By David Hormell
Additional reporting by Adam R Jacobson
Eight standout women are among the national and local honorees to be celebrated at a pair of events in Southern California and Midtown Manhattan, respectively, as the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation has unveiled this year’s winners of the 51st Gracie Awards.
The Grand Award for Documentary, highlighting preeminent programming and female-forward storytelling, has been bestowed to Hulu’s Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything. The intimate documentary follows the late Walters’ storied career, who became the first woman to break into broadcast journalism. Honorees include Abby Phillip, Katherine LaNasa, Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Sennott, Rhea Seehorn, Sarah Snook, Tina Knowles and CBS News Radio’s top-of-the-hour anchor Deborah Rodriguez, who is now seeking another role given Friday’s announcement that CBS will be shutting down CBS News Radio on May 22.
Other National honorees include Jodi Koontz of the Premiere Networks-syndicated Murphy Sam & Jodi show; Nina Hajian of The Jubal Show, an iHeartMedia offering; Hope Media Group’s Joy Summers; and The Anna & Raven Show, based at Connoisseur Media’s Fairfield County, Conn., operations base.
RADIO NATIONAL WINNERS
A Jane Austen Birthday Musicale
Sirius XM Symphony Hall
Feature/Special
Alex Curry & Carmen Vitali (FOX Sports Saturday)
FOX Sports Radio
Weekend Host
Chappell Roan Interview with Apple Music Country’s Kelleigh Bannen
Apple Music
Interview Feature
Deborah Rodriguez (CBS News Radio Top of the Hour)
CBS News Radio
News Anchor
Jodi Koontz (Murphy Sam & Jodi)
Premiere Networks / Three in the Morning LLC
Host/Personality
Kristen Farrah (Radio Health Journal)
American Urban Radio Networks
Producer – Entertainment/Talk
Nina Hajian (The Jubal Show)
iHeartMedia Radio
Co-Host
The Anna & Raven Show
Connoisseur Media LLC
Entertainment/Talk Program
48 hours at El Refugio: A haven for families of ICE detainees (Latino USA)
Futuro Media Group & The Marshall Project
Documentary
Beyoncé and Black Women's Deep Roots in Country Music (On Point with Meghna
Chakrabarti)
WBUR
Public Affairs
Catholic Nuns, Missing Babies, Mass Grave — Reckoning with Ireland’s Past
NPR (National Public Radio)
Investigative Feature
Galaxy Quenching (Radiolab)
WNYC New York Public Radio
Interview Feature
Global Indigenous Solidarity with Palestine (CBC Unreserved)
CBC
News Feature
Immigration Policy Hits the Track
NPR (National Public Radio)
Series
Joy Summers (Middays with Joy)
Hope Media Group
Host
Katia Riddle (Saving Mississippi’s Babies)
NPR (National Public Radio)
Reporter /Correspondent
Lauren Frayer (Catholic Nuns, Missing Babies, Mass Grave — Reckoning with Ireland’s
Past)
NPR (National Public Radio)
Producer
The Missing Children of Syria: Hidden in Orphanages Under Assad
National Public Radio (NPR)
Crisis Coverage/Breaking News
AWMF President Becky Brooks commented, “Women’s stories don’t just reflect the world, they shape it, shift it, and refuse to let it stay the same. This year’s honorees are doing exactly that across every platform, every format, every audience. We are proud, we are moved, and we are honored to say their names out loud.”
Created in 1975, the awards celebrate impactful media that centers women’s voices. National award winners will be honored at the Gracie Awards Gala at the Beverly Wilshire on May 19. Local television, radio, and student award recipients will be recognized at the Gracie Awards Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on June 16.
