WPLN News won 17 awards in the Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters & Media Editors Competition, honoring their work produced in 2019.
That includes the top award given to a radio newsroom in Tennessee: Outstanding Radio News Operation. Judges particularly noted WPLN News’ reporting on the Nashville mayoral election, as well its community engagement work.
“Reporters are thorough; its announcers smooth, and its journalism robust,” they wrote. “This is what real radio stations do in this age, create spaces to hold conversations and knit up the raveled skeins of city interests into something that can be called a community.”
More than 840 entries were submitted to the contest, which honors the best in professional and college journalism across platforms. A full list of honorees can be found here.
- Outstanding News Operation, Radio Winner: WPLN News.
- Journalist of the Year, Radio Winner: Blake Farmer. A series of stories was submitted, including Why Being A Mom And A Heart Surgeon Remains So Complicated
- Digital Coverage: First Place, Tony Gonzalez. A series of stories on the mayoral election was submitted, including WPLN Fact-Checked 31 Claims On Mayoral Campaign Websites. Here’s What We Found.
- Long Public Affairs: First Place, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Moon Wilkins. Decision Time 2019
- Best Newscaster: First Place, Jason Moon Wilkins. A series of clips was submitted, including Music Journalists Answer: What Did Nashville Sound Like In 2019?
- Long Newscast: First Place, Rachel Iacovone
- Continuing Coverage: First Place, Emily Siner. A series of stories was submitted on delays for a Cummins Falls warning system, including Investigation: Delays And Confusion Before Flood Death At Cummins Falls State Park
- Political Coverage: First Place, Sergio Martínez-Beltrán. A series of stories on Tennessee state government was submitted, including Capitol Ag Day Has Tennessee Lawmakers Passing Saws Rather Than Laws
- Breaking News: First Place, Chas Sisk and Sergio Martínez-Beltrán. A series of stories on Glen Casada’s resignation was submitted, including How Glen Casada Went From Winning House Speakership To Losing No-Confidence Vote
- Investigative Reporting: First Place, Julieta Martinelli. After Pledging to Examine Innocence Claims, Nashville DA has Yet to Open a Case
- Sports Feature/Special: First Place, Alana Watson. How Belmont’s Smallest Guard Became a Scoring Powerhouse
- Use Of Sound: First Place, Sergio Martínez-Beltrán. How The Growing Latino Population Is Shaping Music Education In Nashville
- Short Light News Feature: First Place, Samantha Max. 50 Years After the Moon Landing, a Tennessee Engineer Remembers Testing the Apollo Rocket’s Engine
- Long Light News Feature: Third Place, Chas Sisk. After 125 Years, Ryman Auditorium Adds a Rare ‘First’ — A Headlining Hip-Hop Act
- Short Serious News Feature: Second Place, Blake Farmer. A Crime Scene so ‘Gruesome’ in Sumner County that TBI Fears for Its Forensic Scientists
- Long Serious News Feature: Second Place, Samantha Max. For Male Victims of Child Sexual Abuse, Untreated Trauma Can Lead to Run-Ins with the Law
- Special Series/Documentary: Second Place, Blake Farmer. The Cost of Dying
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM