ISU’s radio and TV stations won a total of nine awards, while EIU students claimed seven. Included in those seven were three individual awards for Olivia Bennett, who won for best news reporting, sports reporting and TV photography. She also won one of the INBA’s five college scholarships that were handed out April 18.

Here is the complete list of winners:

RADIO COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Radio Program

FIRST PLACE

• The Big Beautiful Bill
  • Ally Cooper, Colleen Holden, Bella Marello, Illinois State University

Outstanding Soft Radio Program

FIRST PLACE

• The RedZone: ISU Football National Championship Interview with Aondover Tarhule
  • Liam Lyons, Connor Allyn, Jaden Cohn, ISU 

Outstanding Radio Newscast

FIRST PLACE

• Ally Cooper, ISU

Outstanding Radio News Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Jonathan Dumois, NIU

SECOND PLACE

• Linder Sports Complex Renovations
  • Andrew Spaid, Eastern Illinois University

Outstanding Radio Sports Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Jaden Cohn, ISU

Outstanding Use of Sound

FIRST PLACE

• History Has Its Eyes On Them: ISU Students March for a Safer Future and Justice for the Past
  • Colleen Holden, ISU  

TELEVISION COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Television Program

FIRST PLACE

• Illinois In Session: Look ahead at 2026 Senate Race
  • Nathan Gonzalez, Mary Piacente and Piper Pascarella, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

SECOND PLACE

• Groovin Jaguar
  • GovState News Staff, Governors State University

Outstanding Soft Television Program

FIRST PLACE

• The Quad: Lights, Camera, Action – The Quad Takes the Stage
  • Aaron Anastos, Mary Piacente, Adrien Reetz, UIUC

SECOND PLACE

• Good Afternoon BloNo – Feb. 25, 2026
  • Aliah Mendoza, Aie Allen and Zakk Clark, ISU

Outstanding Sports Television Program

FIRST PLACE

• SportsZone – March 30, 2026
  • Nicholas Thompson, Zach Zanardo, Victor Todorov, ISU

SECOND PLACE

• Saluki Sportsview, Fall 2025, Ep. 2
  • Students of JRNL 445, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Outstanding Television Newscast

FIRST PLACE

• WEIU-TV News Watch
  • News Watch Staff, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• TV-10 News at Noon, March 23, 2026
  • Vivienne Hughes, Aliah Mendoza, ISU

Outstanding Television News Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Olivia Bennett, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• Matt Williamson, EIU

Outstanding Television Sports Reporting

FIRST PLACE

• Olivia Bennett, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• Madalyne Korzeniewski, ISU

Outstanding Television News Photography

FIRST PLACE

• Olivia Bennett, EIU

SECOND PLACE

• Matt Williamson, EIU

View more SINBA Award winner photos on the INBA Facebook page soon.

The winners were selected by a panel of INBA members who evaluated about 20 scholarship applications.

The INBA has been supporting college students pursuing degrees in broadcast journalism since 1963. During that time, including the $12,500 in awards handed out this year, the INBA has awarded 223 scholarships worth about $225,000.

Here are this year’s winners:

OLIVIA BENNETT of Charleston is a junior at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism. She has worked as a Gray Television fellow for WOIO-TV in Cleveland; a producer, anchor and investigative reporter for TruBlu Crime Streaming; and managing editor, anchor and reporter for WEIU-TV News Watch. With this year’s award, Olivia is now a three-time INBA scholarship winner. Olivia took home INBA Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.

JOSHUA HIGHTOWER of Miami Gardens, Florida, is a graduate student in the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois Springfield. He is currently working as a reporting intern at WCIA-TV’s Capitol Bureau. He also was a reporter at WMNF 88.5 in Tampa while he attended the University of South Florida. Joshua is the winner of the INBA Bill Miller Scholarship, named after the longtime Springfield radio journalist who directed the PAR program from 1974 to 1993.

COLLEEN HOLDEN of Chicago will graduate next month from Illinois State University with a degree in journalism. She currently serves as news and sports operation director for WZND, the campus radio station, and a reporter, newscaster and “All Things Considered” host for WGLT. She previously worked as a reporter, producer and news director at WZND. Colleen was awarded the INBA Larry Wilson Scholarship, the news director at WSMI in Litchfield from 1970 to 1985.

