KYUK receives 10 Alaska Press Club Awards

KYUK received 10 awards at the Alaska Press Club Conference Awards Ceremony in Anchorage on April 12 for journalism produced in 2024. The awards honor Alaska journalists working at newspapers, radio and television stations, and freelancing throughout the state.

KYUK’s multimedia department and newsroom received one first-place, one second-place, and two third-place awards for work competing against all other types of media outlets in the state, as well as three for video work (two first place and one second place) and three for audio work (a first, second, and third place).

KYUK Multimedia Director Gabby Hiestand Salgado, KYUK Multimedia Producer MaryCait Dolan, and news reporters Evan Erickson and Emily Schwing were honored at the ceremony.

Every story produced by KYUK is a collaboration between the people involved in the story, the journalist, and the audience. We share these awards with the people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Quyana cakneq for your support, insight, care, questions, concerns, and stories.

Find the award-winning stories and videos below:

All Media awards:

First Place, Best Natural Sound Video Journalism: Arctic Artists: Building community through yuraq - MaryCait Dolan and Gabby Hiestand Salgado

Arts, Culture & Community Features

Watch: Building community through yuraq

MaryCait Dolan

With energy that explodes from the stage, Kassiglurmiut Yurartait breathes new life into their performances, all the while passing on traditional knowledge to the next generation.

Second Place, Best Humor: Interviewing the Dogs at the Bogus Creek 150 - MaryCait Dolan and Gabby Hiestand Salgado

Third Place, Vern McCorkle Award for Best Business Reporting: Where some see trash, others see treasure at the ‘Wal-Mart of Bethel’ - Evan Erickson

Judge's comment: "An offbeat feature on the 'Walmart of Bethel'--the local dump where scavengers find new uses for trash."

Arts, Culture & Community Features

Where some see trash, others see treasure at the ‘Wal-Mart of Bethel’

Evan Erickson

At the Bethel landfill, residents push back against the challenging economic reality of life in rural Alaska.

Listen • 4:26

Third Place, Best Multimedia Presentation: In Kwethluk, the relics of the first-ever Yup’ik saint are unearthed - Evan Erickson, MaryCait Dolan, Katie Baldwin Basile

Judge's comment: "Fascinating story with lots of visuals."

Arts, Culture & Community Features

In Kwethluk, the relics of the first-ever Yup’ik saint are unearthed

Evan Erickson

Russian Orthodox believers and clergy congregated in the Kuskokwim village of Kwethluk this month to complete one of the final steps in the process of canonizing the first Yup’ik saint – exhuming her body.

Listen • 6:33

Video awards:

First Place, Best Arts Reporting: Arctic Artists: Building community through yuraq - MaryCait Dolan and Gabby Hiestand Salgado

Judge's comment: "A joy to watch this piece. The video, the editing, especially the editing, and the use of unexpected sound, like the drummer laughing, added so much."

Arts, Culture & Community Features

Watch: Building community through yuraq

MaryCait Dolan

With energy that explodes from the stage, Kassiglurmiut Yurartait breathes new life into their performances, all the while passing on traditional knowledge to the next generation.

First Place, Best Culture Reporting: The bittersweet success of community-based archaeology in Quinhagak - Gabby Hiestand Salgado and Evan Erickson

Judge's comment: "Beautifully shot video combined with well-paced editing, sound and music help the viewer see, understand and even feel the need to preserve native culture. Well done!"

Arts, Culture & Community Features

15 years in, the success of community-based archaeology in Quinhagak is bittersweet

Evan Erickson

Historical sites across Western Alaska face existential threats, and the lead archaeologist for the Nunalleq excavation says its success is a stark reminder that it may not be long before many more precontact Yup’ik sites are lost forever.

Listen • 5:43

Second Place, Best Feature: In Napaskiak, three generations of teachers uplift Yup’ik language and culture in the classroom - MaryCait Dolan, Sage Smiley

Education

Watch: In Napaskiak, three generations of teachers uplift Yup’ik language and culture in the classroom

MaryCait Dolan

In her nearly 40 years teaching kindergarten and first grade at Napaskiak’s Z.J. Williams Memorial School, Irene Wassillie has emphasized the importance of the Yugtun language in her classroom.

Audio awards:

First Place, Best Arts Reporting: From the Kuskokwim to Ketchikan, Alaska’s music history has many stories to tell - Evan Erickson

Judge's comment: "I absolutely adored this story. The scenes, the music -- not too much, not too little. I really got a good feeling for the history of this music and the effort to save it. Good arts reporting places us in a moment to reflect; this does that perfectly."

Arts, Culture & Community Features

From the Kuskokwim to Ketchikan, Alaska’s music history has many stories to tell

Evan Erickson

In visit to Bethel, artist and educator Jimmy Riordan combines his efforts aimed at preserving the past with his passion for Alaska’s rich and varied musical history

Listen • 5:51

Second Place, Best Reporting on Government or Politics: Alaska’s rural schools languish on capital improvement lists and an increase in Base Student Allocation won’t help - Emily Schwing

Judge's comment: "Good swing at an important problem. Nice to have examples from different parts of Bush Alaska in the story."

Public Safety

Alaska’s rural schools languish on capital improvement lists and an increase in Base Student Allocation won’t help

Emily Schwing

Even if it becomes law, a bipartisan school funding package isn’t enough to cover maintenance and upgrades rural public schools desperately need.

Listen • 5:48

Third Place, Best Education Reporting: A utility room under Mertarvik’s public school is full of raw sewage - Emily Schwing

Judge's comment: "Great, descriptive writing. And what courage to even go into that room! I'd love to know how this ended."

Public Safety

A utility room under Mertarvik’s public school is full of raw sewage

Emily Schwing

Human poop has been backing up into the building for at least two months, but the Tribal Council, which owns the building, had no idea how bad things were until last week.

Listen • 4:56

Find the full list of Alaska Press Club Award winners for 2024 here.