Inside KYUK

KYUK receives Alaska Press Club’s award for Public Service, wins 16 other awards for work in 2025

KYUK | By Sage Smiley

Published April 27, 2026 at 9:00 AM AKDT

KYUK reporter Samantha Watson (right) interviews members of the U.S. Coast Guard in the wake of ex-Typhoon Halong. October 2025. — KYUK reporter Samantha Watson (right) interviews members of the U.S. Coast Guard in the wake of ex-typhoon Halong in October 2025.

Alaska Press Club, the state’s professional journalism organization, has honored KYUK for its service to the public in the wake of ex-typhoon Halong. This award is one of the Press Club’s signature awards, and one of its highest honors.

The award states: “As communities faced a fast-moving and devastating disaster, KYUK provided vital public service journalism at every stage — from early storm warnings to urgent updates from hard-hit villages, coverage of rescue and evacuation efforts, and sustained reporting on the long recovery that followed. The station’s team worked with urgency, compassion, and remarkable collaboration across television, radio, and digital platforms, even as the station lost federal funding that ultimately led to the loss of key staff. As Alaska’s only bilingual English-Yup’ik public media station, KYUK serves a unique and essential role in Alaska's media landscape. Its coverage reflects the highest values of public service journalism: accuracy, accessibility, resilience and deep commitment to community.”

Some of KYUK's team onstage at the Alaska Press Club awards, April 19, 2026.

While the work of documenting the devastating impact of ex-typhoon Halong is far from over, KYUK is honored to be recognized for its commitment to providing public service information and amplifying the stories of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

KYUK and its collaborators also received 16 awards at the Alaska Press Club Conference Awards Ceremony in Anchorage on April 18 for journalism produced in 2025. The awards honor Alaska journalists working at newspapers, radio and television stations, and freelancing throughout the state.

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

KYUK news director Evan Erickson, news reporters Samantha Watson and Emily Schwing, former news director Sage Smiley, multimedia director Gabby Hiestand Salgado, former multimedia producer MaryCait Dolan, and former Jesuit volunteer Ryan Cotter were honored at the ceremony.

KYUK collaborators and freelancers were also honored with awards: former multimedia director Katie Baldwin Basile was awarded for work done with KYUK, reporter Eva Tesfaye of WWNO in New Orleans won an environmental award along with Smiley for a podcast collaboration, and freelancer Brandon Kapelow placed second in the best series category for a series produced for KYUK.

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 links to the award-winning work below:

KYUK’s ongoing coverage of ex-typhoon Halong and its impact on the people and communities of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta coast:

Halong

The remnants of Typhoon Halong hit the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region on October 11, 2025. Find reporting from KYUK and other public media stations around Alaska on disaster recovery efforts under this tag.

All Media awards:

Second Place, A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting: Alaska’s Crumbling Schools - Emily Schwing

Alaska's Crumbling Schools

There are 128 open rural schools in Alaska. Just under half of them are owned by the state, and many are falling apart.

Second Place, Best Series: A People Awakening - Brandon Kapelow for KYUK

A People Awakening: An Indigenous approach to suicide prevention

For more than 70 years, suicide prevention models have largely been designed to identify and mitigate risk through an individualized approach. But as suicide rates have steadily risen for the past few decades, momentum is growing for a new paradigm – one that focuses instead on teaching communities how to build off their cultural strengths. Indigenous researchers in Alaska have been testing this type of model in two of the nation’s most impacted populations for suicide – Native villages and military installations – with hopes that their approach could scale both nationally and abroad.

Second Place, Best Food Reporting: National egg shortage tells story of Y-K Delta’s food system - Samantha Watson

Meyers Farm in Bethel's flock of 25 chickens

Economy

National egg shortage tells story of Y-K Delta's rural food system

Samantha Watson

Across Alaska and the lower 48, eggs have become an expensive luxury, thanks to an outbreak of bird flu. On the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the egg shortage tells the story of the region’s food supply, which relies heavily on goods imported from elsewhere.

Judge’s comment: Well reported, with an engaging main character who helps explain a serious food issue -- supply chain -- with color and personality. Very descriptive.

