For Immediate Release · June 15, 2026
PMJA Announces 2026 Annual Awards Winners
293 awards across 36 categories, recognizing outstanding public media journalism from 134 organizations nationwide.
1,586
Entries
134
Organizations
293
Awards
75
Judges
Public Media Journalists Association today announced the winners of its 2026 Annual Awards Competition, honoring the best in public media journalism produced during 2025. The 293 awards span breaking news, investigative reporting, features, audience engagement, science storytelling, video journalism, and more — representing organizations of every size, from small community stations to major metropolitan outlets.
"These awards reflect the extraordinary commitment of public media journalists to serving their communities, even as the industry navigates a challenging environment. From covering the human impacts of federal policy shifts to documenting environmental change and celebrating local culture, the work recognized this year demonstrates why local public media matters."
— Christine Paige Diers, Executive Director, PMJA
Highlights from the 2026 Competition
This year's Special Coverage category focused on "Federal Policy, Local Impact," reflecting the significant effect of national policy changes on communities across the country. First-place winners ranged from Jackson Hole Community Radio's coverage of fired federal workers to WBUR's examination of Massachusetts communities during the second Trump administration.
Student journalists were recognized across five categories: Student Feature, Student News Feature, Student Newscast, Student Program, and Student Spot News.
The 2026 competition also expanded eligibility to include public television stations, reflecting PMJA's evolution to serve all of public media. Freelancers competed in Division A alongside smaller stations.
Virtual Awards Ceremony
Monday, July 21 · 4 p.m. ET
PMJA will host a virtual ceremony honoring winners from both the Annual Awards Competition and the 2026 Recognition Awards. The event is open to anyone interested in attending.
Register to Attend2026 PMJA Annual Awards
For work completed in 2025
Division Key Div. A: Smaller stations & independent journalists · Div. B: Mid-size stations · Div. C: Larger regional stations · Div. D: Major market stations · Div. E: Largest stations & networks · Indep.: Independent producers
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2025 Special Coverage: Federal Policy, Local Impact +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Jackson Hole Community Radio/KHOL — "Fired federal workers speak out" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | WPSU-FM — "International enrollment down, including at PSU, as Trump administration ramps up restrictions" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | North Country Public Radio — "Sackets Harbor ICE Raid Draws Backlash" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | 90.3 KAZU — "Federal cuts disrupt farm production and agriculture research" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Georgia Public Broadcasting News Team — "Reporting across Georgia: ICE, food insecurity and impacts on CDC and public health" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | WAMU-FM — "Why Actions by President Trump and Congress Have an Outsized Impact on D.C." |
| 1st Place | Div. D | The Midwest Newsroom — "Immigration policies hit the Midwest" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | VPM News — "ICE in Virginia" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WBUR-FM — "Massachusetts in the first year of the second Trump Administration" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KQED-FM — "Trump's Second Term: How His Policies Are Reshaping California Communities" |
Arts Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | WMUK-FM — "Ringing the bells at Kalamazoo College is an art that takes muscle" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | WBGO-FM — "The Corona Collection at the Louis Armstrong House Museum" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Blue Ridge Public Radio — "WNC artists celebrate the release of an album recorded in the muck of Hurricane Helene" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | Interlochen Public Radio — "In Beulah: UFOs, Lady Liberty, Abe Lincoln and a life of art and service" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | WDET – Detroit Public Radio — "Container on the Metro - Bevlove" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | WFDD — "A behind-the-scenes peek at UNCSA's 60th production of ‘The Nutcracker’" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WLRN — "Bending the Bars: Hip-hop album showcases the talent at Broward County jails" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Iowa Public Radio — "Hinterland’s 90-degree guarantee" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Courtney Keuppers, WBEZ Chicago — "Her special-needs son loves holiday music. She helped design a concert for him." |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Oregon Public Broadcasting — "Beaverton baker blends Vietnamese and American cultures to create artistic cakes" |
Audience Engagement +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | WKMS-FM — "Sound Minds" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | WGLT — "WGLT Video Shorts" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | WDET – Detroit Public Radio — "CuriosiD" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | WDET – Detroit Public Radio — "Detroit to Gloryland (Yosemite)" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Michigan Public — "On Hand" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WLRN — "No Sabo Kids" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WBEZ Chicago and the Mud Theatre Project — "Prisoncast: The Story of Violence" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | David Rodriguez, LAist — "Recreating cherished memories post-LA fires" |