ALIAH MENDOZA of Aurora is a mass media major at Illinois State University. She will graduate in May. Aliah has held several positions at ISU’s TV-10, including anchor, producer, director, social media manager, technical director, audio operator, camera/video playback/CG operator, and “Good Afternoon Blono” host. She also was a undergraduate teaching assistant for a TV production course. She was awarded the INBA Mary McAndrew Scholarship, named after the longtime journalist who spent 18 years with NBC News and also worked for the Associated Press and United Press International in New York and WBBM radio, WGCI radio and USA Today in Chicago.

ANDREW SPAID of Lake in the Hills will graduate this spring from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in TV and video production. He has worked as a sports and news anchor, producer and sports director for WEIU-TV and was an on-air DJ for Hit Mix 88.9 WEIU. He also is a host and producer of the Anytime Sports Podcast, worked on the live sports production crew for ESPN+ and was a freelance camera operator for WQAD-TV. Andrew is the winner of the INBA Don Brown Scholarship. Don is the namesake for the INBA’s first-ever scholarship, given in 1963. He worked for radio stations in Iowa and taught at the Universities of Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State and was instrumental in forming the INBA in 1955.

In addition to their scholarship awards, each of the five winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to the Best of Broadcast Awards event.

Three other students were named finalists for scholarship awards and were offered free tickets to the awards event. The finalists were Allison Cooper from ISU, Ciara Folkerts from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Matthew Williamson from EIU.

The Scholarship Selection Committee included:

• Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself and INBA board member.
• Jenna Dooley, news director, WNIJ in DeKalb, and INBA past president
• Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio, and INBA past president
• Emily Manley, former Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar and former INBA vice president

The INBA Scholarship program is supported through the INBA Foundation, which would welcome your help to continue supporting college broadcasting students. If you’re interested in making a gift to support that effort, make an online donation now.

INBA’s Crystal Mic Awards will be presented to Small and Large Market Radio and Television professionals, for the great work they’ve been doing during some very challenging times.

Students who are wrapping up the academic year will be honored with SINBA Awards for Radio and Television, and INBA Scholarships, given in memory of some of our earlier members.

Of course the evening will start with time for cocktails and networking, and we’ll continue those interactions during dinner. We’re excited to bring students and professionals together in one celebration.

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is proud to announce the winners in the 2025 Student Awards. These student broadcasters were honored Saturday, April 26, during the INBA Spring Convention in Bloomington.

TELEVISION COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Television Program

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

Outstanding Soft Television Program

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

Outstanding Sports Television Program

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

Outstanding Television Newscast

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

Outstanding Television News Reporting

• First place: Gil Cano: TV-10, Illinois State University
• Second place: Matt Williamson: WEIU, Eastern Illinois University

Outstanding Television Sports Reporting

• First place: Andrew Spaid: Eastern Illinois University
• Second place: Jordan Kruse, Joey Benard: Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Outstanding Television News Photography

• First place: Matt Williamson, Lauryn Samuelson: WEIU, Eastern Illinois University 

RADIO COMPETITION

Outstanding Hard Radio Program

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

Outstanding Soft Radio Program

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

Outstanding Radio Newscast

• First place: Colleen Holden, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio News Reporting

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

Outstanding Radio Sports Reporting

• First place: Bloomington Bison coverage: Jaden Cohn, WZND, Illinois State University

Outstanding Radio Sports Play-by-Play

• First place: Benjamin Hudy, Liam Lyons, Everton Levy, WZND, Illinois State University 
• Second place: Joey Lemaster, Jaden Cohn, WZND, Illinois State University

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association honored its 2025 college scholarship recipients during the INBA Spring Convention in Bloomington on Saturday, April 26.

The five winners were selected by a panel of INBA members who evaluated 23 scholarship applications.

The INBA has been supporting college students pursuing degrees in broadcast journalism since 1963. During that time, including the $11,000 in awards being handed out this year, the INBA has awarded 218 scholarships worth about $213,000.

Here are this year’s winners:

OLIVIA BENNETT of Charleston is a sophomore at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism. Olivia is working this semester as a producer, anchor and investigative reporter for TruBlu Crime Streaming. She helps to design and run a show that does long-form “48 Hours”-style pieces on crimes throughout the nation. She also has been a Gray Television fellow for WOIO-TV in Cleveland and a reporter for the PBS station on the EIU campus. With this year’s award, Olivia is now a two-time INBA scholarship winner.

