Diane Sawyer’s ambitious documentary on the precarious lives of four kids in Central Appalachia won the prestigious Peabody award yesterday.

The “20/20” special, “A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains,” was two years in the making and drew one of the biggest audiences in the history of the newsmagazine.

Sawyer made something of a specialty out of reporting about the struggles of young people in poverty — including a widely-acclaimed series on children in Camden, NJ.

“Modern Family,” the new comedy about an extended family; “Glee,” the new musical series about a high-school choral club; HBO’s innovative drama about a shrink, “In Treatment;” and “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” also won Peabodys.

The awards are considered the Pulitzer prizes of TV.