Breaking News +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Public Radio Tulsa/KWGS News — "More than 100 Tulsa cases involving Natives sent to tribes in mayor’s sovereignty push" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | KAXE/KBXE — "State Senator Arrested in Underage Sex Sting" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | KUNM FM — "UNM shooting suspect arrested in Los Lunas after campus locked down for hours" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Texas Public Radio — "Hill Country floods: July 4, 2025" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Central Florida Public Media — "Protest planned after state removes the rainbow crosswalk at Pulse massacre site" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Iowa Public Radio — "Ice arrests Des Moines superintendent" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WXXI-FM — "Renowned musician Chuck Mangione dies at 84" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Minnesota Public Radio — "Annunciation Catholic Church and School shooting" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | WGBH — "9 people killed in fire at Fall River assisted living facility" |
Climate/Environment Feature −
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Tri States Public Radio — "The intrinsic value of wetlands" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Susan Valot, KCRW — "Keeping Yosemite Clean, One Piece of Toilet Paper at a Time" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | WYSO — "Riverside’s Superfund site affects an estimated 500 homes. But more could be at risk." |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | Boise State Public Radio — "In ‘The Incineration Project,’ local artist tells story of ‘destruction and renewal’" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Nebraska Public Media — "Eastern Nebraska’s bur oak trees, known as the ‘King of the Great Plains,’ dying due to widespread drought" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | WFYI — "The Midwest has new neighbors: armadillos" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WUSF — "Extreme heat is increasing health risks for pregnant Floridians" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | KJZZ 91.5 FM — "Electric companies are fighting across the West to limit their blame for wildfires" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WBUR — "In New England, climate change is moving fast. The fishing industry is not" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | WBEZ Chicago and Inside Climate News — "Chicago was supposed to warn residents about toxic lead pipes. It’s barely started." |
Collaborative Effort +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | WMUK-FM — "Nothing but problems’: Confronting the living conditions at Fox Ridge Apartments" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | WKNO-FM — "Civil Wrongs: The Killer Wore a Badge, parts 1 and 2" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Northwest Public Broadcasting — "Harvest at a Crossroads" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | KUER, KSL & Colorado River Collaborative — "Utah has county-by-county water goals. Is your county hitting them?" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | 90.5 WESA/McKeesport Community Newsroom — "Mon Valley PRT Chronicles/Stories of Courage/Student Journalists" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | The Midwest Newsroom, The Marshall Project, STLPR — "Missouri changes solitary confinement policy" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Chicago Public Media — "Chicago Under ICE" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | WUNC News & Enlace Latino — "Immigration fears cast shadow over some Latino events across North Carolina" |
Continuing Coverage +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | WMRA — "What’s changing with ICE operations in our area?" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | KAXE/KBXE — "Severe Bemidji Storm" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Blue Ridge Public Radio — "Hurricane Helene Recovery Continues and Continues" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | North Country Public Radio — "New York’s Prison Strike" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Texas Public Radio — "TPR’s Continuing Coverage of the July 4 Hill Country floods" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | KUER — "Salt Lake City’s No Kings Fatal Shooting" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Alaska Public Media, KYUK, KNBA, KNOM and KOTZ — "Typhoon Halong’s Impact on Alaska" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | St. Louis Public Radio — "The St. Louis Tornado" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WHYY News — "George Norcross: Power and Consequences" |
Cross-Platform Storytelling +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Jackson Hole Community Radio/KHOL — "Non-citizen driver’s licenses void in Wyoming July 1" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | The Midwest Newsroom — "An unusual harvest" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | California Newsroom — "This Ethiopian Woman was Tortured by Her Government. The U.S. is Sending Her Home Anyway" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Georgia Public Broadcasting News Team — "Remembering President Jimmy Carter across Georgia and the world" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Wyoming Public Radio — "Horseracing" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WUWM — "WUWM Digital Storytelling" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WLRN — "Alligator Alcatraz Multi-platform Coverage" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | LAist — "School Game Plan" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Oregon Public Broadcasting — "Uncovering Boarding Schools: Stories of Resistance and Resilience" |