Olivia will be taking home the Ed Brown Scholarship, named after the late Southern Illinois University Carbondale professor who served as the INBA’s executive secretary from 1968 to 1983.

SIMONE GARBER of Chicago is a junior journalism and history major at Northwestern University. She has worked as a reporter and anchor for the Northwestern News Network, a politics reporter for Medill News Service and a reporting intern for WJFW Newswatch 12 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

Simone has been awarded the INBA Mary McAndrew Scholarship, named after the longtime journalist who spent 18 years with NBC News and also worked for the Associated Press and United Press International in New York and WBBM radio, WGCI radio and USA Today in Chicago.

LINA GEBHARDT of Lombard is a journalism major planning to graduate this summer from DePaul University. She has worked as a reporter and anchor for “Good Day DePaul,” the multimedia editor for The DePaulia, a news intern at NewsNation and a graduate assistant.

Lina is the winner of the INBA Don Brown Scholarship. Don is the namesake for the INBA’s first-ever scholarship, given in 1963. He worked for radio stations in Iowa and taught at the Universities of Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State and was instrumental in forming the INBA in 1955.

LAUREN LEISURE of Bourbonnais is an Illinois State University journalism major who plans to graduate later this year. At ISU, Lauren works for TV-10, where she is a multimedia journalist, weather anchor and fill-in news anchor. She is also the news and sports operations director at WZND, the student radio station. Lauren has interned at WCIA-TV, WGLT radio at ISU and WFAV radio in Bourbonnais.

Lauren is being awarded the INBA Bill Miller Scholarship. Miller worked in radio for 25 years in Springfield before serving another 20 years as director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at Sangamon State University. He is a charter member of the INBA.

MATT WILLIAMSON of Le Roy is a junior at Eastern Illinois University, majoring in television and video production. He has worked at WEIU News Watch, a student-led broadcast, as an anchor, reporter, photographer, writer and producer.

Matt is the recipient of the INBA Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.

In addition to their scholarship awards, each of the five winners is receiving an all-expenses-paid trip to the Spring Convention.

Four other students were named finalists for scholarship awards and were offered free tickets to the Spring Convention. The finalists were Gil Cano, Elizabeth Ippolito and Rachael Deerfield, all of Illinois State University, and Cameron Maine, a former ISU student who is now a graduate student in the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois Springfield.

The Scholarship Selection Committee included:

• Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself and INBA board member.
• Ryan Burrow, news director, WGN Radio, Chicago
• Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio, and INBA president
• Emily Manley, former Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar and current INBA vice president

The INBA Scholarship program is supported through the INBA Foundation, which would welcome your help to continue supporting college broadcasting students. If you’re interested in making a gift to support that effort, make an online donation now.

Educational sessions about immigration and weird weather and the celebration of our student broadcast journalists will headline the INBA Spring Convention in Bloomington April 25-27, 2025.

Here is the agenda for the weekend:

INBA Spring Convention schedule (all sessions at the Holiday Inn & Suites Bloomington Airport, 3202 E. Empire St., Bloomington)

Friday, April 25

> Evening welcoming reception at hotel.

Saturday, April 26

> 8 to 9 a.m. – Convention registration and check-in, hotel lobby

> 9:10 a.m. – Welcome

> 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.: Session One – Covering Immigration in the Second Trump Administration: The Trump administration has substantially altered America’s immigration policy in its first months in office. We’ll learn the basics of the system that governs immigration, hear from leaders of communities that have been affected and get tips for covering a fast-changing beat.

Panelists: Laura Aronson, director, Immigration Law Clinic, University of Illinois Law School; Maggie Rivera, President and CEO, Illinois Migrant Council; Adriana Cardona-Maguidad, immigration reporter, WBEZ Chicago

> 10:45 a.m. to noon: Session Two – Wild Wacky Weather: It doesn’t take a meteorologist to recognize that the weather in Illinois is getting a little weirder. You’ll hear from experts in the field about why that might be happening, how it impacts communities, and how we as reporters can better communicate before, during and after severe weather events.

Panelists: Chuck Collins, meteorologist WEEK 25News Peoria; Cathy Beck, director, McLean County Emergency Management Agency; Jim Angel, retired Illinois state climatologist; Gary Manier, mayor, Washington, Illinois, which was hit by an EF-4 tornado in 2013)

> Noon to 2 p.m.: Lunch and INBA membership meeting

> 2 to 3:15 p.m.: Session Three – The Future of Media: Angst over the future of journalism is nothing new. But the rapid pace of change, and recent rounds of layoffs at institutions big and small, at a time when the media’s watchdog role is more critical than ever, is enough to spike the anxiety of even the most veteran reporters. We’ll discuss the future of the industry with local and regional news leaders.

