Joni and Friends honored with three Telly Awards for excellence in video content 

AGOURA HILLS, California, July 07, 2025 – Every day, the Joni and Friends international disability ministry provides practical help through wheelchairs, job training, and holistic care to people with disabilities around the world. Our talented creative team is blessed to share the inspiring stories of those we serve. 

In recognition of excellence in video content, the Joni and Friends creative team has taken home three honors in the 46^th annual Telly Awards. This is the seventh year Joni and Friends has received Telly Awards for producing premier videos focused on outreach to individuals and families living with disability. 

Joni and Friends received dual Silver Awards for “Chisomo’s Story: The Gift of a Wheelchair” and “Joni’s House: Providing Dignity and Love.” Chisomo’s Story documents how a wheelchair from our ministry’s Wheels for the World™ program changed the life of Chisomo, a 10-year-old boy from Zambia who lives with cerebral palsy.  

Joni’s House chronicles how a Joni and Friends disability center provides dignity and independence through vocational training, economic support, and compassionate care to people with disabilities in a south Asian culture where disability is often stigmatized as bad karma.  

Additionally, Joni and Friends was honored with a Bronze Award for “Doris and Diana: Touched from Across the World,” which shows how a wheelchair transformed the life of Diana, a sweet girl with spina bifida who is being raised by her loving aunt Diana—a woman who has been deeply influenced by the story of Joni Eareckson Tada for many years.

The annual Telly Awards showcase the best work created across video for all screens. Winners were selected from a field of over 13,000 entries from 6 continents and all 50 states. Entries were judged by a body of 250 leading experts in the fields of advertising and production.  

This year’s theme was “Stories Take Shape,” highlighting the evolution of storytelling and emphasizing the blending of traditional storytelling with emerging trends. 

The 2025 winning entries by category: 

Joni and Friends is proud to demonstrate that inspirational and faith-based content can be produced to objectively high standards of creativity. Our ministry is grateful to the families who so generously shared their stories with us.  

About Joni and Friends: For more than 40 years, Joni and Friends has provided the hope of the Gospel and practical care to people living with disability around the globe. Ministry programs include Joni’s House, Wheels for the World™, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training. Joni and Friends also delivers daily inspirational media through radio programs and podcasts.

Media Contact:
[email protected]