Digital Writing +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | KAWC — "Deep Dive: How Arizona’s school facilities system was ruled unconstitutional" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | WUGA — "Breaking Barriers: The Pressure and Power of Being a Black-Owned Business in Athens" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | CAI — "We really lucked out’: Seeking a home on Cape for under $300k? Housing lottery for the win." |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Nebraska Public Media — "Murder-suicides surge in Nebraska as funds for domestic violence services dwindle" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Central Florida Public Media/News Collab of CF — "Orange County disbands homeless camps amid new public camping ban" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WLRN — "The murder of Bazelais: Haiti’s gang terror deepens as it broadens" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Iowa Public Radio — "After-school book club for banned books" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WGBH — "In 1775, Boston’s Prince Hall broke Freemasonry’s racial barrier. His global movement marches on." |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "Pratt Street welcomes salseros and beginners to Hartford for ‘connection,’ ‘community’" |
Documentary +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Alabama Public Radio — "…a death, a bridge, and a seat on the bus." |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | WFUV, Jay Doherty — "Recovering From the L.A. Wildfires: Rising From Ashes" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Interlochen Public Radio — "Points North: A Sticky Solution for Microplastics" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | KBIA FM — "A Night at the Inn" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Louisville Public Media — "Shapes of America" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | WVTF Public Radio — "Mountain Hurricane" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WPLN-Nashville Public Radio — "From street corners to campsites, the work of Miriam Field, harm reductionist" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Susan Scott Peterson/90.5 WESA — "WESA Reports: KING (A Year in the Life of a Pittsburgh public school)" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Oregon Public Broadcasting — "Uncovering Boarding Schools: Stories of Resistance and Resilience" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | WGBH — "Living in Pryde" |
Education Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | KTEP News — "Bowie High Students Win Landmark Case" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | KAXE/KBXE — "Tech Hubs Offer Safe Learning Spaces" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | The Midwest Newsroom — "Midwest schools learn from 4-day school week" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | North Country Public Radio — "These SUNY Canton students are changing the way campus thinks about their Mohawk names" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Texas Public Radio — "How the Texas ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law is impacting San Antonio teens" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Mountain West News Bureau — "Music is making a comeback at this Colorado middle school" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | KUNC — "Want to feel better? In Steamboat Springs, you could be prescribed guitar lessons or drawing classes" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Megan Pauly, VPM News — "Campus food pantries strained by disruptions to federal nutrition benefits" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Curious City, WBEZ Chicago — "School is in session, so we put the CPS butter cookie to the test" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | WNYC Radio — "A Brooklyn school backed by Jay-Z said students could graduate debt-free. Now they’re buried in it." |
Enterprise +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | WKNO-FM — "Memphis Immigration Coverage, 2025" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Erica Hellerstein and KQED’s Close All Tabs — "Meet Ukraine’s ‘Geeks of War’" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | WYPR 88.1 — "Baltimore tiny home development takes a big swing at homelessness and housing affordability" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | New England Public Media — "High Stakes: Gambling Addiction, Beyond Borders" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Nancy Eve Cohen, NEPM — "Investigations into Catholic dioceses changed laws in other states and Mass. victims want the same" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | KALW Public Media — "Bay Area’s unhoused community finds shelter and support at SFO" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | KJZZ 91.5 FM — "Oak Flat: Past, present, future" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WUWM — "Status Pending" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | KUOW — "Fentanyl fuels a persistent ‘hot spot’ at Seattle’s 12th and Jackson. What will it take to fix it?" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Vermont Public — "A day - and a lifetime - at an Essex County health clinic with Dr. Bob Primeau" |
