WPLN Receives Awards From Murrow And Associated Press

It’s awards season in the world of journalism, and WPLN has been recognized quite a bit.

WPLN’s reporters won three 2019 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, which honor outstanding achievement in broadcast and digital journalism through RTDNA. This year, 4,600 entries were submitted for the competition. 

The Regional Murrow Awards awards are:

• Feature Reporting: “As He Heads Back to Prison, a Nashville Man Says “Goodbye” to the New Life He Hoped to Build,” Julieta Martinelli 
• Excellence in Writing: Blake Farmer
• News Documentary: The Promise: The Great Divide, Meribah Knight

In addition, the WPLN newsroom won 13 first-place awards and 5 second-place awards in the Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters and Media Editors 2018 Contest. They also took home some top awards: They were named best radio newsroom in the state, and WPLN’s Tony Gonzalez was named radio journalist of the year.

Here’s the complete list of AP awards: 

• Outstanding News Operation, Radio: WPLN Staff. From the judges: “This is radio journalism at its very best, with stories of substance and relevance. The reports are delivered with power and clarity, making great use of raw sound and helpful sound bites. Really excellent work.”
• Journalist of the Year, Radio: Tony Gonzalez
• Sports Feature, 1st Place: Tony Gonzalez, “For This World Cup, Nashville Latinos Have Space for Epic Viewing Parties“
• Long Light News Feature, 1st Place: Natasha Senjanovic, “For Nashville Barbers’ Homeless Clients, A Free Haircut is More Than Just a Trim“
• Short Serious News Feature: 1st Place: Blake Farmer, “Belmont Nursing Students Rehearse One of the Most Important Tasks They’ll Face: Handling Death“
• Long Serious News Feature, 1st Place: Blake Farmer, “Alzheimer’s Caretakers Lean on Each Other as They Endure ‘The Long Goodbye‘”
• Long Serious News Feature, 2nd Place: Shalina Chatlani, “Low-Income Students Still Struggle To Pay For College, Four Years After Tennessee Promise’s Start“
• Continuing Coverage, 1st Place: WPLN staff, Daniel Hambrick shooting 
• Political Coverage, 1st place: Chas Sisk, Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and Blake Farmer, “Tennessee’s Next Governor“
• Breaking News, 1st place: WPLN staff, “Mayor Megan Barry Resignation“
• Use of Sound, 1st place: Emily Siner, “What Vanderbilt Archivists Have Learned From 50 Years Of Watching The Evening News“
• Digital Coverage, 1st place: Mack Linebaugh & Tony Gonzalez, Curious Nashville
• Long Public Affairs, 1st place: Jason Moon Wilkins & Tony Gonzalez, “Nashville Transit Referendum” 
• Special Series, 2nd place: Meribah Knight, “The Promise: A Tale of Two Neighborhoods“
• Investigative Reporting, 1st place: Julieta Martinelli, “As He Heads Back to Prison, a Nashville Man Says “Goodbye” to the New Life He Hoped to Build“
• Investigative Reporting, 2nd place: Meribah Knight & Nate Rau (of the Tennessean), “Martha O’Bryan Center Builds School in Nashville’s Cayce Homes, But Some Residents Feel Forgotten“
• Radio Reporter, 2nd place: Meribah Knight 
• Radio Anchor, 1st place: Natasha Senjanovic 
• Best Newscaster, 1st place: Jason Moon Wilkins 
• Short Newscast, 2nd place: Natasha Senjanovic