Purplish was selected as the best podcast in both the Local News and Listener’s Choice categories
Centennial, Colo., Oct. 16, 2025 - Purplish, a podcast about Colorado politics and government, has been named the best local news podcast in the 2025 Signal Awards. The podcast, produced by Colorado Public Radio (CPR) in partnership with the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, won both the Gold and Listener’s Choice awards.
For seven years and across 168 episodes (with the 169th episode releasing tomorrow), Purplish has been a source of in-depth political reporting for Coloradans. The show stands out for its clarity, curiosity and production quality while making government and politics accessible and engaging for listeners.
“Purplish is the product of a team of insanely dedicated public affairs nerds,” Public Affairs Editor Megan Verlee said. “Everyone who works on the show wants to live in a state that's well informed, thoughtful and humane in its approach to public affairs, and Purplish is the contribution we make to that goal.”
Purplish launched in 2018, created by Verlee and CPR reporter Sam Brasch. When Bente Birkeland joined CPR, she became the host and has since been the trusted voice of the podcast. Reporter Caitlyn Kim adds a critical national perspective as Colorado’s only news correspondent in Washington, D.C. The show is produced by Stephanie Wolf and engineered by Shane Rumsey. Purplish joined the Colorado Capitol News Alliance in 2024, and now features contributors from KUNC and The Colorado Sun.
“It's really gratifying to see the show get this recognition now, after this hardy band of people have poured so much time and energy into it for so long,” Verlee said.
Each year, the Signal Awards present Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners, and the public votes for their favorite finalists for the Listener’s Choice Award in each category. This year’s competition drew more than 385,000 votes from more than 127,000 fans around the world.
“Purplish made an impression on the Judging Academy,” said Jemma Brown, General Manager of the Signal Awards. “This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators.”
New episodes of Purplish are released weekly during Colorado’s four-month legislative session and biweekly the rest of the year, with additional coverage leading up to primary and general elections. Listen on all major streaming platforms, or at cpr.org/podcast/purplish.
Media inquiries: [email protected]
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About Colorado Public Radio
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- CPR News delivers in-depth, insightful and impartial news and information from around the world, across the nation and throughout Colorado, examining its relevance to our state and connecting it to our community.
- CPR Classical takes listeners on an in-depth exploration of thoughtfully curated music – with an emphasis on Colorado’s classical community – providing context to a broad range of meaningful and compelling works from past to present.
- Indie 102.3 takes listeners inside the world of new and independent music – exposing them to up-and-coming artists and highlighting Colorado’s local music scene.
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- KRCC is a public radio station in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serving Southern Colorado. KRCC is operated by Colorado Public Radio in partnership with Colorado College.
