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Newsroom Awards

WGLT’s newsroom is staffed with award-winning journalists.

Regional Murrow Awards

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WGLT earned a 2022 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Continuing Coverage for our reporting on Jelani Day's disappearance.

Illinois News Broadcasters Association

The INBA recognized WGLT with two statewide honors in its 2022 Crystal Mic Awards, both in the Small Market Radio category:

  • Best Newscast - first place - Charlie Schlenker (second consecutive win)
  • Best Reporter - second place - Lyndsay Jones

Learn more about the Crystal Mic Awards.

Public Media Journalists Association

The Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) recognized WGLT's newsroom with two second-place national awards for its work in 2021:

  • Photojournalism - “Jelani Day Demonstration," by Emily Bollinger
  • News/Public Affairs Program - WGLT's Sound Ideas, full staff

2020 awards

2019 awards

Associated Press

WGLT News has received 111 Illinois AP journalism awards since 1997.

2019

  • Outstanding News Operation – entire staff
  • Best Hard News Feature – Second Place – “Failing Rica,” by Ryan Denham and Edith Brady-Lunny.
  • Best Series or Documentary – First Place – “Down On The Farm,” by Eric Stock and Ryan Denham from WGLT. Jointly produced with Dana Vollmer and Tim Shelley at WCBU.
  • Best Series or Documentary – Second Place – “Fines and Fees System Fail the Disadvantaged,” by Mary Cullen.
  • Best Investigative Report – Second Place – “Failing Rica,” by Ryan Denham and Edith Brady-Lunny.
  • Best Digital Presence – First Place – entire staff
  • Best Reporter - First Place – Ryan Denham
  • Best Newscast – Second Place – entire staff

2018

2017

  • Best Digital Presence (first place) – Recognizing overall excellence in online content, including reporting, writing, and photography, at WGLT.org, and on social media.
  • Best Reporter (first place) – Ryan Denham, WGLT digital content director
  • Best Reporter (second place) – Judy Valente, WGLT reporter
  • Best Light Feature (first place) – Jon Norton, WGLT music director and Morning Edition host, for After Quiet Stretch, Thriving Bloomington-Normal Music Scene Makes Some Noise

2016

2015

The Illinois AP honored WGLT for journalistic excellence with five awards for work in the Local Radio category in 2015. WGLT received more awards than any other station in the division, the second year in a row for such a distinction.

Previous Murrow Awards

WGLT earned three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for 2020 for its local reporting and newscasts:

For the first time in station history, WGLT was honored in 2015 with two national Edward R. Murrow awards for journalistic excellence in one year by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). WGLT had previously won three national Murrow awards for work in 2005, 2006, and 2008.

WGLT News won the coveted News Series award for the group of investigative reports, Police and Race in the Twin Cities. That also took honors in the Investigative Reporting category. The series was honored earlier this year with two regional Murrow awards, and defeated contenders from 13 other regions to gain the national acclaim.

This marks an unprecedented three national awards for WGLT News for work done last year, all centered around the Police and Race series.

Listen to the award-winning series Police and Race in the Twin Cities.

Diversity Reporting

WGLT News was one of seven media outlets in the nation honored with the 2015 Kaleidoscope Award for reporting on cultural diversity in 2014. The award was developed with Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) together with UNITY: Journalists For Diversity as part of a shared commitment to developing news content and editorial staffs that reflect the changing face of America.

WGLT is the national winner in the Small Market Radio division. (RTDNA considers stations to be in small markets if the metro area they serve is less than 1,014,900 in population.) The award highlights the WGLT newsroom's "ongoing commitment to covering issues of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity: the cultural diversity of (its) community.”

Civic Engagement

WGLT News was honored with the Unit/Department Award for civic engagement at Illinois State University's 2019 Civic Engagement Celebration. The university recognizes students, faculty, staff, and on- and off-campus groups for their outstanding contributions to civic engagement and demonstrating the university's core value. The award highlights WGLT's local election forums and hosting a series of Community Conversations that brought community members together for discussions on gun violence, journalism, and youth mental health.