Mar 27, 2026 1:22pm PT

Series Mania Awards: Poland Stand ‘Proud’ as HBO Max Series Sweeps Top European TV Festival

Always a frontrunner BBC’s ‘Small Prophets’ takes two prizes in Series Mania’s International Panorama.

John Hopewell

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John Hopewell

Chief International Correspondent

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Ignacy Liss in 'Proud' Credit: TVN WBD_Agnieszka Jurek-Opalińska

“Proud,” a show that came from a show that came out of nowhere at Series Mania to become one of its leading crowd-pleasers yet may still be controversial in its native Poland, walked off Friday night at the French TV festival’s top Grand Prix.

Created by Karol Klementewicz, “Proud” also won lead Ignacy Liss best actor for his engratiating turn as a young gay man, a party animal, who’s suddenly forced to step up his game and take care of a baby orphaned by his late sister. The two hope that the series will spark dialog in Poland where there are no legal previous for gay couples to adopt children.