Government/Democracy Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Meredith McCool, WMRA — "Statewide candidates convene in Buena Vista for Labor Day" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Northern California Public Media — "A flight too far? Plaintiff in case against Permit Sonoma details intrusive drone surveillance" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | WUFT, Rose Schnabel — "Black farmers and USDA payouts" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | KMUW — "Wichita can fine landlords who don’t take care of their properties. It rarely does" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Montana Public Radio — "Who should get to estimate the costs of a proposed law?" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Louisville Public Media — "Trust the process? Kentucky GOP speeds bills through near session’s end, over objections" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Iowa Public Radio — "Challenges of getting food to kids’ families" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WLRN — "Miami-Dade breached settlement protecting undocumented immigrants from being handed over to ICE" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Mariah Woelfel, WBEZ Chicago — "Chicago-area doctors are returning from Gaza with horror stories and demands for elected officials" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KUT FM — "Behind the Texas redistricting frenzy is a political strategy started decades ago" |
Health/Medical Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | KAXE/KBXE — "Screening Tool for Native Suicide Risk" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | North Country Public Radio — "For this Plattsburgh nonprofit, the joy of biking is for everyone" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | WAER — "The Heaviest Lift is the Door" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Gulf States Newsroom — "Trauma-informed nurses help sexual assault survivors. Most hospitals don’t have them." |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Central Florida Public Media — "Before Florida banned Fluoride, Calgary did, too. So why did it return 14 years later?" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Michigan Public — "Record number of MI kids reported hospitalized from cannabis in 2024" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Kiley Koscinski-Glynis Board-John Beale/90.5 WESA — "In the periphery of a national spotlight, families with autistic children struggle to find help" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | KUOW — "As Travis Decker manhunt stalls, Wenatchee veterans call for more mental health services" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "Connecticut’s slots for autism services sit empty as hundreds wait for help" |
Human Interest Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Central Florida Public Media — "Fix (slowly) coming for contaminated wells in this historically Black Osceola community" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | WMUK-FM — "Why’s That: Why is there a runway sign in this Portage driveway?" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | KBIA FM — "From quirky small-town people to pioneers: Fayette marks 25 years of Juneteenth celebrations" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | West Virginia Public Radio — "The Homewrecker Returns To Hillbilly Hotdogs" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | WDET – Detroit Public Radio — "CuriosiD: What is the origin of ‘What up doe?’" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Montana Public Radio — "Mentorship and minerals turn Bigfork students into underground explorers" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Michigan Public — "Fitted for a prosthetic leg in Flint, a boy from Gaza can chase his dreams again" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Iowa Public Radio — "Preserving Tai Dam culture in Iowa" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | KUT FM — "What’s the oldest friendship in Austin?" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KQED-FM — "Train Nerds Taking Over BART This Weekend for Trendy Sport: Speedrunning" |
Interview +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | KTEP News — "Police interrogation of Walmart mass shooting gunman reveals warning signs" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Public Radio Tulsa/KWGS News — "As political tensions rise, a Tulsa photojournalist talks about what it’s like to cover extremism" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Interlochen Public Radio — "After 20 years of trying, Traverse City man’s crossword appears in The New York Times" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | Spokane Public Radio — "That’s enough for me’: Spokane ER nurse helps open pathway for amputees to join the military" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Cincinnati Edition, WVXU — "Ayman Soliman discusses release from ICE detention" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | WDET – Detroit Public Radio — "Paul Whelan follow-up one year after release" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | KJZZ 91.5 FM — "Why Arizona GOP chairwoman Gina Swoboda went from Clinton Democrat to Trump loyalist" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | KUNC — "Rock climbing without ropes comes with risks and rewards. This climber set out to crunch the numbers" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | In The Loop, WBEZ Chicago — "Illinois could soon become a right to die state" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "How Peter Yarrow taught a mom in Newtown to sing through grief after Sandy Hook shooting" |
Interview Program +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Northern California Public Media — "The 707: Creating A Photojournalist; Talking with Writer and Director Erik Castro" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Alabama Public Radio — "APR Notebook: Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia, and what happened to Charlie Kirk" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Dusty Henry, KEXP — "Suzzallo’s Loud Grief on The Quiet Year" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | KMUW — "Poet Kevin Young on his new collection, ‘Night Watch’" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Louisville Public Media — "How clean is our air?" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | KALW Public Media — "Wise Women" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Iowa Public Radio — "Fighting bigotry" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Iowa Public Radio — "Unsettled - Episode 1" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WUNC News — "Embodied - When Long Covid Rewrites Your Love Story" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KUOW — "She’s a trans Seattleite. She did not shoot Charlie Kirk. The internet disagrees." |
