WKYT wins five KBA Excellence in Broadcasting Awards

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - WKYT won five awards at the 2026 Kentucky Broadcasters Association (KBA) Excellence in Broadcasting Awards, announced Oct. 25 at the KBA Annual Membership Conference at the Galt House in Louisville.

The station entered the ceremony with a state-leading 12 nominations, outstripping all other television stations in the Commonwealth. Independent panels of professional broadcasters judged the entries, with the highest average scores determining the finalists.

Winners

Chris Bailey won Best Weather Anchor. Lee K. Howard won Best Sportscaster. Phil Pendleton won Best News Reporter. Samantha Valentino and Barton Bill won Best Special Program or Feature. Amber Kennoy won Account Executive of the Year.

Finalists

WKYT was a finalist in nine separate categories, including multiple nods for news reporting, weather, and investigative specials. The station had more finalists than any other television station in the state.

In the individual talent categories, Lee K. Howard was nominated for Sportscaster of the Year, while Amber Philpott was a finalist for News Anchor of the Year. Phil Pendleton and Alyssa Williams both secured nominations for News Reporter of the Year, and Chris Bailey and Alexa Minton were both in the running for Meteorologist of the Year.

WKYT’s investigative team picked up two nominations in the Special Program or Feature category for “WKYT Investigates | FCPS District Financial Fallout” and “WKYT Investigates | The Death of Doug Harless.”

Other station nominations included Overall Digital Presence, WKYT News at Noon for Daytime Newscast, Amber Kennoy for Account Executive of the Year, and “WKYT GB Poltergeist” for Locally Produced Commercial.