Awards Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

WVPB Newsroom Brings Home Awards From Virginias AP Broadcasters

Winners of the 2023 Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards were announced March 23 at the Awards Luncheon and Annual Membership Meeting at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. WVPB brought home five first place awards and seven second place awards in eight different categories.

Winners of the 2023 Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters (VAPB) Awards were announced March 23 at the Awards Luncheon and Annual Membership Meeting at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Thirty-eight news organizations in Virginia and West Virginia submitted 619 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports from 2023.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) brought home five first place awards and seven second place awards in eight different categories.

The VAPB also awarded a $3,000 scholarship to Hunner Moore, a student majoring in media and broadcast journalism at West Virginia University’s (WVU) Reed College of Media.

The VAPB is an independent association comprised of local members of The Associated Press, a not-for-profit news cooperative that represents thousands of newspapers and broadcast stations across the United States.

Winners In The 2023 Virginias AP Broadcasters Contest:

West Virginia Public Broadcasting brought home 12 awards on Saturday, March 23, 2024 from the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards Luncheon.

*Photo Credit: Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

COMBINED DIVISION (TV/RADIO):

Best Podcast-Audio:

First, Trey Kay and Christina Stella, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Us & Them: SNAP – Do the Hungry Get More Policy Than Nutrition?”

Second, Trey Kay and Mitch Hanley, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Us & Them: Compassion Fatigue.”

RADIO I/METRO:

Best Continuing News:

First, Katherine Hafner, WHRO-FM, Norfolk, VA, “Norfolk’s Floodwall Plan”
Second, Emily Rice, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “West Virginia’s Opioid Settlement Money.”

Best Light Feature:

First, Rebecca Williams, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Wassailing Helps Singers in Asheville Connect to Ancestral Roots”
Second, Wendy Welch, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Appalachian Mushroom Experts Welcome Sprouting Newbies.”

Best MMJ/One-Person Band Reporter:

First, Patrick Larsen, VPM News, Richmond, VA
Second, Briana Heaney, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Many West Side Residents Are Frustrated They’re Still in the Cold.”

Best QA (One-on-One) Interview:

First, Bill Lynch, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Interview With an Appalachian Village Witch”
Second, Ian Stewart, VPM News, Richmond, VA, “Veronica O. Davis: Civil Engineer, Transportation Planner, Self-Described Transportation Nerd.”

Best Specialty Reporting:

First, Ben Paviour, VPM News, Richmond, VA, “Politics/Criminal Justice”
Second, Emily Rice, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Unwinding Medicaid.”

Best Mountain State Heritage:

First, Zack Harold, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “A Family Heirloom in Your Grocer’s Freezer”
Second, Trey Kay and Todd Melby, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “A Fiddler Contemplates the Fate of the Mountain State.”

Excellence in Public Service Through Journalism:

First, Mitch Hanley, Emily Haavik and Tasha A.F. Lemley, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Us & Them: The Challenges of Incarcerated Persons”
- This entry included the following stories:
Second, Eric Douglas, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Getting Into Their Reality: Caring for Aging Parents.”

WVPB Production Team Receives Three Anthem Awards

WVPB announced they have received three awards in the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards. This year’s Anthem Award Winners were selected from a pool of over 2,000 submissions from 44 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).

CHARLESTON, WV: WVPB announced they have received three awards in the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards. This year’s Anthem Award Winners were selected from a pool of over 2,000 submissions from 44 countries by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).

Congratulations to our staff:

Read for the Record is the Bronze Anthem Winner in Education or Literacy Platform

West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Annual Writers Contest is the Silver Anthem Winner in Education or Literacy Program or Platform

Communities in Schools: Friends with Paws is the Bronze Anthem Winner in Film, Video, Television or Show

WVPB Director of Production Chris Barnhart says the team is honored to be recognized for another national level award. “It’s always special when the award is the product of multiple departments working together,” said Barnhart. “The award-winning shows were collaborations between the education, newsroom, digital and production teams.”

Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, the Anthem Awards honors the purpose and mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to act in their own communities.

The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity; Equity & Inclusion; Education; Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate.

Anthem judges are intellectually diverse leaders from across the impact industry with expertise that spans across the Anthem cause areas.

WVPB Announces Four w3 Award Winners

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) received four w3 Awards from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts during their 18th Annual ceremony.

CHARLESTON, WV: West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) received four w3 Awards from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts during their 18th Annual ceremony. Receiving thousands of entries annually from across the globe, the w3 Awards honors outstanding Websites, Online Marketing, Web Video, Mobile Sites and Apps, Social, Podcasts, and Emerging Tech created by some of the best digital content creators across the industry.

