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Awards

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

  • Regional Edward R. Murrow Award (RTDNA)
  • Audio Feature Reporting - Liam Moriarty, "Portraits of the Fallen"
  • Audio News Documentary - Keith Seinfeld, "Barefoot Running, the Scientific Merits"
  • Audio Reporting, Hard News - Keith Seinfeld, "Surgical Checklists Make Operations Safer in Washington"
  • Use of Sound - Charla Bear, "Sculptors Carve Art, Careers Out of Sand"
  • Public Radio News Directors, Inc. (PRNDI): First place, Spot News - "Slowdown for Emergency Vehicles"
  • National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF): Service to Community Award for Radio - KPLU School of Jazz

2010

  • Regional Edward R. Murrow Award (RTDNA): Audio News Documentary - Keith Seinfeld, "Deadly and Stubborn: TB Threat Rises."
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting: MySource Award Education Innovation Award - KPLU School of Jazz'

2009

  • Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Radio Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists (national award): "The Impact of War on Children," produced in conjunction with NPR's "The Impact of War" by KPLU reporters Chana Joffe-Walt and Jennifer Wing; edited by former NPR Senior Editor Vicky O'Hara and Supervising Editor Danyell Irby.
  • First Place, General News, Society of Professional Journalists: Austin Jenkins, Northwest News Network, "Mentally Ill Children Face Long Wait."
  • First Place, Feature News, Society of Professional Journalists: Paula Wissel, "Cashing in on the Housing Crisis."
  • First Place, Series, PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Incorporated): KPLU News Team, "Best of The Meaning of Work - 2008."
  • Second Place, Soft Feature, PRNDI: Chana Joffe-Walt, "Historic Hat Store Looks to Change."
  • Third Place, Documentary, Society of Professional Journalists: Chana Joffe-Walt, "Remembering Rose Hill."

2008

  • First Place, Radio Documentary, Society of Professional Journalists: Keith Seinfeld for "The Electric Brain."
  • First Place, Feature News and News Series, Society of Professional Journalists: Austin Jenkins, Northwest News Network.
  • First Place, Writing, Public Radio News Directors, Inc. (PRNDI, national award): Keith Seinfeld for "The Electric Brain."
  • First Place, Spot News, PRNDI: Chana Joffe-Walt, "Speed Dating the Candidates."
  • Second Place, Best Newscast, Society of Professional Journalists: Kirsten Kendrick and Dave Meyer.
  • Second Place, Feature News, Society of Professional Journalists: Chana Joffe-Walt for "90 Year-Old is a Living History of Diabetes Treatment."
  • Second Place, News Series, Society of Professional Journalists: Austin Jenkins, Northwest News Network.
  • Third Place, Feature News, Society of Professional Journalists: Gary Davis for "The Man Who Fell from Galloping Gertie."
  • Third Place, Spot News, Society of Professional Journalists: Austin Jenkins, Northwest News Network.
  • Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, Large Market/Feature Reporting: Paula Wissel for "Signing up soldiers."
  • Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, Large Market/Writing: KPLU News, the best of "The Meaning of Work."
  • AAAS Science Journalism Award, American Association for the Advancement of Science: Keith Seinfeld for "The Electric Brain."
  • Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Keith Seinfeld.
  • Best Blues DJ, Washington Blues Society: John Kessler.

2007

  • Golden Ear Award, Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame, Earshot Jazz: 88.5 KPLU.
  • First Place, General News, Society of Professional Journalists: Keith Seinfeld for "Mental Illness Safety Net is Torn."
  • Second Place, Feature Reporting, Society of Professional Journalists: Gary Davis for "The Learning Curve - Older Students on Campus."
  • Second Place, News Series, Society of Professional Journalists: Liam Moriarty for "The Learning Curve - The French Connection."
  • Third Place, Commentary, Society of Professional Journalists: Nick Morrison, "Homegrown Tomatoes."
  • Best Blues DJ, Washington Blues Society: John Kessler.

2006

  • KPLU's newscasts in Morning Edition and All Things Considered won first place in the Society of Professional Journalists' recent "2006 Pacific Northwest Excellence in Journalism Competition."
  •  
  • Second place award in Investigative Reporting category - Kirsten Kendrick and Jennifer Wing for their story for "Private money in public education";
  • Second place award in the General News category - Keith Seinfeld for his story "Smoking ban challenges addicts"
  • Second place award in the Documentary category - Keith Seinfeld, Paula Wissel and Bellamy Pailthorp for "Company towns, then and now", a three-part series that aired in May 2005.
  • Austin Jenkins of Northwest News Network, whose reports from Olympia can be heard on KPLU, won awards in the General News, Investigative and Spot News categories.

