OPB has received six Northwest Regional Emmy® Awards and 25 total Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). These awards recognize the rich and diverse stories of the Pacific Northwest about the people, places, history, issues, unique challenges and opportunities that define our region. OPB’s award-winning work spans a broad range of subjects from science and technology to government and politics; history, arts and culture; environment and natural disasters; LGBTQ+ and racial equity; education and more.
“We are honored to serve the people of the Pacific Northwest, and it’s a privilege to be able to tell their important stories that inform, uplift and connect us all,” said Rachel Smolkin, OPB president and CEO. “Now more than ever, and at a time when local independent journalism across the country is under increased threat, it is essential to bring these stories to light and make them freely accessible to everyone. We thank OPB’s community of supporters who help make this possible every day.”
The regional Emmy and SPJ awards come on the heels of other recent award wins for OPB: the regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in digital and broadcast journalism, the Telly Awards for video storytelling, recognition for OPB Digital Video Producer and Reporter Prakruti Bhatt as a 2025 “Rising Star” in public media by Current, a nonprofit news organization; and a 2025 Diversity and Inclusion Award given to OPB Radio Host and Producer Paul Marshall II from the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) of Portland.
Northwest Regional Emmy Awards
OPB received six Northwest Regional Emmy Awards from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). The awards recognize excellence in programming and individual craft achievement in television and media arts.
OPB politics reporters and production teams from OPB’s original history program “Oregon Experience” and original arts program “Oregon Art Beat” were honored in this year’s contest, along with digital science series “All Science. No Fiction.” 2025 Regional Emmy Award wins include:
Historical/Cultural - Short Form Content:
- Jimmy Slept Here (Nora Colie, Producer; Stephani Gordon, Photographer; Arya Surowidjojo, Editor; Byron Titus, Graphic Designer)
Politics/Government - Short Form or Long Form Content:
- Deep Dive into Oregon’s 2024 Political Landscape (Emily Hamilton, Producer; Andrew Theen, Reporter/Writer)
Arts/Entertainment - Long Form Content:
- Nancy Houfek Brown (Kate McMahon, Producer; Lisa Suinn Kallem, Editor; Brooke Herbert, Photographer; Zack Carver-Gustin, Audio)
Historical/Cultural - Long Form Content:
- Road to Sunrise (Nora Colie, Producer; Brooke Herbert, Photographer/Editor; Emily Hamilton, Graphic Designer; Callie Day, Field Audio Recordist; Steven Vaughn Kray, Audio Engineer)
Informational/Instructional - Long Form Content:
- All Science. No Fiction.: Using Tiny Fossils to Understand Cascadia Earthquakes (Jes Burns, Reporter/Writer; Todd Sonflieth, Photographer; Cameron Nielsen, Photographer)
Individual Award:
- Program Host: Jes Burns (“All Science. No Fiction.”)
You can see all Northwest Regional Emmy Award winners here.
SPJ Northwest Excellence in Journalism Awards
The Northwest Excellence in Journalism Awards from the SPJ recognize the best in professional journalism in categories covering print, online, radio, television and art/graphics/multimedia. The annual contest is one of the largest of its kind in the nation.
The contest spans SPJ Region 10, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. OPB received 13 first place awards and 12 second place awards in the “Large” division:
First Place Awards
Audio Category:
- Environment & Natural Disaster Reporting: "Climate-friendly homes offer Grand Ronde’s tribal elders affordability and comfort against climate change” (Monica Samayoa)
- Feature (Soft News): "Influential Portland band Pleasure headlines Oregon Juneteenth Festival" (Paul Marshall II)
- LGBTQ+ Equity Reporting: "Northwest Indigenous author’s new essay collection highlights her Coast Salish identity" (Paul Marshall II)
- Technology & Science Reporting: "Northwest scientists create a flexible ‘fabric’ that converts body heat into electricity" (Jes Burns)
Photo & Design Category:
- Feature Photography: “Tiny investigator” (Kristyna Wentz-Graff)
- Portrait Photography: “Houseless No More” (Kristyna Wentz-Graff)
- Photo Essay: “Portland State protests” (Kristyna Wentz-Graff)
Video Category:
- Feature (Soft News): "Idaho researchers cook up a sweet alternative to single-use plastics” (Jes Burns, Brandon Swanson, Alan Zhou)
Writing Category:
- Arts & Culture Reporting: "'I’m so hungry!’: How Portland’s The Korean Mama becomes online sensation for Pacific Northwest cuisine” (Crystal Ligori)
- Education Reporting: "With deep debt and low-paying jobs, Portland alternative medicine graduates say their degrees will never pay off," (Tiffany Camhi)
- Racial Equity Reporting: "Voting for president while Black and mixed race in Bend" (Kathryn Styer Martínez)
- Technology & Science Reporting: "How tiny fossils in Oregon’s coastal marshes could help us prepare for big earthquakes" (Jes Burns)
- Government & Politics Reporting: "Gov. Tina Kotek faces mutiny over wife’s role" (Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake)
Second Place Awards
Audio Category:
- Environment & Natural Disaster Reporting: "The Willamette River has a trash problem. Homeless camp removals could be making it worse" (April Ehrlich)
- Audio Series: “Oregon’s Homeless Youth" (Tiffany Camhi)
- Feature (Hard News): Portland’s largest outdoor homeless shelter brings uncertainty for people seeking permanent housing" (Alex Zielinski)
- Government & Politics Reporting: "Bend spotlighted in national DEI backlash following city meeting hate speech" (Emily Cureton Cook)
- Investigative Reporting: “Despite Biden’s promise to protect old forests, his administration keeps approving plans to cut them down” (April Ehrlich, Tony Schick, McKenzie Funk)
- Racial Equity Reporting: "RG Shore on memoir ‘The Ocean Inside Me,’ incarceration and healing racial trauma" (Paul Marshall II)
Video Category:
- Feature: Soft News: "Eugene muralist Liza Mana Burns paints Oregon’s stories to make people feel at home" (Steven Tonthat, Todd Sonflieth, Lisa Suinn Kallem, Brooke Herbert)
Photo & Design Category:
- Portrait Photography: “Free” (Kristyna Wentz-Graff)
- Photo Essay: “Oregon’s radical drug policy” (Kristyna Wentz-Graff)
Writing Category:
- Feature (Hard News): "A political outsider faces a daunting task: Fix Portland’s homelessness crisis” (Alex Zielinski)
- Government & Politics Reporting: "‘Accidental’ release of records reveals Deschutes County sheriff candidate’s troubles in La Mesa" (Emily Cureton Cook)
- Poverty & Homelessness Reporting: "Portland’s largest outdoor homeless shelter brings uncertainty for people seeking permanent housing" (Alex Zielinski)
These award-winning stories – and all of OPB’s journalism and programs – are made possible by the generous support of OPB members. Learn more at www.opb.org.