| 1st Place | Indep. | Science Friday — "The Leap: I Was Considered A Nobody" |
| 2nd Place | Indep. | Futuro Media Group — "I’m a Political Prisoner’: From Church Sanctuaries to ICE Detention" |
Investigative Reporting +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | KAXE/KBXE — "Automatic License Plate Readers in the Northland" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Tri States Public Radio — "She didn’t get in the well by herself" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Jefferson Public Radio — "Roseburg’s private homeless camps blur business and charity" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | AZPM — "The Buzz: Mental healthcare in the Pima County Jail" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Mountain West News Bureau — "The West’s Insurance Crisis" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Texas Public Radio — "Texas college students left without a path to finish their degree" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | New Hampshire Public Radio — "Operation Night Cat" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WLRN — "Killer Train" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WPLN-Nashville Public Radio — "How a gap in Tennessee’s probation system leaves domestic violence victims in danger" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KERA — "Deadly Pursuits" |
Narrative/Produced Program +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Far From Home — "Foreign Aid" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | KZMU Moab Community Radio — "Back From Beyond" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Boise State Public Radio and Idaho Capital Sun — "Howl" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | KTOO Public Media — "Outburst" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | KALW Public Media — "Season 4, Ep. 8 - Mama" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Illinois Public Media — "What We Brought" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WUWM — "Status Pending" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WUWM — "Swing State of the Union" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WGBH — "Scratch & Win: Part 1: The Instant Ticket" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Colorado Public Radio — "Purplish" |
| 1st Place | Indep. | Futuro Media Group — "48 hours at El Refugio: A haven for families of ICE detainees" |
| 2nd Place | Indep. | CLICK HERE podcast / Recorded Future News — "AI + Morality" |
National Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | All Divs. | Vermont Public — "These video streaming services are designed for people with dementia" |
| 2nd Place | All Divs. | New England Public Media — "‘Now I feel complete.’ One man’s journey to reunite with children amidst Trump immigration crackdown" |
National News Coverage +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | All Divs. | WWNO/WRKF — "20 years ago, New Orleans fired its teachers. It’s been rebuilding ever since" |
| 2nd Place | All Divs. | KUOW — "Ice Fears Turn Sweet Cherry season sour" |
News Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Northern California Public Media — "Sonoma County father weighs self-deportation after weeks in ICE custody" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Rocky Mountain Community Radio — "Climate change makes snowmaking a necessity, not a backup, for ski resorts in the West" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | WSKG — "New York doesn’t have enough child care. What families can get will cost them" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | Jefferson Public Radio — "Venturing into the cold for the annual tally of homeless people" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Georgia Public Broadcasting: Sofi Gratas — "South Georgia ICE arrests reveal a new reality of immigration enforcement" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | WAMU-FM — "You cannot take history away: For D.C., Black Lives Matter Plaza is not truly gone" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WFAE — "Family says critically ill man was pressured into deportation order after ‘Charlotte’s Web’ sweep" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | New Hampshire Public Radio — "New Hampshire said felons couldn’t be fishing guides. An angler sued to change that." |
| 1st Place | Div. E | KUT FM — "Behind those walls along I-35, TxDOT is building one of the largest tunnels Austin’s ever seen" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Mawa Iqbal, WBEZ Chicago — "Illinois professors face threats after landing on Charlie Kirk group watch list" |
News/Public Affairs Program +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | KDRT-LP 95.7 FM — "Davisville, May 12, 2025: Davis faces choice between more homes, fewer schools" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | WBGO-FM — "WBGO Journal 11-8-2025" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Interlochen Public Radio — "Up North Lowdown: Meet the cop building relationships with homeless people in Traverse City" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | Arizona Public Media — "The latest on local ICE Raids | Senator Kelly speaks at Tucson Town Hall" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | RadioWest/KUER — "The Assassination of Charlie Kirk" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | RadioWest/KUER — "The Satanic Panic Comes to Spring City, Utah" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Michigan Public — "Stateside" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | St. Louis Public Radio — "Mayoral candidates face off over St. Louis’ future" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | AirTalk, LAist — "AirTalk L.A. Fire Coverage" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | WBEZ Chicago — "In the Loop" |
