WKYT wins regional Murrow Awards for overall excellence, newscast, innovation

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The Radio Television Digital News Association announced on Thursday WKYT is the winner of three regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism, including the coveted award for overall excellence.

For the second time in four years, WKYT also won the regional Murrow for newscast and regional Murrow for excellence in innovation.

“I am thrilled to see the exceptional work by the WKYT team recognized by the Regional Murrow Awards, including winning the prestigious overall excellence category,” said WKYT Vice President and General Manager Jeff Anderson. “The collaborative efforts of the entire WKYT team to dedicate news, public affairs, and programming resources at such a pivotal time is a true privilege, and we share this honor with our community partners and the community at-large.”

The overall excellence award recognizes one station in each region for the depth and scope of its work on-air and across multiple digital platforms. In its region, WKYT is judged against television stations in markets 50 and smaller across Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

“Each of these awards is the direct result of teamwork and recognizes the contributions of the entire team at WKYT,” said News Director Robert Thomas. “As it did for all of our viewers, the pandemic had a profound impact on our staff. It changed how our newsroom operates and how we cover the news each day. It was a monumental challenge. Throughout it all, our team did an amazing job of serving our viewers during one of the most impactful stories of our lifetimes.”

WKYT’s three winning entries will advance to the National Murrow Award competition:

Overall Excellence: 2020 was an unprecedented year. With the March 6 announcement of the first COVID-19 case in Kentucky, life made a sudden and dramatic change. The virus outbreak that started on the other side of the world was now impacting everyday life in the Bluegrass State and how we covered the news.
Newscast: On the heels of a pre-holiday season surge in new COVID-19 cases, Kentucky’s governor announced a series of new restrictions on November 18. While praised by some, Gov. Andy Beshear’s initial lockdown measures at the start of the pandemic sparked protests and legal challenges. While restrictions were loosened in previous months, the governor’s latest measures meant more changes impacting everyday life in the Bluegrass State.
Excellence in Innovation: When breaking news happens, the ability to go live across our streaming platforms is crucial. The requirement that much of the staff work remotely during a pandemic made that an even greater challenge. The WKYT NOW desk allows an anchor or reporter to take the helm of production controls to easily deliver instant breaking news and weather coverage.

RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of electronic journalism.

Watch WKYT’s winning Overall Excellence entry: WKYT Overall Excellence 2021 — Murrow

Watch WKYT’s winning Excellence in Innovation entry: WKYT Innovation 2021 — Murrow

Watch WKYT’s winning Newscast entry: WKYT Newscast 2021 — Murrow