Popcorn Sutton documentary wins Emmy award

"The Last One," Neal Hutcheson's documentary on the late Appalachian moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, has won an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for Outstanding Achievement in Television Programming Excellence.

Hutcheson, a video producer at NC State known for his work with renowned NCSU linguist Walt Wolfram, made "The Last One" through his own production company, Sucker Punch Pictures.  "The Last One" won in the category of "cultural documentary."  Winners were announced at the 35th Southeast Regional Emmy Awards this past Saturday in Atlanta.

"The Last One," which has aired locally on UNC-TV, shows the infamous moonshiner making "one last batch" of liquor in the Appalachian mountains. It premiered in November 2008 in the Southern Lens series on South Carolina's public television station, ETV.

Sutton was arrested in 2008 on moonshining and weapons charges unrelated to the film, and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Sadly, Sutton committed suicide in March 2009, shortly before he was to begin his prison sentence.

“Popcorn’s death underscores the cultural preservation value of films like 'The Last One,'" Hutcheson said.
"A fact that I doubt escaped the Emmy selection committee."

Hutcheson (right) also made the documentaries "Mountain Talk," "The Queen Family," "Carolina Brogue," and "The Outlaw Lewis Redmond."

(Hutcheson photo courtesy of Alex Maness)