Newscast +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | WBGO-FM — "WBGO News Update with Doug Doyle" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Indiana Public Radio — "All Things Considered, 5 PM, 07/15/25" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Mississippi Public Broadcasting — "6 am Newscast" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | West Virginia Public Radio — "A Conversation About Hidden Costs On Utility Bills, This West Virginia Morning" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | KNKX — "Morning Edition with Kirsten Kendrick" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | KNKX — "Emil Moffatt All Things Considered" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | St. Louis Public Radio — "STLPR Morning Newscast - 9/25/25" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WUSF — "WUSF Newscast July 15, 2025" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "Connecticut Public’s Morning Edition with Lori Mack" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Oregon Public Broadcasting — "April 9, 2025 Newscast" |
Science/Technology Feature +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | WBGO-FM — "Captioning glasses help people with hearing loss to understand speech" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | KAXE/KBXE — "GoMARTI Autonomous Vehicle System Expands" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | North Country Public Radio — "How trapping mosquitoes in St. Lawrence County is preparing the North Country for climate change" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | KBIA FM — "Drought means drier than normal, but normal is changing" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | KUER — "Saving Utah prairie dogs from the Black Death with peanut butter and flea meds" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Mountain West News Bureau — "Scientists chase storms through the Mountain West to study hail’s growing toll" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Alaska Public Media — "West Coast states have had earthquake early warning for years. Will it ever come to Alaska?" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Maine Public — "How ropeless lobster gear could help save North Atlantic right whales" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "Tweezers, test tubes and mosquito slurry: How CT researchers track West Nile virus" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Harvest Public Media — "Short corn: Why plant scientists are experimenting with shorter varieties" |
Series +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Alabama Public Radio — "…a death, a bridge, and a seat on the bus." |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | WKNO-FM — "American Nightmare" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Jefferson Public Radio — "Five years after the Almeda Fire: Recovery and resilience" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | North Country Public Radio — "The Dannemora Prison Escape, Ten Years On" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Alaska Desk — "Shelf Life" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | KJZZ 91.5 FM — "EVICTED: Maricopa County has an eviction problem. Not everyone agrees on how to solve it" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Wisconsin Public Media — "Data Center Development in Wisconsin" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Minnesota Public Radio — "Trouble by the water: Minnesota’s lakes under threat" |
Sports Feature −
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Erin Gottsacker, The Ohio Newsroom — "An Ohio village moved to rename a park after a forgotten baseball star. Controversy followed" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | KAXE/KBXE — "Junior Mens Hockey Tournament in Bemidji" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | Jefferson Public Radio — "In rural California, the best sheepdogs compete to be North America’s top dog" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | North Country Public Radio — "Strength and skill on display at Bobsled & Skeleton World Champs in Lake Placid" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Nebraska Public Media — "How the fastest growing high school sport in Nebraska continues to break down barriers heading into state" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Georgia Public Broadcasting — "Building Towers" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | The Midwest Newsroom and KCUR — "How a Kansas college runner collapsed in heat" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | Alaska Public Media — "For Samoans in Anchorage, cricket means connection to culture and each other" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | WBUR — "‘I just gambled our entire savings away’: Young adults in Mass. are hooked on online sports betting" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Minnesota Public Radio — "Motherpuckers’ teach women’s hockey with joy and inclusion, and a little irreverence" |
