September 13, 2022

Columbia, SC – The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) recognizes public media’s achievements with the annual Public Media Awards (PMA). The 54th PMA winners will be announced at the PMA Gala on Sunday, September 18, 2022, at the 2022 NETA Conference and CPB Public Media Thought Leader Forum.

The Public Media Awards, presented by NETA, honor our member's work in the highest caliber community engagement, content, education, and marketing and communications. A mosaic of relevant content that reflects both creativity and diversity that paint rich stories of truth and consequence. Piece by piece and member by member, we come together as choreographers of the public good, to spark more imagination and inspiration than we ever could have alone.

“Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees,” said NETA President Eric Hyyppa. “As always, the entries are outstanding and shine a spotlight on the exemplary work that is happening across the public media system.”

Whitney Reynolds will host the 54th Public Media Awards. Reynolds is the executive producer, host, and "chief inspo officer" of the Telly Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Whitney Reynolds Show. Reynolds believes in more seats at the table, inspiration in the hard moments, and hope for all. This mindset for unique programming originally bucked the trend when the Whitney Reynolds Show launched on PBS.

“It's exciting to be back in person and hosting this live event for shows across the nation in public television,” said Reynolds. “I am truly honored to be a part of a forever positive memory with everyone involved!”

With the exception of the overall excellence categories, stations compete within their divisions based on their station size. Awards are judged by a group of expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media.

54th Public Media Award Finalists:

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CATEGORIES

Local Project

· Civics Bowl, KSPS

· Dolly Parton Special Event, Arkansas PBS

· Evictions and Rental Assistance in Indiana, WFYI

· GRACE UNDER PRESSURE: Town Halls on Mental Health, WNET

· Inquire Within, WQED

· Mending Walls: The Documentary, VPM

· The World Games 2022 Collaborative Murals, Alabama Public Television

National Project

· Becoming Helen Keller National Station Engagement Initiative, WNET

· Bee in My Garden Days, WFSU

· TPT NOW and FBI Partnership on Hate Crime Education, TPT

· "Who Killed Vincent Chen?" Community Events, Detroit Public Television

Community Initiative

· AAPI Stories, Detroit Public Television

· Alaska Mental Health Deep Dive, Alaska Public Media

· Covid-19 PSA, Arkansas PBS

· Del Valle Resource Guide, Austin PBS

· You're Uninvited: Stopping the Spread of Invasive Species, WSKG

Kids & Family

· Celebrating Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, Alaska Public Media