Panelists: Brad Gray, director of innovation, WTHR 13News (Indiana/TEGNA); Leon Hendricks news director, WEEK 25News (Peoria/Gray)

> 3:30 p.m.: Association meetings, student critiques

> 6 p.m.: Cocktail hour

> 7 p.m.: Dinner and presentation of student scholarships and SINBA awards

Sunday, April 27

10 to 11:15 a.m.: Session Four – A Refresh for Journalists: After a long work week and a weekend full of tough conversations and topics, it’s time for a break. We’ll get tips on how to take quick breaks during a busy day and recognize when deep breathing may just not be enough. 

Panelist: Erin Kennedy, manager, Community Resource Center, OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is proud to announce its 2024 college scholarship recipients. The students will receive their awards on Saturday, April 20, during the INBA Spring Convention in Rock Island.

The INBA has been supporting college students pursuing degrees in broadcast journalism since 1963. During that time, including the $13,000 in awards being handed out this year, the INBA has awarded about 213 scholarships worth nearly $202,000.

Here are this year’s winners:

HARRISON BELSANTI of Highland Park is a broadcast journalism major at Eastern Illinois University, graduating in just a few weeks. He has worked at WEIU-TV, the campus’ PBS affiliate, as a multimedia journalist, assistant producer and many other positions since January 2022. He’s also a repeat winner, having taken home an INBA scholarship at last spring’s convention. After graduation, Harrison will begin work as a multiskilled journalist at WQAD-TV, the ABC affiliate in the Quad Cities.

Harrison is being awarded the INBA’s Fred “Fritz” Sorenson Scholarship. Sorenson was a longtime reporter and anchor for WKRS radio in Waukegan and WCIA-TV in Champaign.

OLIVIA BENNETT is a freshman at Eastern Illinois University majoring in broadcast journalism and minoring in criminology. She works as a general assignment reporter and anchor for WEIU-TV and as a radio personality for WEIU Hit Mix 88.9 FM. Olivia is the first-ever recipient of the INBA Molly Hall Scholarship. Friends and family of Molly donated funds to establish this award after she passed away a year ago. Molly was an EIU graduate who spent 14 years in broadcast journalism starting at WTAX radio in Springfield, and then working as a reporter, anchor and Statehouse Capitol Bureau Chief for WCIA-TV. She went on to become executive director of the Energy Education Council.

MAGGEE BLEYER from Mount Carmel is completing her junior year as a journalism major at Illinois State University. She is heavily involved in student media, including being an assignment editor, anchor, producer and reporter at TV-10; a DJ at WZND; and a news and feature reporter and editorial board member for the Vidette. She was recently named the Vidette’s editor-in-chief for the upcoming year. Maggee also was an intern and digital media reporter last spring and summer for WEHT-WTVW in Evansville, Indiana. She also worked in student media extensively while she attended Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel during her freshman and sophomore years.

Maggee is being awarded the INBA Mary McAndrew Scholarship. Mary was a longtime journalist who spent 18 years with NBC News and also worked for the Associated Press and United Press International in New York and WBBM radio, WGCI radio and USA Today in Chicago.

LAUREN BRENNECKE of O’Fallon, Missouri, is a media studies major who will graduate next month from Webster University near St. Louis. She is currently a newsroom intern for St. Louis Public Radio, and she recently signed on to work there full time for an additional six months. Lauren also has worked for the University Podcast Network, editing and writing shows.

Lauren is being awarded the INBA Ed Brown Scholarship. Ed was a professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was a longtime executive secretary for the INBA.

DREW COFFEY of Mattoon is graduating in May from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in television and video production. He has worked at WEIU-TV for three years in a variety of roles, including reporter, anchor, writer, videographer, editor, studio camera operator, and graphics operator. He also works at Eastern’s on-campus newspaper, The Daily Eastern News. Last summer, he interned at WCIA-TV in Champaign.

Drew is being awarded the INBA Larry Wilson Scholarship. Larry was a longtime INBA member who served as news director of WSMI in Litchfield in the 1970s and ‘80s. He was an organizer and longtime supporter of the former INBA Road Shows and was a big advocate for involving students in INBA activities.

