Awards

UPR is an award-winning news source. From our coverage of human interest stories to the hard news, UPR has you covered.

2025

Society of Professional Journalists - Top of the Rockies:

2nd Place Science and Technology Feature
Erin Lewis

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conducts their annual Spotted Frog surveys

2nd Place Science and Technology News
Ryan Helcoski
Utah's endangered condor population continues to be killed by lead poisoning

3rd Place Science and Technology News
Ryan Helcoski
How much do we really know about the dusky grouse?

3rd Place Beat Reporting
Duck Thurgood
USU students struggle to meet needs once met by closed Inclusion Center,
Logan community gathers at a church to honor trans people lost in the last year,
Hundreds of Utahns protest against 'trans bathroom bill' at Utah Capitol

2024

Society of Professional Journalists - Utah Chapter:

1st Place Radio: Government Reporting
Caroline Long,
Utah ranks 40 out of 50 on women's representation in state legislatures

1st Place Radio: Environment
Erin Lewis
Cloud seeding and Utah's efforts to combat drought

1st Place Radio: Criminal Justice
Duck Thurgood
This bill would have criminalized unauthorized phones in correctional facilities

2nd Place Radio: General News
Caroline Long
Hunting mountain lions is now legal year-round without a permit

2nd Place Radio: Continuing Coverage
Matthew D. LaPlante, Clayre Scott
UnDisciplined: Is climate change making us sicker?

2nd Place Radio Series
Sheri Quinn, Suzanne Montgomery
Cropping Up

2nd Place Radio Sports Reporting
Matthew D. LaPlante, Clayre Scott
Carl Nassib came out while playing in the NFL - here's what the media thought about it

2nd Place Radio: Best Use of Sound
Aimee Van Tatenhove
Cache Valley Christmas Bird Count provides valuable data on avian populations

2nd Place Radio: Military
Katie White, Molly Cannon, Susan Grayzel
Bringing War Home: One man remembers with sand, rocks and souvenirs

2nd Place Radio: Diversity and Equity
Colleen Medit
Researchers receive grant to support LGBTQ+ inclusion in STEM fields

2nd Place Radio: Solutions Journalism
Matthew D. LaPlante, Clayre Scott
UnDisciplined: How can we hold politicians responsible for their inciteful speech?

3rd Place Radio: Environment
Matthew D. LaPlante, Clayre Scott
UnDisciplined: The surprising side of climate change - why you don't have to fear the future

3rd Place Radio: General Feature
Raegan Edelman and Matthew D. LaPlante
UnDisciplined: This asteroid is about to pass dangerously close to Earth

3rd Place Radio: Education
Matthew D. LaPlante, Clayre Scott
UnDisciplined: 'It's one of the most lonely feelings': The realities of mainstream schooling for deaf children

Honorable Mention Continuing Coverage
Jacob Scholl
Logan's Warming Center opens again this winter. Here's how it started

Honorable Mention Radio: Best Use of Sound
Katie White
Local climatologist explains how seasonal weather is like sound waves

Society of Professional Journalists - Top of the Rockies:

1st Place Science and Technology Feature
Aimee Van Tatenhove
Research ties worsening wildfires to bird mortalities.

1st place Science and Technology News
Sheri Quinn
An asteroid sample from space is on its way to Utah's West Desert

2nd Place Multimedia Category
Aimee Van Tatenhove, Ellis Juhlin, through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative
Water for Wildlife StoryMap

3rd Place Podcast
Susan Madsen, Melinda Colton, Nick Porath
A Bolder Way Forward

2023

Society of Professional Journalists - Utah Chapter:

Clifford P. Cheney Service to Journalism Award
Tom Williams
Behind the Headlines

1st Place Radio General Feature
Aimee Van Tatenhove
Utah State University brings academics and esports together

1st Place Radio Series
Nick Porath, Emma Parkhurst, Shalayne Smith Needham, Kerry Bringhurst
Cropping Up

2nd Place Radio Series
Ellis Juhlin, Aimee Van Tatenhove
A deep dive into Utah Lake

2nd Place Radio Public Affairs/Talk Show
Tom Williams
Understanding the world and more with Jim Enote