· Cyberchase: Green It Up, WNET

· KMOS PBS Adventure Day, KMOS

· Multicultural Children's Festival, WPSU

· Rise and Shine Power Packets, Arkansas PBS

CONTENT CATEGORIES

News & Public Affairs

· Go Coast - Louisiana, WLAE

· Kentucky Edition, KET

· Moving Off Morris St., NorCal Public Media

· Nevada Week, Vegas PBS

· Oklahoma News Report, OETA

· Oklahoma News Report: Cock Fighting, OETA

· Outdoor Idaho: The Next Chapter, Idaho Public Television

· Revisiting "Who Killed Vincent Chen?", Detroit Public Television

· Roots, Race & Culture 2021-2022, PBS Utah

· VPM News Focal Point, VPM

Cultural Feature

· A Good Life, WXXI

· Bring Her Home, TPT

· Hi-Neighbor! The Story of the Narragansett Brewing Company, Rhode Island PBS

· KWTO - Legendary Live Country Radio, Ozarks Public Television

· L.A.: A Queer History, PBS SoCal

· Mavericks, Montana PBS

· Then, Now and Always, The St. Joseph River Story, WNIT

· VPM News Focal Point - Black Churches of Virginia Series, VPM

· Walter Tevis: A Writer's Gambit, KET

· Womontown, Kansas City PBS

Historical Feature

· Agnes 50: Life After the Flood, WVIA

· Devil's Fire, WSKG

· Greater Chattanooga: All Truths Will Out, WTCI PBS

· Let Ohio Women Vote, CET Connect

· Local, USA: A Tale of Three Chinatowns, WORLD Channel, GBH

· Rise of the Freemen, Montana PBS

· Surviving New England's Great Dying, New Hampshire PBS

· The Baldies, TPT

· Trail of History: Urban Renewal, PBS Charlotte

Topical Feature

· 7 Days: The Opioid Crisis, Arkansas PBS

· Election 20/20: Detroit to DC, Detroit Public Television

· From Chaos to Resiliency, WUCF

· Palmetto Perspectives - Monuments and Memorials, SCETV

· Redlining: Mapping Inequality in Dayton and Springfield, CET | ThinkTV

· The Pack Horse Librarians of Appalachia, KET

Education

· Carolina Impact: Education Equity, PBS Charlotte

· Critical Race Theory (Weekly Story), Rhode Island PBS

· Learning to Read: Alphabet Hunt, Nashville Public Television

· Oklahoma News Report: Native Language Preservation, OETA

· Oral Histories With The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Arkansas PBS

· Ziggy's Arts Adventure, Louisiana Public Broadcasting

Visual Arts

· Art Alley Gallery, Arizona Public Media

· Bridging the Divide, WMHT

· Curate Series: Season 6 Episode 8, WHRO

· Gallery America: Matt Goad, OETA

· Insiya Dhatt, NorCal Public Media

· Next Door Neighbors: The Art of Healing, Nashville Public Television

· Vibrant Light: Stained Glass of the Basilica at the University of Notre Dame, WNIT

Performing Arts

· Art Moves Us, Kansas City PBS

· Beyond the Baton, Nebraska Public Media

· Curate 757: Swamp Dogg, WHRO

· Essential: The Making of The Light We Share, WTCI PBS

· Eye of The Arts | Billy Foster, Lakeshore Public Media

· Greater Sarasota: The Sound of Change, WEDU

· Kevin Belton's Cookin' Louisiana, WYES

· Musical Portraits, Blue Ridge PBS

· Stories from the Stage: One Way or Another, GBH - WORLD Channel

Digital Media

· Hometowns | Episode 1 - River and Rails, Blue Ridge PBS

· Indie Alaska, Alaska Public Media

· Let's Learn GA!, GPB

· Relish, TPT

· Shipwrecks! The Immersive Experience, PBS Wisconsin

· Winter ticks wiped out nearly 90% of the moose calves scientists tracked in part of Maine last year, Maine Public Media

Short Form

· Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond, WORLD Channel - GBH

· Curate 757: Freeman Vines, WHRO

· Eye On The Arts | Lotton Art Glass, Lakeshore Public Media

· Eye On The Arts | Roberto Ferrer, Lakeshore Public Media

· Flipping the Script: Open Arms Dance Project, Idaho Public Television

· Friends & Neighbors | Garwood Orchards, Lakeshore Public Media

· Friends & Neighbors | ROCKaBLOCK, Lakeshore Public Media

· Hometowns | Episode 1 - River and Rails, Blue Ridge PBS

· In Their Words - Metal Artist, Iowa PBS

· Speaking Volumes, Arkansas PBS

Podcast

· American Veteran: Unforgettable Stories, GBH

· Center of Gravity, Nebraska Public Media

· Off the Page, WSKG

· "On Our Minds": A Teen Mental Health Podcast (Season Two), WETA

· Speaking of…, Milwaukee PBS

· The Growing Season, Arkansas PBS

Military Chronicles

· American Veteran, GBH

· A Solemn Promise, Maine Public Broadcasting

· Carolina Impact: Veteran's Special, PBS Charlotte

· Offutt Lab, Nebraska Public Media

· VIA Short Takes: A Soldier's Duty: A Reflection of 9/11, WVIA

· VPM News Focal Point - EMDR Treatment for Veterans, VPM

· Will the A-10 Have a Future, Arizona Public Media

EDUCATION CATEGORIES

Educational Resources for the Classroom

· Becoming Helen Keller, WNET

· Inside the Work: Through Her Eyes - A Newport Nutcracker Reimagined, Rhode Island PBS LearningMedia Resources, Rhode Island PBS

