The Netflix documentary “What Happened, Miss Simone?”, produced by Liz Garbus, received six Emmy nominations and won for Outstanding Documentary during Sunday night’s program. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)

TRYON – Netflix documentary “What Happened, Miss Simone?” received two Emmy nominations during Sunday night’s 68^th annual Emmys program, which celebrates TV shows and documentaries released within the last year.

Based on Tryon native and outspoken singer Nina Simone and produced by Liz Garbus, the documentary received nominations in the following categories: Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming, according to the Emmys website.

The film is a RadicalMedia Production in association with Moxie Firecracker for Netflix. “What Happened, Miss Simone?” brought home a golden statue for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Tryon town commissioner Crys Armbrust said it’s cool to be a part of an Emmy-winning team on his Facebook page following the Emmys program.

Armbrust had a hand in creating the film along with local historian Garland Goodwin and the Melrose Inn locally. Armbrust said what impresses him most is Simone’s place of “music greatness” in history.

“The Rolling Stone magazine has her on their Top 100 Best Musicians of All Time, and that’s all time,” Armbrust explained. “She holds the 29^th spot and she’s in the top third of the list. I am very pleased, and the thing about these documentary films is that they are from different lenses like the biographical or cultural perspective.”

“Nina Simone’s star continues to burn bright.  Her contributions to both music and human rights activism solidifies her place in the pantheon of great America,” Armbrust added. “That she was born in Tryon and received her early musical training and development here speaks a great deal about the potent forces which came together to transform our young Eunice Waymon into the icon Nina Simone.”

Lisa Simone, daughter of Nina Simone and Andrew B. Stroud, posted on her official Facebook page and said the documentary chronicling the life of her mother winning the Outstanding Documentary Emmy was a great gift.

“Fifty-four years ago today, I was born to Andrew B. Stroud and Nina Simone at East Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital in NYC,” Simone said on her Facebook page Monday morning. “Last night, ‘What Happened, Miss Simone?’ won the Emmy Outstanding Documentary. What a great gift. It feels really good to be me.”