 2012. "It's great to see an original Australian show resonate so strongly around the world. We're incredibly proud of this series. To be nominated was wonderful but to win is sublime," CJZ executive producer Michael Cordell said in a statement on Tuesday.

It is not the first time that the series has bagged prestigious awards. "Go Back.." series 1 won two Rose d'Ors at the festival in 2012, one of the best television awards in the world and has also bagged a Logie Award, Australian prestigious television industry awards.

The series had two seasons. Season 1 participants included six Australian namely Gleny Rae, Adam Hartup, Raquel Moore, Darren Hassan, Raye Colbey, and Roderick Schneider. The participants are to travel without any money, phone or their passports in a refugee boat. During their journey they live in Kenyan refugee camp, visit slums in Jordan and conclude their journey in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq, where they were given shelter by UN Peacekeepers and the U.S. military.

The Season 2 participants were celebrities; hence it made it more interesting. The participants Peter Reith, Angry Anderson, Allan Asher, Catherine Deveny, Mike Smith and Imogen Bailey, travelled to Somalia, Mogadishu, Kabul and Afghanistan.

The awards are presented by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and are considered one of the most respected media honours in the world.
Go Back To Where You Came From Series 2 - Superteaser