WVPB Announces Finalists For 74th Annual Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards

Teresa Wills Nominated for Best Radio News Anchor for Second Year in a Row

CHARLESTON, WV: West Virginia Public Broadcasting is proud to announce eleven finalists in nine categories for the 74^th Annual Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards. The awards will be announced Saturday, April 1, 2023, at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs. The event honors the best work of 2022 and is open to Virginia and West Virginia broadcasters.

“We are extremely excited that many of our employees at West Virginia Public Broadcasting are being recognized by our industry peers for continuing to produce award-winning news coverage,” said Butch Antolini, WVPB Executive Director. “We take pride in our work, and this continues a long tradition of WVPB being honored by regional and national organizations for our journalistic excellence.”

WVPB Nominations include:

• Best Radio News Anchor: Teresa Wills, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Bridge Safety and A Discussion About the State’s Personal Income Tax on This West Virginia Morning.”
• Best Podcast-Audio: Trey Kay and Emily Haavik, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Court of Second Chances”
• Best Spot News: Caroline MacGregor, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Airport Expansion’s Potential Impact on Coonskin Park Worries Local Residents.”
• Best Documentary or In-Depth: Trey Kay and Marisa Helms, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “The Gun Divide”; Jessica Lilly, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “West Virginia Water Trails: Rebuilding Buffalo Creek’s Identity.”
• Best Light Feature: Mason Adams, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Floyd’s Friday Night Jamboree Builds Community from Music”
• Best QA (One-on-One) Interview: Eric Douglas, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Arthur’ Author Appears at Book Festival”
• Best Specialty Reporting: Chris Schulz, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Mon County Bans Pride Flags in Schools, Receives Pushback.”
• Best Multi-Platform Story: Jessica Lilly, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “West Virginia Water Trails: Rebuilding Buffalo Creek’s Identity.”
• Best Mountain State Heritage: Lauren Griffin, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “Dirt, Soot, Smoke and Oil: Mechanics Take on the Dirty Job of Repairing Antique Trains”; Zack Harold, WVPB-FM, Charleston, WV, “A Guitar Surgeon Gives Old Instruments Their Voices Back.”

The Virginias AP Broadcasters group is an independent association comprised of local radio and television members of The Associated Press from throughout Virginia and West Virginia. The group honors important broadcast journalism through our annual awards contest.

Four divisions compete in thirty categories. The divisions include Television I (Large Market), Television II (Small Market), Radio I (Metro) and Radio II (Non-Metro).