“West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s video department always produces award-winning stories that have meaning and showcase the best in musical entertainment,“ states Eddie Isom, WVPB Interim Executive Director. “We’re proud of their hard work and are excited to see it recognized not only on TV, but in digital media as well.”

GOLD AWARD

Edible Mountain (General Video – Environmental & Sustainability) Edible Mountain

SILVER AWARDS

Blue Demons: A West Virginia Legacy (Genera Video-Sports) Blue Demons
Blue Demons: A West Virginia Legacy (General Video – Documentary – Short Form) Blue Demons
West Virginia Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2023 (General Video – Live Streaming) WVMHOF 2023
Mountain Stage (General Video – Live Streaming) Mountain Stage

The w3 Awards honors creative excellence on the web, and recognizes the people behind award-winning Websites, Online Marketing, Web Video, Mobile Sites and Apps, Social, Podcasts, and Emerging Tech. In honoring the best of the Web, the w3 Awards is the first major digital competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies.

The w3 Awards is sanctioned by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, an invitation-only body of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, interactive, advertising, and marketing organizations like Walt Disney Studios, Lippe Taylor, Meta, Publicis Sapient, Netflix, IBM, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, LG, and Wired Magazine among many others. For more information about the w3 Awards, please visit www.w3award.com.

You can watch and stream Edible Mountain, Blue Demons, the WV Music Hall of Fame Ceremony and other award-winning shows online at wvpublic.org, on our YouTube channel, or by downloading the WVPB app. It’s free and available in the Apple store or via Google Play – just search for West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kristi Morey, WVPB Marketing Communications
304.556.4911, kmorey@wvpublic.org

Teacher Of The Year Finalists Announced

Earlier this week, the West Virginia Department of Education announced five finalists for the 2024 Teacher of the Year.

The list includes elementary school teachers Sharon Cole from Ceredo-Kenova Elementary School in Wayne County, Kimberly Hunt from Roosevelt Elementary School in Mason County and Jaime Young from Woodsdale Elementary School in Ohio County, as well as high school English teacher Jennifer Kirk from Oak Hill High School in Fayette County and math teacher Michael Harshbarger from Cabell County Career Technology Center in Cabell County.

Each teacher was selected from among county Teacher of the Year winners.

The Teacher of the Year program recognizes teachers of excellence, connects them with a network of other equally inspirational and innovative educators and helps communicate the excellence of teaching to the public.

West Virginia’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, as well as School Service Personnel of the Year will be announced Sept. 12 during a ceremony at the Clay Center in Charleston.

WVPB’s ‘Us & Them’ Wins 2023 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) has won two 2023 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards (RTDNA) in the Large Market Radio category.

CHARLESTON, WV: West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) has won two 2023 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards (RTDNA) in the Large Market Radio category.

WVPB’s podcast Us & Them with host Trey Kay, in collaboration with co-producer Marisa Helms, won Best News Documentary for the Us & Them episode “The Gun Divide.”

Us & Them also won a RTDNA in the Podcast category for “Court of Second Chances.” The episode was hosted by Trey Kay and co-produced by Emily Haavik.

“To have the Us & Them podcast chosen as a regional Murrow Award winner, not just once, but twice, is a real reflection on the quality of the podcast and the subject matters that Trey and his associates cover,” said Butch Antolini, chief executive officer and executive director for WVPB. “We are truly humbled by the recognition.”

WVPB is in Region 8, which includes Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Regional winners automatically move on to the national round of consideration, which also includes digital news organization, network and student competitors.

The RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news.

The Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism.

CONTACT: Kristi Morey, 304-556-4911, kmorey@wvpublic.org

State DEP to Honor Educators For Promoting Environmental Awareness

Starting next week, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will honor three West Virginia Environmental Teachers of the Year for their work in promoting environmental awareness in their classrooms.

One teacher is chosen at the elementary, middle and high school levels to be honored for going above and beyond in promoting environmental awareness and stewardship in their classrooms and communities.

Tiffany Pace of Cross Lanes Elementary; Amelia “Amie” Mullens of Barrackville Middle and Renee Haines of Martinsburg High are this year’s award recipients.

Haines will receive her award at 2:45 p.m. on May 9 at Martinsburg High. Mullens will be honored at 12:45 p.m. on May 12 at Barrackville Middle, and Pace will be recognized at noon on May 15 at Cross Lanes Elementary.

Each teacher will receive a $500 personal award and a $1,000 check to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education at their schools.