AUSTIN, Texas – July 6, 2020 – A documentary about Texas’s role in the Apollo Moon landing, a feature about navigating Austin traffic during SXSW and a sports story about an East Texas marching band are among nine national awards that “Texas Standard” and KUT News won from the Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) for excellence in public media journalism.
“Texas Standard” won the following awards in the Division A category (news staff of 8-15) for work produced in 2019:
- Highway to the Moon: How Texas Paved the Way for Apollo, reported and produced by the entire “Texas Standard” staff, won first place in the long documentary category.
- Nearly 125 Years Old, Westphalia’s Church Of The Visitation Lives On After Fire, reported by Jill Ament, won first place in the news feature category.
- Skinny-Dippers, Tommy Guns And Undercover Hippies: Remembering Texas Woodstock, reported by Michael Marks, won first place in the short documentary category.
- Vietnam War Author Tim O’Brien Reveals The Wounds And Victories Of Fatherhood In New Book, produced by Jill Ament and reported by David Brown, won second place in the interview category.
- An East Texas Marching Band Upholds A Tradition -- Maybe For The Last Time, reported by Alexandra Hart, won second place in the sports feature category.
- Reaching For The Moon: A Journey Of Triumph And Tragedy, reported by Jill Ament, won second place in the writing category.
“Texas Standard” and KUT News are part of the statewide group of public radio newsrooms comprising The Texas Newsroom that won first place in the collaborative effort category.
The following KUT News work produced in 2019 won in PMJA’s Division AA category for news departments with a staff of 16 or more.
- Three Racers. Three Modes Of Transportation. Who Will Beat The SXSW Traffic?, reported by Mose Buchele, won first place in the feature category
- Why Do Lifeguards At Austin's City Pools Blow Their Whistles Like That At Break Time?, reported by Matt Largey, won first place in the use of sound category
- The Provability Gap: Why Sexual Assault Cases Are So Hard To Prosecute In Austin, reported by Nadia Hamdan, won second place in the long documentary category.
See a complete listing of awards on the PMJA website.