“Blue — The Life and Art of George Rodrigue” has won a national Emmy Award for outstanding regional documentary.
Jacques Rodrigue, the late artist’s son, accepted the award at ceremonies in New York City on Thursday night.
“I’m absolutely over the moon and so proud,” Rodrigue, also executive director of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, said in an email.
George Rodrigue and his son, Jacques, stand in front of a portrait of young Jacques.
“Blue” is a career-spanning film that follows famous Blue Dog painter Rodrigue’s life and journey as an artist. For the first time in 30 years, the film includes footage filmed inside Rodrigue’s studio as Jacques Rodrigue and his brother, Andre, led a brief tour of where their father painted all of his Cajun works.
Besides the fame for his iconic azure canine works, these paintings of Louisiana landscapes and outdoor family gatherings are also well-known. He died in 2013.
“For a film made right here in New Orleans by our local station WLAE-TV about my dad to win the national Emmy is incredibly meaningful,” Rodrigue also said. “Only five regional documentaries from across the entire country are even nominated each year, so to actually take home the award feels like a dream come true for us and for Louisiana storytelling.”
Sean O’Malley is director and producer of ‘BLUE’: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue.’
Under the direction of Sean O’Malley, a team at WLAE/6th Street Studios worked on the project.
“For years, I’ve been archiving and digitizing dad’s catalog, but also his materials and, footage and old TV interviews,” Jacques Rodrigue said in 2025. “So when the filmmakers first approached us, we had a real treasure trove of things to share with them.”
“Blue” also features interviews with Rodrigue’s family, curators, critics, collectors and such notable admirers as chef/restaurateur Emeril Lagasse, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and political strategist James Carville.
A location shot in the Rodrigue Gallery in Lafayette for the film ‘BLUE: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue.’
The Rodrigue documentary previously won the Suncoast Regional Emmy.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the filmmakers,” Rodrigue said.
The national Emmy is the latest award for “Blue,” which has also received a Silver Telly Award in the general-documentary: long form category. The Tellys, established in 1979, honor the television and video industry. “Blue” has also been recognized at the New Orleans Film Festival, Amsterdam New Cinema Film Festival and World Film Festival in Cannes.
George Rodrigue’s second wife, Wendy Rodrigue-Magnus, is shown in an interview scene during the filming of ‘BLUE: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue.’
“Blue,” distributed by American Public Television, premiered on PBS stations in 2025. It is still available for viewing on the PBS Passport app.
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