Nebraska Public Media Wins Nine Sevareid Awards

For Immediate Release

Nebraska Public Media Wins Nine Sevareid Awards

LINCOLN, Neb. (April 20, 2026) – Nebraska Public Media earned nine awards, including five first-place honors, in the 2026 Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association Sevareid Awards.

The radio and television awards were announced during the Midwest Journalism Conference, April 10-11 in St. Paul, Minn. The region includes Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.

For large-market radio, Nebraska Public Media earned three first-place awards:

• Jackie Ourada, audio, for “Special delivery: Farmers endure long nights and frigid temps during calving season.”
• Jessica Wade, diversity, equity and inclusion, for “170 years ago, the US Army massacred a Lakota village. Their plundered belongings are now back in Nebraska.”
• Jackie Ourada, weather feature, for “Eastern Nebraska's bur oak trees, known as the 'King of the Great Plains,' dying due to widespread drought.”

The network also received four awards of merit for large-market radio:

• The podcast “Nebraska Update,” hosted by Jackie Ourada and produced by Andy Hermann
• Lauryn Higgins (freelancer, Midwest Newsroom), investigative, for “Lincoln police officers endured sexual misconduct for years. They say the culture isn't fixed.”
• Mike Tobias, soft feature, for “How Sidney is 'building back better' after Cabela's headquarters left town.”
• Aaron Bonderson, sports reporting, for “How the fastest growing high school sport in Nebraska continues to break down barriers heading into state.”

For medium-market television, Nebraska Public Media earned two first-place awards:

• “What If… Nebraska” produced by Mike Tobias for the episode “Innovation in the Sky” (lifestyle or specialty programming)
• “Nebraska Stories,” produced by Kay Hall, for the episode “Rescuing Japanese Hall” (soft feature)

The Eric Sevareid Awards are named for the journalist and correspondent who worked for CBS News from 1939 to 1977 and was the first to report the fall of Paris when it was captured by the Germans during World War II.

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About Nebraska Public Media

Nebraska Public Media has connected citizens with news, sports, education and entertainment since 1954. Providing global and compelling stories from PBS and NPR, the statewide public media network also produces award-winning local content. Its programs and services reach Nebraskans on television, radio, online, social media and mobile apps. Visit NebraskaPublicMedia.org for more information.