· Nature WY, Wyoming PBS

· NewsDepth: Season 52, ideastream

· Social Studies Shorts, KET

· StoryMaker by PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, WETA

· The Legend of the Lost Emerald, PBS Wisconsin

Educational Resources for the Community

· APT Family Box Program, Alabama Public Television

· Hope Givers, GPB

· Level Up Land! WFSU Summer Challenge 2022, WFSU

· Michigan Learning Channel Summer Workbooks, Detroit Public Media

· Nature WY, Wyoming PBS

· Rise and Shine Summer Learning, Arkansas PBS

· The Future is You!, West Virginia Public Broadcasting

· What's Bugging You? Animated Series, VPM

Teacher Professional Learning

· A Summit of all its Parts!, PBS North Carolina

· Cultural Competence Professional Development for Virginia, WHRO

Learning Events

· Best Practices for Closing the Pandemic Learning Gap in Ohio's Schools Webinar and Podcast Series, PBS Western Reserve

· Georgia Peanuts Live Exploration, GPB

· Intersession Camps, Basin PBS

· JumpStart Read for the Record 2021, KRWG Public Media

· PBS Wisconsin Education's Media Literacy Production Workshop, PBS Wisconsin

· Rise and Shine Summer Learning, Arkansas PBS

· SciGirls, WSKG

· The $100 Founding Father, Nashville Public Television

· The GreenBeats Environmental Experience, WHRO

· Week of the Young Child 2022, Rhode Island PBS

Innovation in Education

· Iowa Science Phenomena, Iowa PBS

· Mobile Virtual Reality (VR) Lab, GPB

· Science Trek 360: Geocaching, Idaho Public Television

· Student Advisory Board, WHRO

· Virtual Field Trips for Students, WPSU

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS CATEGORIES

Integrated Media Campaign

· Agnes 50: Life After the Flood, WVIA

· Call of the Canyon: Zion National Park, PBS Utah

· Cyberchase: 20 Years and Counting - Cyberchase 20th Anniversary & Season 13 Launch, WNET

· Hi-Neighbor! A Larger Than Life Film Event, Rhode Island PBS

· Launching Statewide News Program VPM News Focal Point, VPM

· Mind Over Matter: A Mental Health Initiative, WVIA

Special Events

· Adventure Day, KMOS

· Celebrating Nebraska Pollinators, Nebraska Public Media

· Centro Hispano Evening of Dreaming -Decolonizing Dinner, Wisconsin PBS

· Downing of a Flag Screening and Discussion Events, South Carolina ETV

· Franklin & Citizen Science: Sharing Stories of Collective Impact, WETA

· Muhammad Ali "The Greatest" Poetry Slam, WEDU

Promotion

· Adventure Day, KMOS

· Car Donation: Life is a Highway, TPT

· GED Promotional Spots, Rhode Island PBS

· Shipwrecks!, PBS Wisconsin

Social Media

· Call of the Canyon: Zion National Park, PBS Utah

· Healthy Smile Campaign, Arizona PBS

· Ms. Martha Reads with the First Lady, WHRO

· NOVA: Science & Society in Nebraska, Nebraska Public Media

· Playlist 48, season 1, Arizona PBS

Annual Report

· 2020-2021 Annual Report, Nebraska Public Media

· 2021 Annual Report, NorCal Public Media

· 2021 Report to the Community, Alaska Public Media

· Knowledge is Beautiful - FY21 Impact Report, PBS North Carolina

INDEPENDENT PRODUCER CATEGORY

· A Gun Conundrum, Michael Price & Kansas City PBS

· The Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander, Anthony Thaxton, Robert St. John, & Mississippi Public Broadcasting

· The Kitchenistas, Mary Ann Beyster, David Romero, & KPBS

· Training for Freedom, Dr. Richard Campbell & PBS Western Reserve

· Wisconsin Foodie, Arthur Ircink, Luke Zahm, & PBS Wisconsin

OVERALL EXCELLENCE CATEGORIES

Excellence in Education

· Arkansas PBS Overall Excellence in Education, Arkansas PBS

· GPB Education, GPB

Whitney Host PUBLIC MEDIA AWARDS!