The PBS documentary Little Satchmo, written and directed by John Alexander, has been named the winner out of five titles nominated for the Southeast Emmy Award for Outstanding Historical Documentary. Little Satchmo’s win was announced at the 49th Annual Emmy Awards Gala in Atlanta on Saturday, June 17, and presented to Alexander and producer JC Guest.

In the documentary, Sharon Preston-Folta comes forward after living for more than five decades with the secret of her paternity. Little Satchmo details how and why Preston-Folta, the product of a two-decade love affair between Louis Armstrong and Harlem dancer Lucille ‘Sweets’ Preston, concealed her identity for more than 50 years before making it public. Preston-Folta and Alexander were interviewed for an OffBeat podcast on her relationship to and journey to know her father, Louis Armstrong.

Little Satchmo began its U.S. theatrical release in New Orleans, Armstrong’s hometown, in March 2022. In April of 2022, Preston-Folta appeared in an episode of Beat Café with Alexander and the late Lea Umberger to discuss the documentary and her memoir of the same title. The documentary was nominated for the Best Historical Documentary Emmy in May 2023.

Before its Emmy win, Little Satchmo made a sold-out world premiere at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in Greece. It also picked up top prizes at international festivals in France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan, and the USA. Little Satchmo‘s sold-out premiere was followed by debuts at the American Black Film Festival, Toronto’s Hot Docs’ Doc Soup Film Series, and the Oscar-qualifying Krakow Film Festival. 

Alexander and producer Guest previously made the record-breaking and multi-award-winning Rudy Love documentary This Is Love and the award-winning cult thriller Bender. Little Satchmo features narration by John Boutté and original music from Emmy and Grammy winner and nominee composer Eddie Korvin, featuring trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. The film was produced by Guest and Umberger, with executive producers Preston-Folta, Emily Bonavia, and Susan Houston.