Thank you to the INBA Scholarship Selection Committee, which interviewed scholarship finalists and selected the winners. They are:

Devin Brooks, reporter/anchor, WQAD-TV, Quad Cities, a multi-time INBA scholarship winner himself.

Ryan Burrow, news director, WGN Radio, Chicago

Rachel Lippmann, justice reporter, St. Louis Public Radio

Emily Manley, the Missouri capitol bureau reporter for Nexstar

The INBA Scholarship program is supported through the INBA Foundation, which would welcome your help to continue supporting college broadcasting students. If you’re interested in making a gift to support that effort, make an online donation now.

Get ready for networking, educational sessions, and inspiration and knowledge you can take back to your newsroom. The INBA Spring Convention happens April 19-21 at the Holiday Inn Rock Island.

The deadline to purchase tickets and get a discounted hotel reservation has passed.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, a former television meteorologist, will deliver the keynote address during the convention. The first-term Democrat and a Rockford native represents the 17th Congressional District, a C-shaped district that takes in Rockford, the Quad Cities, Galesburg, Macomb, Peoria and Bloomington.

Prior to entering politics, he worked for 22 years as a meteorologist and chief meteorologist, including almost 11 years at WREX in Rockford and seven years at WQAD in the Quad Cities. Sorenson will speak during the convention’s Saturday evening dinner event.

Meanwhile, here’s the schedule for the rest of the weekend.

Friday, April 19

1 p.m. – INBA board meeting, WIU-Quad Cities, 3300 River Drive, Moline, Room 218.

Around 6 p.m. – Evening social gathering, Bent River Brewing Rock Island, 512 24th St., Rock Island.

Saturday, April 20

9 a.m. – Welcome

9:30 to 10:45 a.m. – The SAFE-T Act on the Ground: Join Rock Island State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal, Public Defender Shay Meredith and 14th Circuit Judge Peter W. Church to hear how the elimination of cash bail in the state changed their operating processes.

11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Legal Pot at 5: It’s been about five years since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the legislation legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. We’ll evaluate the emerging legal questions, the ongoing business struggles, and how to figure out if the law is living up to its lofty promises. Panelists are James Mertes, managing partner, Mertes and Mertes, Sterling; Chris Mathias, community and economic development director, City of Moline; and Tiffany Newbern-Johnson, director of government affairs, Green Thumb Industries.

12:30 to 2 p.m. – Lunch and business meeting

2 to 3:15 p.m. – Social media platforms: TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Insta Reels, YouTube shorts. There are so many (too many?) social media platforms out there these days. We’ll learn which tools reach what audiences, and how to make content without adding too much to already overfull plates. Panelists are Lara Hamdan, engagement editor, St. Louis Public Radio, and Carolyn Tang Kmet, associate professor of integrated marketing communications, Medill School of Journalism.

3:30 p.m. – INBA Foundation and IPR Meeting

3:30 p.m. – Student critiques and story workshop: Bring your demos and get some advice from the pros. Plus, bring your story ideas and work through them with your peers, both students and full-timers

6 p.m. – Cocktails

6:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:55 p.m. – Presentation of INBA scholarship winners

7 p.m. – Keynote speech from U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen

8 p.m. – SINBA award presentation

Past president’s reception to follow

Sunday

9:30 a.m. – Breakfast

10 a.m. – Small Market, Big Careers: Marcia Lense of KWQC and Herb Trix, formerly of WVIK, will talk about their decisions to spend the vast majority of their long broadcasting careers in the Quad Cities.

We can’t wait to see you in Rock Island!

The Illinois News Broadcasters Association is proud to announce the winners in the 2023 INBA Crystal Mic Awards.

The first-place Crystal Mic trophies and the second-place plaques were handed out Saturday, Sept. 9, as part of the INBA’s Fall Convention in Urbana.