1st Place Radio Best Use of Sound
Clayre Scott
Carolers brought the Christmas spirit to retirement homes this season

3rd Place Radio Best Use of Sound
Aimee Van Tatenhove
Cache Valley Christmas Bird Count successful, chilly

1st Place Radio Military
Matthew LaPlante, Clayre Scott
UnDisciplined: Military veterans can offer lessons on cultivating inner peace

2nd Place Radio Military
Katie White, Molly Cannon, Susan Grayzel
Bringing War Home

1st Place Radio Solutions Journalism
Sheri Quinn
You can still have an oasis in the desert

1st Place Radio Environment
Patrick Kelly, Shannon Rhodes, Jack Greene, Mary Heers
Wild About Utah

3rd Place Radio Environment
Aimee Van Tatenhove
A community science project studies the elusive, snow-loving rosy finch

2nd Place Best Radio Reporter
Matthew LaPlante
UnDisciplined

Honorable Mention Radio Environment
Matthew LaPlante, Clayre Scott
UnDisciplined: What can be done to save this 80,000-year old aspen forest?

2022

Society of Professional Journalists - Utah Chapter:

3rd Place Best Radio Newscast
Clayre Scott, Matthew LaPlante, Naomi Ward
UnDisciplined: When Ideology Trumps Science

3rd Place Best Radio Reporter
Brian Champagne

1st Place Radio Documentary
Brian Champagne
LOL: Everything you need to know about laughter

2nd Place Radio Documentary
Clayre Scott, Raegan Edelman
St. Anne's Retreat

2nd Place Radio General Feature
Emma Feuz
The Bar J Wranglers are singing their farewell after 44 years

3rd Place Radio General News
Kailey Foster
How Animal Agriculture Is Being Impacted By Utah's Drought

1st Place Radio Environment
Brian Champagne
Racks wreck your gas mileage

2nd Place Radio Environment
Aimee Van Tatenhove
The quiet importance of brine flies

1st Place Radio Military
Shalayne Smith Needham, Friend Weller, Annika Shinn
Bringing War Home

2nd Place Radio Public Affairs/Talk Show
Tom Williams
Disability and accessibility

3rd Place Radio Public Affairs/Talk Show
Tammy Proctor, Jeannie Sur, Jamie Sanders
Eating the Past

3rd Place Radio Serie
Jack Greene, Aimee Van Tatenhove, Mary Heers
Great Salt Lake - Wild About Utah

1st Place Radio Solutions Journalism
Matthew LaPlante
UnDisciplined: Combating Vaccine Misinformation

Honorable Mention Radio Best Use of Sound
Brian Champagne
Hushed Hybrids

Honorable Mention Radio Diversity and Equity
Manuel Giron
Logan Residents Of Color Share How Racism Impacts Mental health, Education

2021

Society of Professional Journalists- Utah Chapter: 

Best Radio Reporter
Brian Champagne 

1st Place Radio Multimedia Journalist
Brian Champagne

1st Place Radio General News
Brian Champagne
North Logan Council Votes To Merge With Logan's Fire Departmen

1st Place Best Podcast
Matthew D. LaPlante, Naomi Ward
Undisciplined: The Devil With The Blue Jeans

1st Place Radio Personality Profile
Matilyn Mortensen
Project Resilience: How Recording Kindness Can Help Build Community Resilience

1st Place Radio Spot News
Mia Fairbanks
Despite Widespread Vote-By-Mail, Utah Voters Still Show Up To Polls On Election Day

1st Place Radio Military
Ashley Rohde
Utahns On The Front Line: Families Separated By Duty

2nd Place Radio Military
Harley Barnes
Utah Veterans Share Ways To Honor The Country This Fourth Of July

2nd Place Radio Series
Utah Public Radio Staff
Project Resilience 

2nd Place Radio General Feature
Shoshannah Buxbaum
In The Age-Old Battle Over Public Land, A New Push For Smaller Land Transfers

2nd Place Best Use of Sound
Aimee Van Tatenhove
Christmas Bird Count: Listening For Owls

2nd Place Radio Spot News
Kailey Foster
What Does Drive-Up Voting Look Like During Utah's 2020 Primary?

