INBA names 2025 SINBA award finalists

2 weeks ago

INBA board member Emily Manley hosts the 2023 SINBA Awards ceremony in Springfield.

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is proud to announce the finalists in the 2025 Student Awards. These student broadcasters will be honored Saturday, April 26, during the INBA Spring Convention in Bloomington. Register now to join us for the entire convention or just the awards dinner. Deadline to register is Friday, April 11.

Some categories below have just one entry under them. That entry is the first-place winner. Categories with two entries will include a first- and second-place winner. The placements won’t be announced until April 26 at the convention.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR STUDENTS AND ADVISERS: Please carefully look at the names below to make sure they will be spelled correctly on award plaques. If you see a mistake, please contact INBA VP, Emily Manley at ermanley23@gmail.com.

TELEVISION COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Television Program

“The Bottom Line”: Kyle Langellier, Miriam Nesemeier, TV-10, Illinois State University
“UI7 Presents Decision 2024”: Piper Pascarella, Maggie Knutte, Hannah Lonergan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Outstanding Soft Television Program

“Good Morning Illini”: Hannah Lonergan, Mallory Miller, Caroline Tadla, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
“Good Afternoon Blono”: Austin Feaman, Jillian Claussen, Ella Pepper, TV-10, Illinois State University

Outstanding Sports Television Program

“Saluki Sportsview” (Spring 25, Ep. 1): Students of JRNL 445, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
“Illini Sports Night” (Oct. 14, 2025): Emily Richie, John Shay, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Outstanding Television Newscast

“TV-10 News at Noon” (March 24, 2025): Gil Cano, Elizabeth Ippolito, Aliah Mendoza, Illinois State University
WEIU-TV News Watch: Staff, Eastern Illinois University

Outstanding Television News Reporting

Matt Williamson: WEIU, Eastern Illinois University
Gil Cano: TV-10, Illinois State University

Outstanding Television Sports Reporting

Andrew Spaid: Eastern Illinois University
Jordan Kruse, Joey Benard: Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Outstanding Television News Photography

Matt Williamson, Lauryn Samuelson: WEIU, Eastern Illinois University

RADIO COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Radio Program

Bird’s-I-View episode “Artificial Intelligence”: Lauren Leisure, Luke Biondi, Colleen Holden, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Soft Radio Program

RedZone: Jordan Davis, Benjamin Hudy, Joey LeMaster, Julian Voss, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio Newscast

Colleen Holden, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio News Reporting

The Great Recession of Higher Education: Nathan Cihak, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio Sports Reporting

Bloomington Bison coverage: Jaden Cohn, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio Sports Play-by-Play

Joey Lemaster, Jaden Cohn, WZND, Illinois State University
Benjamin Hudy, Liam Lyons, Everton Levy, WZND, Illinois State University

Ryan Denham

Digital Content Director, WGLT (Normal)

I recently attended my first INBA conference—and it won’t be my last. The combination of professional and student journalists learning together is electric. Everyone learns from each other and walks away with new friends (and LinkedIn connections). I know I did.

Brian O'Keefe

News Director (Retired), WDCB radio, Glen Ellyn

One of the greatest benefits for me has been getting to see and know other parts of the state. I’m not from Illinois and traveling to spring and fall conventions over the years has transformed dots on a map to memories of places that enhance my story telling process.

Michelle Eccles McLaughlin

Public Relations Account Manager; Horace Mann Insurance

INBA is an organization that really caters to continuing education for professionals. It offers a relatively inexpensive way to learn new things, reinforce best practices and network.

Mike Miletich

Broadcast journalist, Springfield

Joining the INBA was one of my best life decisions. I met some of the best broadcast journalists while I was still a college student. Plus, I ended up getting a job through the connections I made!

Alexis McAdams

Fox News National Correspondent

INBA played a huge part in preparing me for my broadcasting career. The INBA conventions connect students with on-air talent and news directors who give feedback on now to improve your work. Through relationships I made at those conventions, I was able to obtain my first on air reporting job.

Jennifer Fuller

Associate Director for News and Public Affairs, WSIU

INBA is not only a great networking tool, it also provides advocacy and support for journalists in an ever-changing world.

Molly Jirasek

News Nation, WGN America Chicago

One of my top goals in my career was to get to Chicago. Thanks to INBA I met Margaret Larkin. She remembered our great conversations about Chicago and first alerted me to a job opening in the city I might be interested in. Lo and behold, I got that job! INBA helped me reach my dream.

Aaron Eades

Producer at Spectrum News 13, Orlando, FL; Former Morning Anchor at WCIA-TV, Champaign

As a student, it's often difficult to picture what working in the real world will be like. For me, the INBA bridged that gap by giving me the chance to talk to professionals who used to be in the same shoes I'm in now.

Bob Roberts

Retired, WBBM-AM, Chicago

INBA is as much about friendship and as it is about achieving common goals. It provides two things individual newsrooms cannot: in-service training, and the ability to speak out on issues affecting the profession. But most of all, it brings newspeople together.

Jeff Bossert

Morning Edition Host; WVTF, Roanoke, Virginia

When I was working in radio for the first time, I had no idea whether I could truly handle the demands. But INBA made me curious and want to improve. Even now, when I’ve maybe worked a lot of hours or planned some stories that didn’t come together for one reason or another, what I learn from an INBA conference gets me re-invigorated about the business.

Nora Baldner

Professor; Quincy University

The support INBA gives to student journalists is vitally important as we all discover how technology is changing news dissemination, INBA monitors and actively encourages truth, transparency and accountability from students and their universities.