Second Place, Best Comprehensive Coverage: Typhoon Halong Coverage - Evan Erickson, Casey Grove, Desiree Hagen, Alena Naiden, Ben Townsend, Samantha Watson, Eric Stone, Hannah Flor, Wesley Early, Sage Smiley, Rhonda McBride, Ava White, Avery Ellfeldt (Alaska Public Media, Alaska Desk, KYUK, KOTZ, KNOM and KNBA)

Judge’s comment: The disruptive Typhoon Halong was the subject of three entries in the comprehensive category; I commend them all. I selected the Alaska Public Media entry (Alaska Public Media, Alaska Desk, KYUK, KOTZ, KNOM and KNBA) because the team approach brought the most intimate stories of families affected as they tried to get their footing in Anchorage, as well as an accounting of terrible destruction in rural communities.

Second Place, Best Picture Story: Canonized on the Kuskokwim: Orthodox faithful descend on Kwethluk for the glorification of St. Olga - Katie Baldwin Basile for KYUK

Third Place, Best Breaking News Story: Remnants of Typhoon Halong bring widespread damage to Western Alaska - Evan Erickson, Casey Grove, Desiree Hagen, Alena Naiden, Ben Townsend, Samantha Watson (KYUK and Alaska Public Media, KNOM, KNBA, & KOTZ)

Waves from ex-Typhoon Halong cover the Kuskokwim River waterfront in Bethel on Oct. 12, 2025.

Remnants of Typhoon Halong bring widespread damage to Western Alaska

Evan Erickson, Samantha Watson, Alena Naiden, KNBA - Anchorage, Ben Townsend, KNOM - Nome, Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage, Desiree Hagen

The remnants of Typhoon Halong have already caused damaging flooding in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The storm is expected to move north and continue into Monday, Oct. 13.

Third Place, Best Alaska History Reporting: Bethel's unofficial first hippies reflect on 1975 trip aboard the Husky II - Evan Erickson

Future Bethel resident Thom Foote unloads supplies at the dock in Seattle for the voyage to Bethel aboard the Husky II, which served as a pilot boat on the Kuskokwim River for decades, as Captain Ole Sumstad and his nephew Ronnie Sumstad (second and third from right) look on.

Arts, Culture & Community Features

Bethel's unofficial first hippies reflect on 1975 trip aboard the Husky II

Evan Erickson

Fifty years later, the connections still run deep for the friends who struck out from San Francisco for a taste of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. For one of them, it was a homecoming.

Audio awards:

First Place, Best Environmental Reporting: Between Land and Water: Tribal Relocation and Resistance - Sage Smiley, Eva Tesfaye, Katie Basile

First Place, Best Public Safety Reporting: Bethel Police say 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off schedules work. Some community members disagree - Sage Smiley, Evan Erickson, Samantha Watson

Public Safety

Bethel Police say 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off schedules work. Some community members disagree

Sage Smiley

In the past decade, Bethel has increasingly relied on a policing system where officers work for two weeks, then take two weeks off. This lets some officers commute from thousands of miles away. And while the system helps with staffing, some victims of crime see it as the root of a problem.

Judge’s comment: This thing was public radio catnip: A kooky character (respectfully, Lt. Poole!), positing a tough and interesting Q to the community (the schedule and living situations of some officers), and ends future-looking. lovedlovedloved this piece

First Place, Best Culture Reporting: St. Olga's legacy as healer told by the women who pray to her - Samantha Watson

Pilgrims traveled from across the world to attend the glorification of St.Olga. From left: Antonia Brown, Daria Safronova Simeonoff, Hermione Steven, a pilgrim who chose not to be named and Serie Brown walked down to the Kwethluk River for a late night swim. June 19, 2025.

Arts, Culture & Community Features

St. Olga's legacy as healer told by the women who pray to her

Samantha Watson

For the chance to witness the glorification of a saint closely associated with healing women’s pain and suffering, dozens of women ventured by plane and boat to St. Olga's home village for her canonization.