2nd Place Radio Criminal Justice
Matthew D. LaPlante, Naomi Ward
Undisciplined: Unlocking Nature

3rd Place General Feature
Kailey Foster
Could Toilet Paper Bring Utah Communities Together

3rd Place Business/Consumer
Eliza Hardy
Beyond Plastic Bag Bans: Unintended Consequences, Other Forms Of Waste Reduction

3rd Place Radio Public Affairs/Talk Show
Tom Williams, Matilyn Mortensen, Emily Colby
Utah Voters And Super Tuesday On Monday's Access Utah

3rd Place Radio COVID-19 Continuing Coverage
Matilyn Mortensen, Kat Webb, Shoshannah Buxbaum
What Is It Like To Recover From COVID-19 In The ICU? One Patient Shares Their Story,
Some COVID Patients Just Aren’t Getting Better: A Look At Their Stories,
Churches Close But Worship Doesn't Stop,
Virtual Meetings Replace In-Person Celebration During Ramadan

Honorable Mention Continuing Coverage
Matilyn Mortensen and Eliza Hardy
Vice Presidential Debate Coverage

2020

Society of Professional Journalists- Utah Chapter: 

1st Place Continuing Coverage
Carter Moore, Chris Polansky, Dani Hayes Gohier
Coverage of the disappearance and murder of Lizzy Shelly

1st Place Radio Series
Bronson Teichert
From Honduras To Utah: Coffee’s Journey To Your Cup

1st Place Radio Documentary
Mary Heers, Kirsten Swanson, Rachel Ross, Dani Hayes Gohier
Ride the Rails

1st Place Sports Reporting
Carter Moore, Kat Webb, Matthew LaPlante
For the Love of Football: Why Do Public Institutions Still Play BYU In Football?

1st Place Education
Ashley Rohde
Driven To Succeed: Race Day Has Finally Arrived

1st Place Personality Profile
Mary Heers, Kirsten Swanson
Art For Everybody So Let's Jump Right In

2nd Place Best Radio Reporter
Bronson Teichert 

2nd Place General Feature
Andrea Smardon
Facing the End of Life

2nd Place Business and Consumer
Leslie Forero
Wondering Why Logan City No Longer Accepts #3 Through #7 Plastics? It's Too Contaminated

2nd Place Education
JoLynne Lyon
Transitioning To The Adult World For Persons With Disabilities

3rd Place Public Affairs/Talk Show
Tom Williams, Emily Colby
Disengaging From The News And Politics On Tuesday's Access Utah

3rd Place Business and Consumer
Bronson Teichert
Honduran Coffee Farmers Finding Solutions To Pay The Bills After The Harvest

Honorable Mention Public Affairs/Talk Show
Matthew D. LaPlante, Alyssa Roberts
UnDisciplined: The Tropical Ecologist And The Microbiologist

2019

Society of Professional Journalists - Utah Chapter:

3rd Place Best Radio Reporter
Dani Hayes

1st Place Radio Series
Utah Women 20/20

2nd Place Radio Series
Diagnosed

2nd Place Radio Documentary
King's Road: Where Do We Go From Here?

1st Place General Feature
Ashley Rohde
Please, Pick Up Your Dog's Poop To Protect Our Watersheds

2nd Place General Feature
Brian Champagne
Auto Trends Include Ways To Transport Millennials

3nd Place General Feature
Dani Hayes
Loving Our Lands: The BLM And Its Multiple-Use Job Description

Honorable Mention General Feature
Marilyn Mortensen
Utah Women 20/20: Walking Tour Highlights Salt Lake City's Suffragist Sites

3rd Place Public Affairs Show
Tom Williams, Emily Colby
Supreme Stakes: Understanding Sexual Violence on Access Utah

1st Place Best Use Of Sound
Dani Hayes
Hamilton Creator Brings The Broadway Experience To Utah High Schoolers

2nd Place Best Use Of Sound
Brian Champagne
Did You Know? Central Utah Is Home TO The Ed Roth's 'Rat Fink' Reunion

1st Place Multimedia Journalism 
Brian Champagne
VW Bus Makes A Comeback As A Classic Car Investment

3rd Place Education Report
Dani Hayes
Hamilton Creator Brings The Broadway Experience To Utah High Schoolers 

2nd Place Business Reporting
Brian Champagne
Cars, SUVs, Crossovers: Which Do You Choose?

