Ken Burns Wins $250,000 American History Prize

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has received the inaugural David M. Rubenstein Prize for the Advancement of American History, a $250,000 award presented by The New York Historical. The jury recognized his documentaries—including works on the American Revolution, Civil War and Vietnam War—for bringing the nation’s history to a broad audience and illuminating both its virtues and flaws. Burns said he was humbled by the honor and credited generations of historians and archivists whose work supports his films.