2005

  • At the recent 2005 Pacific Northwest Excellence in Journalism Competition
  • presented by the Society of Professional Journalists on Sunday, May 22, the KPLU News team won four awards:
  • First Place, general news - KPLU Law and Justice reporter Paula Wissel for her story, "Homeless in the Suburbs".
  • First Place, "Best Documentary" - KPLU News team for the five-part series, "Voice of the Voters".
  • Second Place, "Nationally Edited Story" - KPLU Business and Labor reporter Bellamy Pailthorp for "Outsourcing: Retraining Challenge".
  • Third Place, "Best Newscast" - Dave Meyer, KPLU Morning Edition.

2004

  • "All Blues" host John Kessler received the Best Blues Disc Jockey Award from the Washington Blues Society.
  • First Place, Investigative Reporting: Jennifer Wing for her "Learning Curve" two-part series, "Special Education." ("The Learning Curve" is a collaboration with KCTS-TV on issues affecting students in Western Washington.)
  • First Place, Feature News Reporting: Austin Jenkins for his "Learning Curve" story, "Testing"Who Profits?" on companies cashing in on increased testing and test-prep for public school kids.
  • Second Place, Feature News Reporting: Paula Wissel for her story, "Who Votes?"
  • Honorable Mention, Feature News Reporting: Jennifer Wing for her story, "The Future of Vo-Tech."
  • Second Place, Documentary: Jennifer Wing for her "Learning Curve" two-part series, "A Tale of Two Schools," one failing and the other doing exceptionally well despite similar challenges and demographics.
  • Honorable Mention, Documentary: KPLU staff for "In Defense of Liberty," a five-part series on the Patriot Act and civil liberties.
  • Second Place, Sports Reporting: Paula Wissel for "Coach Frosty," her profile on the coach as he was heading into retirement.
  • Second Place, Spot News Reporting: Steve Krueger and Paige Hansen for their live two-way interview during an ATC newscast on the Farewell Creek fire.

2003

  • "Art of Jazz" host and trombonist Ken Wiley was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame
  • "Jazz Northwest" and "Jazz Afterhours" host Jim Wilke was nominated for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz Broadcasting - the Willis Conover/Marian McPartland Award
  • KPLU "All Blues" hosts Robin Lloyd and John Kessler were named Best Blues Disc Jockeys of the year by the Tacoma Blues Society.

2001

  • 2001 Edward R. Murrow Regional Awards for:
  • Best Continuing Coverage: Bellamy Pailthorp, "Container Stowaways"
  • Best News Documentary: Jennifer Niessen, "Dangerous Pipeline"
  • Best News Series: Paula Wissel, "Washington's Special Commitment Center"
  • 2001 Society for Professional Journalists awards for Investigative reporting:
  • 1st Place: Jennifer Niessen: "Dangerous Pipelines"
  • 2nd Place: Keith Seinfeld: "Snake River Dam"
  • 3rd Place: Paula Wissel: "Special Commitment Center"
  • 2001 Society for Professional Journalists awards
  • 1st Place: Best Sports Reporting: Bellamy Pailthorp: "Remembering the Dome"
  • 2nd Place: Feature Reporting: Christine Arrasmith: "Drug Addicted Babies"
  • 3rd Place: Feature Reporting: Paula Wissel: "Kids' Mediation Camp"
  • 2nd Place: Commentary: Sarah Stanley "Local Polling Station"
  • 3rd Place Commentary: Taso Lagos: "What's in a Name."

2000

  • 2000 National Association of Broadcasters - Marconi Award finalist for Best Jazz Station of the Year.

1999

  • 1999 Gavin Media Professional Awards
  • KPLU's Nick Morrison Named Gavin "Jazz Programmer of the Year.

1998

  • 1998 Tacoma Blues Society Summy Award
  • KPLU 'All Blues' host, Juliette Zentelis recieves Summy.
  • 1998 33rd Annual Gabriel Awards
  • KPLU awarded certificate of merit for "Faces of Poverty"
  • 1998 Associated Press Broadcast Competition
  • KPLU News Department Sweeps State AP Awards, Wins RTNDA Honors
  • 1998 Gavin Media Professional Awards
  • KPLU's Joey Cohn named Gavin "Jazz Person of the Year"

1997

  • 1997 Public Radio News Directors Inc.
  • KPLU News Staff Earns National Awards

1996

  • 1996 National Association of Broadcasters
  • Marconi Award - Best Jazz Radio Station
  • 1996 Public Radio News Directors Inc.
  • Special Award for Commitment to Daily News
  • 1996 Corporation for Public Broadcasting
  • Local Radio Development Award
  • Excellence in Innovation/Special Development Achievement
  • Over 50 regional awards for local news reporting in 1996