1st Place Minority Issues Utah
Ashley Rohde
Women 20/20: Scientifically Unsound, How We Exclude Women From Science

2nd Place Personality Profile
Dani Hayes
Crossing Borders: Crossing An Ocean And A Continent For A Cause

Honorable Mention Continuing Coverage
Andrea Smardon
LGBTQ: Off The Grid

Honorable Mention Minority Issues
Dani Hayes
Utah Women 20/20: Alternative Education For Female Independence

2018

Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow Critique and Contest:

1st Place Best Radio Package
Bronson Teichert
50 Years of Rodeo Photography - A Career Behind The Camera

Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI):

1st Place Division C, Call-in Program
Tom Williams, Aimee Cobabe, Connor Rivers, Krista Black
Bears Ears Monument Designation On A Special Access Utah Friday

2nd Place Division C, Radio Series
Kristen Munson, Dani Hayes, Kerry Bringhurst, Rhesa Ledbetter
A State of Addiction: Utah's Opioid Epidemic

Associated Press Television and Radio Association: 

1st Place Best Documentary
Kirsten Munson, Dani Hayes, Kerry Bringhurst, Rhesa Ledbetter
A State of Addiction: Utah's Opioid Epidemic 

Society of Professional Journalists - Utah Chapter:

1st Place Best Radio Reporter
Rhesa Ledbetter

2nd Place Radio: Education
Rhesa Ledbetter
Nature Is Calling: Satisfying Your Curiosity And Contribute To Scientific Research Using iNaturalist

3rd Place Radio: Education
Rhesa Ledbetter
Shower The National Weather Service With Data By Being A Backyard Weather Observer

2nd Place Radio: General Feature
Kristen Munson
A State of Addiction: Breaking The Pain Cycle

3rd Place Radio: General Feature
Matilyn Mortensen
Crossing Borders: 11-Year-Old Boy Walking Across Country To Raise Diabetes Awareness 

2nd Place Radio General News
Matilyn Mortensen
Holiday Vending Machines In Salt Lake City Encourage Giving

1st Place Minority Issues
Andrea Smardon
Crossing Borders: Undocumented Immigrants Still Crossing That Borders

1st Place Personality Profile
Rhesa Ledbetter
Crossing Borders: Merrel Bootmaker Now Gets People Back On Their Feet... Literally 

3rd Place Personality Profile
Dani Hayes
A State of Addiction: We All Suffer

1st Place Radio Series
Utah Public Radio news team
Crossing Borders: A Yearlong Storytelling Project

2nd Place Radio Series
Kristen Munson, Dani Hayes, Kerry Bringhurts, Rhesa Ledbetter
A State of Addiction: Utah's Opioid Epidemic

Mark of Excellence Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists:

Winner Radio Feature
Rhesa Ledbetter
'They're Built On Love:' Raising Children With Williams Syndrome

Winner Radio In-depth Reporting
Rhesa Ledbetter
A State Of Addiction: The Search For Alternative Painkillers

Finalist Radio Feature
Rhesa Ledbetter
Crossing Borders: A Mother And Her Transgender Son Reflect

Finalist Radio Feature
Bronson Teichert
50 Years Of Rodeo Photography: A Career Behind The Camera

Finalist Radio In-depth Reporting
Bronson Teichert
GOP Tax Bill Lifts Burden From Farmers And Ranchers

2017

Society of Professional Journalists - Utah Chapter:

1st Place Radio: Documentary
Kerry Bringhurst, Dani Hayes, Kristen Munson, Jennifer Christensen
Objectified: More Than A Body

2nd Place Radio: Documentary
Jennifer Pemberton
When The Equal Rights Amendment Came To Utah

Honorable Mention Radio Documentary
Dani Hayes
Objectified: Escaping The FLDS Community

2nd Place Radio: General News
Jennifer Pemberton
The Great Salt Lake, Better Off Without Us