2023 Crystal Mic Awards

Large Market TV finalists

• Best Station: First place: ABC7 Chicago; Certificate of Merit: KSDK
• Paul Davis Award for Best Newscast: First place: ABC7 Chicago; Runner up: KSDK
• Investigative Report: First place: Chuck Goudie, ABC7 Chicago; Runner up: Jason Knowles, ABC7 Chicago
• Best Weather Operation: First place: ABC7 Chicago; Runner up: KSDK
• Breaking News: First place: Tre Ward, ABC7 Chicago; Runner up: Eric Horng, ABC7 Chicago
• Best Digital Presence: First place: Anne Stegen, KSDK; Runner up: ABC7 Chicago Staff
• Best Reporter: First place: Justina Coronel, KSDK
• Sports Report: First place: Frank Cusumano and Randall Schwentker, KSDK
• Writing: First place: Mike Bush, KDSK; Runner up: Eric Horng, ABC7 Chicago

Large Market Radio finalists

• Paul Davis Award for Best Newscast: First place: Wayne Pratt, St. Louis Public Radio
• Investigative Report: First place: Will Bauer, St. Louis Public Radio
• Best Reporter: First place: Eric Schmid, St. Louis Public Radio
• Sports Report: First place: Jeremy Goodwin, St. Louis Public Radio
• Use of Sound: First place: Danny Wicentowski, St. Louis Public Radio; Runner up: Eric Schmid, St. Louis Public Radio
• Writing: First place: Marissanne Lewis-Thompson, St. Louis Public Radio; Runner up: Brian Munoz, St. Louis Public Radio

Small Market TV finalists

• Best Station: First place: WREX
• Paul Davis Award for Best Newscast: First place: WREX; Runner up: WGEM
• Best Weather Operation: First place: WEEK; Runner up: WQAD
• Best Digital Presence: First place: WREX
• Best Reporter: First place: Deron Molen, WAND; Runner up: Jon Schoenheider, WEEK
• Breaking News: First place: Devin Brooks, WQAD; Runner up: Gregory Deffenbaugh, WREX
• Investigative Report: First place: Marta Berglund, WIFR; Runner up: William Ingalls, WREX
• Sports Report: First place: Kurt Pegler, WMBD; Runner up: Victoria Bordenga, WGEM
• Use of Videography: First place: Devan Mascuilli, WEEK; Runner up: Jenna Webster, WQAD
• Writing: First place: Josh Lamberty, WQAD; Runner up: Jenna Webster, WQAD

Small Market Radio finalists

• Best Station: First place: WGLT; Runner up: WCBU
• Best Newscast: First place: Charlie Schlenker, WGLT; Runner up: Dan Lynch, WLBK
• Best Digital Presence: First place: WGLT; Runner up: WCBU
• Best Reporter: First place: Lyndsay Jones, WGLT; Runner up: JuanPablo Ramirez-Franco, Northern Public Radio
• Breaking News: First place: Andrew Pritchard, Illinois Newsroom; Runner up: Michelle O’Neill, WVIK
• Investigative Report: First place: Ryan Denham, WGLT; Runner up: Dave Dahl, WTAX
• Podcasting: First place: Yvonne Boose, Northern Public Radio; Runner up: Peter Medlin, Northern Public Radio
• Sports Report: First place: Maria Gardner Lara, Northern Public Radio; Runner up: Jane Carlson, Tri-States Public Radio
• Use of Sound: First place: Charlie Schlenker, WGLT; Runner up: Yvonne Boose, Northern Public Radio
• Writing: First place: Peter Medlin, Northern Public Radio; Runner up: Ryan Denham, WGLT

Jeremy Hobson, an Urbana native and nationally known public radio host, will join the INBA Fall Convention as its keynote speaker.

He will appear virtually during the Convention’s Saturday night dinner.

A former host of WBUR/NPR’s nationally distributed “Here and Now” afternoon news magazine show, Hobson now hosts a national call-in talk show called “The Middle,” which aims to elevate the voices of Americans who live in between the coasts.

The show, which debuted with four pilot episodes last fall during the 2022 midterm elections, will kick off a new set of broadcasts in September.

Hobson started in public radio when he was 9 years old by working on a show called “Treehouse Radio” on WILL, the public radio station in Champaign-Urbana. He interned for “All Things Considered” when he was 17 years old. He was a student reporter in the Illinois Public Media newsroom during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. He spent years working as a producer and reporter, before hosting “Marketplace Morning Report” heard on NPR stations around the country. He served as one of the hosts of WBUR/NPR’s “Here and Now,” from 2013-2020.

Hobson has also reported and hosted for public radio stations including WRNI Providence and WCAI Cape Cod. He also worked as a producer for NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Day to Day” and “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”

He is a graduate of Boston University and the University of Illinois’ Laboratory High School.

Sources: WBUR, WAMU, Illinois Public Media