RADIO LOCAL WINNERS
Ally Ali (Ally Ali Weekdays on 106.1 BLI)
Cox Media Group Long Island
Host Non-Morning Drive (Entertainment Personality) Medium Market
Brandy & “Beasy Baybie” Henshaw (Jesus and Coffee with Beasy)
Radio One
Weekend Host (Talk/Personality) Large/Major Market
Cats & Cosby
WABC Radio in New York
Talk Show
Chaos Divers (The Lisa Dent Show)
WGN Radio in Chicago
Interview Feature
Debra Green (The Mark Arum Show)
Cox Media Group, 95.5 WSB – Atlanta
Co-host (Talk Personality) Small/Medium/Large/Major Market
Erica DeLong (The Erica Show)
iHeartMedia
Host Non-Morning Drive Personality Large/Major Market
Falen Gotler (Falen & Colt)
iHeartMedia in Minneapolis – KDWB
Host Non-Morning Drive (Personality) Large/Major Market – Series
GameChangers
KYW Newsradio – Audacy/Philadelphia
Soft News Feature
Holly Roberts (myTalk)
KTMY-FM in Minneapolis
Producer – Talk
Karen Carson (Karen Carson in the Morning – NEW 102.7)
WNEW-FM in New York – Audacy
Host Morning Drive- Major Market
Katelyn Maida (The Q Morning Show)
Radio One
Co-host (Entertainment Personality) Large/Major Market
Kayla Thomas with Z3lla on Touring with a Chronic Illness
iHeartMedia
Interview Feature – Women’s Health
KCBS In Depth: Last Ride
KCBS Radio (Audacy)
Public Affairs
Kelli Green (Kelli and Anthony)
Audacy
Host Morning Drive – Medium Market
Kelly Towle (The Blake Show with Kelly and Todd on Coast 93.1)
Saga Communication
Co-host (Entertainment Personality) Small Market
Kenzie’s Krimes (Brian & Kenzie Show)
CUMULUS MEDIA BROADCASTING
Regular Benchmark/Feature
Kira (Afternoons with Kira on Y107)
Zimmer Communications
Host Non-Morning Drive (Entertainment Personality) Small Market
Kristen Accardi (Cubby and Christine In The Morning)
iHeartMedia 106.7 Lite-FM (New York)
Producer
LA County Fires with Adai Lamar
KJLH-FM
Crisis Coverage/Breaking News
Liz Luda (The Morning Mix with Matt Harris and Liz Luda)
Radio One
Co-host (Entertainment Personality) Medium Market
Maria Shilaos (Midday with Maria Shilaos)
KSL NewsRadio
Host Non-Morning Drive Talk Large/Major Market
Michelle Heart (Michelle in the Morning on 107.9 LITE-FM)
Townsquare Media
Host Morning Drive – Small Market
Nessa (Nessa On Air)
WQHT “HOT 97” in New York – MediaCo
Host Non-Morning Drive (Entertainment Personality) Large/Major Market
Pat Loeb
KYW Newsradio
News Anchor/Reporter/Correspondent
Patriots Coach Mike Vrabel on Morning Magic with Sue and Kendra
Audacy Boston
Interview Feature – Sports
The Truth About Sex Trafficking (KJLH 9AM Local Hour)
KJLH-FM
Hard News Feature
They Shine: The Light of Women's Microenterprise Project in Eswatini
Fu-Hsin
Non-English Program
“Dehumanizing” Effect of Birth Names at School
Texas Public Radio
News Feature
Kate Wells (Kate Wells – Public Health Reporter)
Michigan Public
Reporter/Correspondent
Khalilah Brown-Dean (Disrupted)
Connecticut Public
Host/Anchor
Obituary for Kitty Dukakis (WBUR’s All Things Considered)
WBUR
Portrait/Biography
Ontario Today
CBC
Talk Show
Renee Collins Cobb (Overtones LIVE Hosted by Renee Collins Cobb)
Listen Locally, LLC
Producer
Still Here: Native American Resilience in New England
Connecticut Public
Series
The Dish with Mercedes Meija
Michigan Public
Interview Feature
RADIO STUDENT WINNERS
A League of Our Own “Healthcare Bias Toward Women”
WRHU FM Radio Hofstra University
Public Affairs
Chyna Black (A&T Four/Black History Month)
North Carolina A&T State University/WNAA-FM
Host/Personality
Marchella Mazzoni (The Rowan Report Election Night Special)
Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM
Producer
Mizzou’s Black Student Population
University of Missouri
News Feature – Investigative
The LeadHERship Series with Hayden Zapotosky
Wilton High School, Wilton, Connecticut
Interview Feature
The Rowan Report Election Night Special
Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM
Crisis Coverage/Breaking News
WFUV’s What’s What Weekend
WFUV / Fordham University
News Feature
WRHU FM – A League of Our Own
WRHU FM Radio Hofstra University
Talk Show
The Gracie Awards are sponsored in part by CNN, Hallmark Media, iHeartMedia and its Premiere Networks and Katz Media Group, Lauren’s Kids Foundation, and NCTA: The Internet & Television Association.
