KCAW’s news department won several awards from the Alaska Press Club, including first place awards for Best Series, All Media for Black in Sitka; Best Profile, Radio; and Best Short Form Audio Podcast. 

Report for America corps member Tash Kimmell reported and produced the Black in Sitka series; KCAW reporter Katherine Rose picked up the first place award for her profile of Brad Carow, a Sitkan who lends his musical gifts to the character of Squidward, a grumpy, jazz loving, clarinet-playing cephalopod on Spongebob Squarepants; and independent producer Beth Short-Rhodes picked up the award for season 1 of the podcast, The Savory Moment. Katherine Rose was also recognized for her work on The Savory Moment. 

“The Alaska Press Club awards are not a popularity contest,” said Robert Woolsey, KCAW News Director. “These are our peers, our toughest, most-discerning audience. Making the cut in this crowd is a real honor, and an honest reflection of the hard work it takes to produce the news. That KCAW consistently does so well says a lot about our community, and how much it values good reporting.” 

KCAW’s other awards included 2nd place for Best Food Reporting, All Media; 2nd place for Best Headline Writing, All Media; 2nd Place for Best Business Reporting, Radio; 2nd Place for Best Arts Reporting, Radio; 2nd Place; 3rd Place for Best Investigative Reporting, All Media; 3rd Place for Best Sound Rich Feature, Radio and 3rd Place for Longform Audio Podcast, Our Grandparents’ Teachings. 

Here’s the complete list:

Black in Sitka – First place, Best Series, All Media – Tash Kimmell

Will lab grown fish save Alaska’s wild salmon stocks? – 2nd place, Best food reporting, All media – Tash Kimmell

Is Sitka’s hotter-than-average inflation a touch of pipeline fever? – 2nd place, Best Headline Writing, All Media – Robert Woolsey

A Sitka high rise apartment’s lone elevator has been out of service for more than a year, and tenants are frustrated – 3rd place, Best investigative reporting, All Media – Katherine Rose

After 38 years as a ‘ramper’ Tim Fulton designed a better way to load planes. Now he wants to build it  – 2nd place, Best business reporting, Radio – Robert Woolsey

We did a deep dive into the bathrooms on Lincoln Street so you don’t have to – 3rd place, Best Sound Rich Feature, Radio – Katherine Rose

Meet the Sitkan behind the music of a certain cartoon cynical cartoon cephalopod – 1st place, Best profile, Radio – Katherine Rose

A curious approach to vending makes ‘cents’ in Sitka – 2nd place, Best Arts reporting, Radio – Katherine Rose

“Our Grandparents Teachings” – 3rd place, Longform Audio Podcast – Chuck Miller, Ellen Frankenstein, Stephanie Hawney, Dave Emmert, Becky Meiers, Adam Lechowicz

“The Savory Moment”– season 1 – 1st place, Short Form Audio Podcast – Beth Short-Rhodes, Katherine Rose, and Adam Lechowicz producers