KCUR was named "Radio Station of the Year" by the Kansas City Press Club's Heart of America Awards and took home nine Gold Awards for breaking news, investigative reporting and more. The station also received two first place awards from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, or PRNDI.
The Kansas City Press Club honors journalists from western Missouri and eastern Kansas each year. KCUR received nine Gold Awards, nine Silver Awards, three Bronze Awards and several honorable mentions.
KCUR Director of Content Strategy Donna Vestal says the honors reflect the core values of KCUR's journalistic mission.
"The KCUR news and talk show staffs are committed to the highest journalism standards, and we keep pushing the boundaries of what we can do — thanks to the support of the community," Vestal says. "We’re pleased to see our work so widely recognized."
At the 2018 PRNDI Awards, KCUR's Frank Morris received first place honors for Nationally Edited Series and Nationally Edited Soft Feature. KCUR's Andrea Tudhope, Kansas News Service's Jim McLean and contributor Victor Wishna also received second place awards for Arts Feature, Spot News and Commentary, respectively.
Below is the full list of awards by the Kansas City Press Club. You can find the full list of PRNDI winners here.
Kansas City Press Club Gold Awards:
- Dan Margolies — Deadline Reporting/Breaking News/Spot News: Missouri Public Defender System Under Stress
- Maria Carter, Steve Kraske — Deadline Reporting/Breaking News/Spot News: Missouri Family Spends 9 Hours 'Utterly Terrified' On Roof During Floods
- Victor Wishna — Editorial/Commentary: Keeping NFL Heads In The Game
- Frank Morris — Sports Reporting: A New Kansas Museum Dares To Showcase Daredevil Evel Knievel
- Andrea Tudhope — Profile: From Missouri Bootheel To Big Screen, Wes Neal's Boulevard Drive-In Keeps Him Young
- Andrea Tudhope, Peggy Lowe — Investigative Reporting: The Argument
- CJ Janovy — Arts & Entertainment Reporting: The Faces Of Long-Gone Women Tell A New Story Of The Kansas State Prison
- Staff — Talk Program: Up to Date: Why Can't Kansas City Stem Rise In Violent Crime
- Sylvia Maria Gross, Laura Ziegler, Gina Kaufmann, Matthew Long-Middleton — News Program: Central Standard: Atchison, Kansas
Silver Awards:
- Victor Wishna — Editorial Commentary: More Than Just Armchair Games
- Lisa Rodriguez — Beat Reporting: 'Kansas City, Missouri City Hall'
- Gina Kaufmann, Andrea Tudhope, Sylvia Maria Gross, Matthew Long-Middleton — Talk Program: Central Standard: Violence In Kansas City
- Greg Echlin — Sports Reporting: The Roots of Marcus Peters' Anger
- Staff — News Website
- Jim McLean — General Reporting: Kansas Lawmakers Considering KanCare Fix Despite Objections from Brownback Administration
- Dan Margolies, Bram Sable-Smith — Investigative Reporting: Questionable Billing and Sketchy History: Hospital Saviors or Villains?
- Frank Morris — Business Reporting: How Dollar General Is Transforming Rural America
- Gina Kaufmann, Jen Chen, Sylvia Maria Gross, Matthew Long-Middleton — Profile: Portrait Session: Lonnie and Ronnie McFadden
Bronze Awards:
- Greg Echlin — Deadline Reporting/Breaking News/Spot News: Kansas City Royals Fans And Players Gather At The K, And Tweet, To Mourn Pitcher Yordano Ventura
- Dan Margolies, Mike McGraw, Maria Carter — Investigative Reporting: Department of Prosecutions or Department of Justice?
- Victor Wishna — Editorial/Commentary: Wonder Women on Wheels
Honorable Mention:
- Greg Echlin — Sports Reporting: Olympic-Caliber Firearm Athletes Toe Line Between Advocacy, Politics After Mass Shootings
- Alex Smith — Feature: Missouri And Other States Face Potentially Costly Dilemma Over Treating Inamtes With Hepatitis C
