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
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."
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."
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."
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!"
Second Place, Best Feature: In Napaskiak, three generations of teachers uplift Yup’ik language and culture in the classroom - MaryCait Dolan, Sage Smiley
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."
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."
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."
Find the full list of Alaska Press Club Award winners for 2024 here.