“STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.,” is nominated for two Emmys, “Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series” and “Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program.” The Emmys will air live on Sunday, September 15, 2024 on ABC. All episodes of the STAX docuseries are available for streaming on max.
The four-episode series starts with the origin of label which started as a record store and was one of the first desegregated areas in the city.” In the episode entitled, Chapter One: Cause I Love You” focuses on the father-and-daughter duet by Rufus and Carla Thomas that gave Memphis’ new record company its first hit in 1960. “With humble beginnings in Memphis in the late 1950s, Stax Records quickly becomes one of the most influential record labels on the Black music scene, breaking out iconic artists including Sam & Dave, Booker T. & the MG’s, and Otis Redding. With growing popularity in the Black market, Stax executives and musicians were determined to transcend racial divides and bring their music into the American mainstream.”
Other episodes are “Chapter Two: Soul Man” which focuses on the popularity of Otis Redding and his untimely death and the assassination of Martin Luther King; “Chapter Three: Respect Yourself,” about the merger of the label with Atlantic Records, and “Chapter Four: Nothing Takes the Place of You,” the final chapter which focuses on the impact that Black music has on history.
Nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series:
- “Beckham”
- “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV”
- “STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.”
- “Telemarketers”
- “The Jinx – Part Two”
Nominees for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program:
- “Jim Henson Idea Man”
- “Planet Earth III”
- “STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.”
- “Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces”
- “The Beach Boys”
(Photo Credit: Courtesy of Don Nix Collection/OKPOP)
“STAX: Soulsville U.S.A,” is a docuseries that chronicles the history of Memphis-based Stax Records from its rise of artists such as Booker T. Jones, Isaac Hayes, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Otis Redding, and more.
