Denver, April 26, 2023 - Colorado Public Radio is proud to announce it has been recognized with a number of recent awards for its work. Reporter Allison Sherry is the winner of a second Gracie Award in two years for her story on mothers who microdose mushrooms. CPR is the winner of the Colorado Broadcasters Association’s Station of the Year award for the second year in a row, as well as six first-place awards.
Additionally, CPR won a silver award from New York Festivals Radio Awards; six first-place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Colorado Pro Chapter (three for CPR News, two for KRCC and one for Denverite); and a third-place award from Best of the West. Indie 102.3 was recently named Best Radio Station for Music in Westword’s Best of Denver award, and two CPR podcasts were recognized as honorees in the 2023 Webby Awards.
“We are humbled by this local, regional and national recognition of CPR’s services to Colorado and beyond,” said Sean Nethery, senior vice president of content. “Bravo to everyone who has been so deservedly recognized for their stellar work!”
According to the Alliance for Women in Media, the Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. Allison Sherry earned the award in the Interview Feature [Radio - Non-Commercial Local] category for "Stressed out, busy moms say microdosing mushrooms makes life easier and brighter."
“As we close out Women’s History Month, it is important to remember the legacy of Gracie Allen, the inspiration behind these esteemed awards. This year’s recipients exemplify Gracie Allen’s spirit through their exceptional talent, innovation, and vision,” said Becky Brooks, president, Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, in March. “Their steadfast dedication to their craft and their tenacious resolve to break boundaries serve as a compelling testament to the essential role women play in molding the cultural landscape.”
The Colorado Broadcasters Association honored CPR News with the Station of the Year award (metro market) plus six Awards of Excellence for Best News Feature, Report or Series, Best News Coverage of a Single Event, Best Sports Feature, Best Mini-Documentary or Series, Best News Special or Public Affairs Special and Best Radio Podcast. In addition to the Awards of Excellence, CPR News earned four Certificates of Merit. KRCC earned an Award of Excellence and a Certificate of Merit in the major market division, both in the Best News Feature, Report or Series category.
New York Festivals Radio Awards honors radio content in all lengths and formats and across all platforms from radio stations, networks, and independent producers from around the globe. This year, CPR’s podcast “¿Quién Are We?” was recognized with a silver award in the Personal Lives Podcast category. The podcast “Systemic” was a finalist in the Social Justice Podcast category.
Two CPR podcasts were recognized by the 2023 Webby Awards, which honor “the best of the Internet.” “¿Quién Are We?” is an honoree in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category, and “Purplish” is an honoree in the News & Politics category.
“¿Quién Are We?” also won third place in the Best of the West journalism contest. “There is no substitute for the sheer joy and enthusiasm exhibited by this host,” the judge wrote. “Ortega carries the entire show and that attitude is infectious. The listener has no choice but to share in the happiness and for me this represents the best way of making the host part of the story.
“This is a respectful treatment of one person’s life story, and it respects the listener by explaining potentially foreign concepts as if they’re the most familiar thing. The music, voiceover and sound all works in perfect harmony like a well-written symphony. An incredibly strong entry for what would not traditionally be considered a “hard news” story but to move on from that mindset, I think, is key for the survival of the medium.”
The Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored CPR News with three Top of the Rockies awards in the following categories (extra-large newsroom division): Politics Feature, Podcast and Sports Feature. KRCC won first place in News Reporting - Single Story and General Reporting - Series, and Denverite won first place for Multimedia Story, both in the medium newsroom division.
“The title and subject matter alone are captivating,” said the SPJ committee about “Back From Broken,” CPR’s winning podcast. “Once you listen to the stories, there was no doubt Back From Broken deserved first place. Interesting stories, well produced. I wanted more.”
Of Denverite’s winning multimedia story, the SPJ committee said, “What a unique and novel way to try and help voters become more informed on candidates before ballots are cast. Just like many things in life, having a little fun with the information might make it stick a little longer.”
Indie 102.3 was named Best Radio Station for Music in Westword’s 2023 Best of Denver awards. From the announcement: “If you're tired of radio with the same old songs and the interminable advertising that interrupts them, give Indie 102.3 a shot. It's public radio, listener-supported and admirably devoted to playing lesser-heard "adult-album-alternative" music, with special attention paid to homegrown Colorado acts.”
Visit our website to see the full list of awards.
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About Colorado Public Radio
Colorado Public Radio is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization delivering meaningful news, music, and cultural experiences to everyone in Colorado using the power of the human voice in all its forms. Roughly 95 percent of CPR’s funds come from the private support of listeners, businesses and foundations. For more information, visit www.cpr.org.
- 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.
- Denverite is an online news source dedicated to Denver's curious and concerned.
- 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.
