Lexington's NPR news station, WUKY-FM, nabbed top honors in seven categories during the Kentucky Broadcasters Association's new 2020 "Impact Broadcasters Awards," bringing home the prize for Best Short Newscast in radio.
In a year when world-altering events, from the COVID-19 pandemic to historic racial justice demonstrations, visited Kentucky's doorstep, WUKY's news team delivered the most award-winning KBA entries of any Lexington radio station, with 13 in total.
WUKY's Morning Edition anchor Karyn Czar scored four First Place entries, highlighting her reporting on the protests surrounding the death of Breonna Taylor and community efforts to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Czar was also recognized for a feature spotlighting UK Opera Director Everett McCorvey, with judges calling the submission a "riveting interview from someone who lived and lives racism in America, past and present."
WUKY News Director Alan Lytle was ranked Best Radio Anchor and praised for his "clear, energetic style." Lytle also won nods for collaborations with UK's Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History Director Doug Boyd, including a feature giving voice to the unsung heroes of Kentucky's suffrage movement.
Named number one in the Best Political Coverage category, WUKY reporter Josh James's work was described by judges as showing "a range of political understanding of political issues in the coverage area."
The awards were announced at the KBA Impact Broadcast Awards virtual presentation on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
Here below are the categories and winners:
First Place
- Best Short Newscast: WUKY-FM, Lexington
- Best Radio Anchor: Alan Lytle, WUKY-FM, Lexington
- Best Political Coverage: Josh James, WUKY-FM, Lexington
- Breaking News: Karyn Czar, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor"
- Long Public Affairs: Karyn Czar, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "'The Time for Sitting on the Sidelines Has Passed' Dr. Everett McCorvey on Racism"
- Short Light News Feature: Karyn Czar, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Winchester Students Stuck at Home Were Treated to a Parade"
- Short Serious News Feature: Karyn Czar, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor"
Second Place
- Long Public Affairs: Alan Lytle and Doug Boyd, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Kentucky Suffragist's Daughter Recalls Pivotal Pre-19th Amendment Convention"
- Long Serious News Feature: Josh James, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Kentucky Teachers Do Their Best to Navigate Through Pandemic"
Third Place
- Continuing Coverage: Karyn Czar, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Keeping the Faith During A Global Pandemic"
- Long Serious News Feature: Josh James, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Kentucky Teachers Do Their Best to Navigate Through Pandemic"
- Sports Feature/Special: Alan Lytle and Doug Boyd, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "UK Basketball's First Taste of the Madness"
- Use of Sound: Alan Lytle, WUKY-FM, Lexington, "Product Sampling Still a Staple of 'Socially Distant' Distillery Tours"
WUKY is a community-supported service of the University of Kentucky which provides high-quality news, cultural and entertainment content through the use of existing and emerging media to create a more informed and engaged community.