Spot News +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Jackson Hole Community Radio/KHOL — "Teton Powwow is becoming a destination, organizers say" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Jackson Hole Community Radio/KHOL — "Charlie Kirk was launched in part by Teton County friends" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | CAI — "After more than 6 decades, rail returns to the South Coast" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | Yellowstone Public Radio — "Citizen scientists search for an elusive reptile south of Miles City" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Louisville Public Media — "Ready to become citizens, some immigrants in Louisville turned away at the door" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Montana Public Radio — "Youth plaintiffs renew legal challenges to Montana climate policies" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WLRN — "2025 Election: Miami swings left, rejects Trump, to elect Eileen Higgins as first Democrat mayor" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | KJZZ 91.5 FM — "Arizona teachers’ costumes weren’t about Charlie Kirk. They’re facing death threats anyway" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "A 13-year-old yearns for her mother after she was detained by ICE" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KUT FM — "Flood Vigil" |
Student Categories +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Student Feature | Illinois Public Media — "Tackling period poverty in Sierra Leone" |
| 2nd Place | Student Feature | UVM Community News Service & Vermont Public — "Grammy-nominated pianist Adam Tendler returns home to Barre Opera House" |
| 1st Place | Student News Feature | KLCC Public Radio — "Cottage Grove woman remembers ICE agents forcibly detaining her" |
| 2nd Place | Student News Feature | WUNC News, Bianca Garcia — "Hope booster: Radical care in the ALS clinic" |
| 1st Place | Student Newscast | WUFT, Victoria Perez — "Newscast for Dec. 9, 2025" |
| 2nd Place | Student Newscast | KBIA FM — "Tanner Riley Newscast" |
| 1st Place | Student Program | WUFT-FM — "Uncelebrated" |
| 2nd Place | Student Program | KAWC — "Siendo Primero: Navigating Language" |
| 1st Place | Student Spot News | WKMS-FM — "Hispanic community turns out in Mayfield for ‘A Day Without Immigrants’ protest" |
| 2nd Place | Student Spot News | Indiana Public Radio — "Delaware County mourns sheriff’s deputy as law enforcement across Indiana help with funeral" |
Use of Sound +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Susan Valot, KCRW — "Keeping Yosemite Clean, One Piece of Toilet Paper at a Time" |
| 2nd Place | Div. A | Meredith McCool, WMRA — "Jazz musicians, costumed performers lead pro-democracy parade in Charlottesville" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | KBIA FM — "Mobile Funk Unit" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | WYPR 88.1 — "Kenyan cookout in Baltimore County draws smaller crowd amid U.S. immigration fears" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | Nebraska Public Media — "Nebraska’s sandhill crane migration stronger than ever, despite bird flu worries" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Tana Weingartner, WVXU — "Take a hike on the search for Ohio’s state amphibian" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | St. Louis Public Radio — "How Foley artists make Halloween horror flicks sound so spooky" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WXXI-FM — "Young skiers making a splash pursuing Winter Olympics dreams" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Evan Jacoby, LAist — "The race to save historic Altadena fireplace tiles — because they’re all that’s left" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KUT FM — "Austin’s ‘dire’ air traffic controller shortage raises risk of flight delays" |
Video Storytelling +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. A | Oregon Public Broadcasting — "Cellist Andrea Gonzalez plays at Portland’s ICE building" |
| 1st Place | Div. B | WSKG — "Making - Episode 8 Sharon Ball: I Belong To It, and It Belongs To Me" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | WBHM — "WBHM Video Journalism" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | WHRO Public Media — "Revolution 250: Stories from the First Shore: The Bray School: Education/Indoctrination" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Wyoming Public Radio — "Horseracing" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | WXXI-FM — "Floating with Flotsam!" |
| 2nd Place | Div. D | WLRN — "Ghost Traps" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "Band of Boomboxes" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | Connecticut Public — "Winter’s Breath" |
Visual Journalism +
| Place | Division | Organization & Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | Div. B | The Midwest Newsroom — "St. Louis tornado housing impact" |
| 2nd Place | Div. B | West Virginia Public Radio — "Photo Essay: Floods ‘People Living In The Aftermath’" |
| 1st Place | Div. C | WAMU-FM — "Photographer’s Notebook: Biking and camping with blind athletes" |
| 2nd Place | Div. C | Wyoming Public Radio — "WHP signs agreement with ICE" |
| 1st Place | Div. D | Shaban Athuman, VPM News — "General Assembly 2025: a visual dispatch" |
| 1st Place | Div. E | Colorado Public Radio — "In photos: A ceremonial buffalo hunt helps Denver’s Indigenous residents connect with their heritage" |
| 2nd Place | Div. E | KQED News — "The Girl in the Fishbowl: The Secret Behind San Francisco’s Quirkiest Nightclub Act" |
About the Competition
The PMJA Annual Awards Competition has recognized excellence in public media journalism for more than 30 years. Entries are judged on public service value, journalism quality, creativity and innovation, technical excellence, and writing.
About PMJA
Public Media Journalists Association is a champion for journalistic excellence in the vibrant landscape of public media. PMJA supports journalists through professional development, recognition programs, and a community of peers dedicated to public service journalism. Learn more at pmja.org.