The Academy's recognition focused on her work in the fifth season of "Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller," the acclaimed documentary series produced and broadcast on the National Geographic channel that exposes the global dynamics and underworlds of black markets and smuggling networks.

However, this impressive triumph at the gala coincided with an institutional turning point for the television project. The celebration of the seven awards occurred after the official notification that National Geographic had decided not to renew the documentary series for a sixth season, ending a five-year cycle of great media and critical impact.

Upon receiving the awards, the reporter, who began her professional career in Portuguese television at SIC, shared a message that oscillated between regret over the production's outcome and recognition of the opportunity granted. "When I found out that 'Na Rota do Tráfico' wouldn't be renewed, I allowed myself to be sad for a minute, but I am full of gratitude for the station giving me my dream job," declared Mariana Van Zeller on stage at the ceremony. In a message of support addressed to the technical and editorial team that accompanied her over the years, as well as to those responsible for investing in the format, the journalist made a point of remembering that the sector is operating in a context of strong instability, referring to an "industry that is facing challenging times."

The journalist, widely praised for her rigour and courage in her undercover reporting on international criminal organisations, highlighted the improbable longevity achieved by the format in the contemporary audiovisual landscape. "Never in a million years did I think there would be five seasons of an investigative journalism program about black markets," she concluded.

Among the awards received at this year's Emmys, the big winners were the major reports focused on human trafficking for the bride trade in Vietnam, the inner workings of cartels, and illegal shark hunting. These investigative works secured "On the Route of Trafficking" victories in technical and editorial categories as diverse as Science and Technology, Climate and Environment, Social Context, Investigation, and Production, concluding with a record number of awards for one of the most ambitious projects in modern documentary journalism.