Judge’s comment: This judge values when the story is about "Someone doing something for a reason." I learned and understood and respected. Nice writing, nice sound, great work!

First Place, Best Sound-Rich Feature: Canonized on the Kuskokwim: Orthodox faithful descend on Kwethluk for the glorification of St. Olga - Evan Erickson

Orthodox pilgrims and clergy gather in the old Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church cemetery to take part in the glorification ceremony for St. Olga in Kwethluk on June 19, 2025.

Arts, Culture & Community Features

Canonized on the Kuskokwim: Orthodox faithful descend on Kwethluk for the glorification of St. Olga

Evan Erickson

The two-day glorification ceremony for Olga "Arrsamquq" Michael, known as Matushka Olga, brought together those drawn to her message of healing from afar, and the people of the region for whom she has long held a saint-like status.

Judge’s comment: The clear winner in this category. Captivating sound that was then used to make a beautiful sound mix. You kept me in the scene the whole time. Nice narration, too, and photos. i only wished to know a bit more about the miracles attributed to St. Olga.

First Place, Best Arts Reporting: Native culture takes center stage in Bethel’s first-ever drag show - Samantha Watson

Ice Watah, a Koyukon Athabascan drag performer, wears a rainbow qaspeq while performing a number to "Colors of the Wind" from Disney's Pocahontas. July 12, 2025.

Arts, Culture & Community Features

Native culture takes center stage in Bethel’s first-ever drag show

Samantha Watson

Last week, three Alaska drag queens traveled to the bush to perform in Bethel’s first-ever drag show. The Pride event bridged Native culture with the modern art form featuring an all-Indigenous cast.

Judge’s comment: I loved this inside look at a piece of culture that not many people think about. It's a perfect public radio story, tying an interesting subculture of drag to something that is similarly misunderstood in white American culture, Native culture. I love the use of sound and the cadence of the bites. Solid all around work,

Second Place, Best Arts Reporting: Art, impermanence, and the arrival of spring come together with Kuskokwim Ice Classic - Samantha Watson

It's a group effort to erect this year's Kuskokwim Ice Classic tripod — modeled after a local three-legged dog named Charlie.

Arts, Culture & Community Features

Art, impermanence, and the arrival of spring come together with Kuskokwim Ice Classic

Samantha Watson

The Kuskokwim Ice Classic tripod is once again up on the river in front of Bethel. It’s part of an annual nonprofit fundraiser with a hefty grand prize that marks the arrival of spring with the breakup of the river. This year, it’s inspired by a three-legged dog.

Judge’s comment: The best public radio takes us there and puts us in the middle of the action. It doesn't let up and transports us into the thoughts of the subjects and the reporter. This brought me moments of real joy hearing the unfettered access we got to the main subject's brain and it really hooked this listener.

Third Place, Best Public Safety Reporting: Tuntutuliak brings more stories of courage and compassion in the wake of Halong - Evan Erickson

Public Safety

Tuntutuliak brings more stories of courage and compassion in the wake of Halong

Evan Erickson

The Kuskokwim Delta community evacuated dozens of residents and welcomed in dozens from nearby coastal villages hit hardest by the storm. As cold weather arrives, many still don't know if their homes will be livable again.

Judge’s comment: Great full package: great diversity of voices, stories, languages, photos, emotions. Hearing this community come together after a disaster was moving.

Video awards:

First Place, Best Arts Reporting: Miranda Robb: Sharing culture carved in ivory - MaryCait Dolan, Gabby Hiestand Salgado

First Place, Best Culture Reporting: Qasgirmuit: People of the qasgiq - Gabby Hiestand Salgado, MaryCait Dolan, Ryan Cotter

Watch

Arctic Artists

Qasgirmuit: People of the qasgiq

Gabby Hiestand Salgado

Inspired by Bethel's rich history of yuraq, Qasgirmuit has created space for song, dance and community since their founding in 2019.

Third Place, Best Natural Sound Video Journalism: The glorification of St. Olga of Kwethluk - Ryan Cotter, Gabby Hiestand Salgado

Find the full list of Alaska Press Club award winners here.