Seven years ago, Summit County filmmaker Joe Large was filled with pride upon learning that a show he had worked on had earned numerous Emmy Awards.

The recognition marked a major milestone in Large’s artistic career — and for the PBS program “Kid Stew.”

Created by bestselling author James Patterson, “Kid Stew” features a cast of pre-teen hosts who explore a wide range of topics through art, music, and storytelling. The educational children’s program received seven regional nominations from the prestigious National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and ultimately took home five awards.

Despite playing a role in the filming of the show, Large never received the accolades he had rightfully earned. Due to a clerical error by the show’s director, Large was miscredited and was not included in the official submission to the academy.

The director attempted to correct the mistake after the awards were announced, but by then it was too late. The academy ruled that the credits could not be changed retroactively.

Now almost a decade removed from the unfortunate snub, Large has once again been nominated for an Emmy Award. This time however, Large is nominated at the national level due to his work on Netflix’s “Our Living World.”

Released last year, “Our Living World” allows audiences to explore the intelligence, resourcefulness and interconnectedness of life on planet Earth. In the film, which is narrated by Australian actress Cate Blanchett, Large specifically captures beautiful and breathtaking shots of the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado across several seasons. 

Large and the other filmmakers were nominated for Outstanding Nature Documentary and Outstanding Cinematography. Nearly a decade after failing to be recognized properly for his work, Large felt like the 46th annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony on Thursday, June 26, was his redemption moment. 

“No matter what happens you just have to keep working towards a goal,” Large said.”Whether that is music or art or film or whatever. You just have to keep going for it. Good things will happen if you stay determined and focused and work your ass off.”

With two chances to walk away with the iconic gold statue trophy, Large gathered with his friends in Summit County and had a summer barbecue ahead of the awards ceremony. 

“I want to focus on having a good time with my friends who have been here and supported me through all the stuff,” Large said prior to the awards ceremony. “I have had some rough times in the past with my parents passing. People that I care about and love surrounding me and hanging out. … It will be cool to see and be a part of it.”

After watching in anticipation as other award categories received their Emmy Awards, Large discovered that “Our Living World” did not receive an Emmy Award at Thursday night’s show. Instead, “Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier: Win or Die” won the Emmy for Outstanding Nature Documentary and “Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough” was awarded with the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography. 

Although he was not able to get his “redemption” Emmy, Large knows that his body of work, and passion for it, is not defined by the awards he wins or doesn’t win. Like many dedicated filmmakers, Large fell in love with his craft from an early age and continues to be dedicated to the process. 

“It means everything,” Large said. “Whether we won or not, I am still going to keep doing the same thing. I will always do this. It is a part of me. It is what I love to do. If I won the lottery I would do the exact same thing with just more expensive cameras. It is pretty crazy to be part of this team that was nominated for this.”

Large’s most recent project —”Trainwreck: Balloon Boy” — is set to debut on Netflix on July 15. The documentary investigates the national panic that ensues when a homemade flying saucer made by a Front Range family lifts off and a six-year-old boy might be inside.

With all of his major shoots now wrapped up, Large will turn his focus to more consistent assignments like a retainer job at Mountain Top Cookie Shop in Breckenridge and a drone light show. 

“I am still doing the drone light show stuff,” Large said. “On the Fourth of July I will be headed out to California to fly a show. Staying pretty consistent.Plugging away.”

To find out more about Large, visit JosephLarge.com.