1st Place Radio: General Feature
Dani Hayes
Fat Phobia - An Exhibit

3rd Place Radio: General Feature
Melissa Allison
A Documentary About 'Furries' Competes In The Slamdanced Film Festival

Honorable Mention General Feature
Geoff Smith
Cowboys and Scientists

2nd Place Radio: Continuing Coverage
Kerry Bringhurst, Dani Hayes, Kristen Munson, Jennifer Christensen
Objectified: More Than A Body

1st Place Radio: Series
Dani Hayes, Jason Gilmore, Lauren Mata, Jarlin de Leon
54 Strong

3rd Place Radio: Series
Dani Hayes, Jason Gilmore, Brieann Charlesworth, Mackayle Law, Elizabeth Thomas
Roots of Brazil

1st Place Radio: Best Use of Sound
Daniel Kinka
The Science of Beer

Honorable Mention Best Use of Sound
Aimee Cobabe
Elite Hall Is Bringing People Together To Enjoy Music and Dancing Of The Past

2nd Place Radio: Education
Rhesa Ledbetter
Nature's Teaching Tool: Monarch Butterflies Brighten Up A Utah Classroom

2nd Place Radio: Minority Issues
Jennifer Pemberton
When Women Run, Women Win... Except When They Don't

3rd Place Radio: Minority Issues
Aimee Cobabe
What Does It Mean To Be A Patriotic American?

3rd Place Radio: Personality Profile
Aimee Cobabe
One Man's 'Loneliest Road' Battle With Cancer Is Now A Ride Accomplished For Others

Honorable Mention Radio: Personality Profile
Dani Hayes
Objectified: A Mother/Daughter Battle With Anorexia

2016

Society of Professional Journalists:

1st Place Radio: Military
Aimee Cobabe
A Military Job You Didn't Know Exists

1st Place Radio: Series
Jason Gilmore, Justin Prather, Elaine Taylor
52 Strong

2nd Place Radio: Series
Jennifer Pemberton, Ryan Cunningham, Ross Chambless
The Source

Honorable Mention Radio: General Feature
Katie Peikes
Utah Family Prepares For Life On The Road In A Buffalo Bus

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean's Giraffe Award

Dean's Giraffe Award
Jason Gilmore
54 Strong

2015

Associated Press Television and Radio Association

Best Investigative Reporting
Jennifer Pemberton, Ross Chambers, Ryan Cunningham
Recreation - It's contentious. It's litigious. It's fun!

2014

Utah Broadcasters Association:

1st Place Best News Reporting in a Series
Jennifer Pemberton, Matt Jensen
Five Billion Gallons

2nd Place Best News Reporting in a Series
Taylor Halverson, Elaine Taylor, Morgan Pratt, April Ashland, Matt Jensen
My Address Is...

2nd Place Best Single Event News Coverage
Jennifer Pemberton
Thousands Rally for Clean Air Legislation

3rd Place Best Feature Story or Program
Elaine Taylor
Zap, Pow, Bam!

2nd Place Best Feature Story or Program
Jennifer Pemberton
BLM & USU Put Heads Together for Uintah Basin Ozone Problem

2nd Place Best Feature Story or Program
Morgan Pratt
Adult Day Care Closure

2013

Society of Professional Journalists:

1st Place News Feature
Storee Powell
An Eye Witness Account of Hurricane Sandy

1st Place Politics General Reporting
Storee Powell
Democratic Congressional Candidates Debate This Week: Get To Know Them Before The Primary

2nd Place Public Service
Storee Powell
Concerns Raised For Seniors Over Voter ID Laws

1st Place Arts & Entertainment
Storee Powell
Introducing the Logan Film Festival

3rd Place Enterprise Reporting
Storee Powell
Analyzing Women Voters: How They'll Vote and Why

1st place Public Service
Storee Powell, April Ashland, Ryan Cunningham
Mental Illness Awareness

Utah Society of Professional Journalists:

1st Place Minority Reporting
Storee Powell
Concerns Raised For Seniors Over Voter ID Laws

3rd Place Radio Series
Storee Powell, April Ashland and Ryan Cunningham
Mental Illness Awareness

2nd Place Radio Personality Profile
Storee Powell
Donna McAleer for Congress

3rd Place Radio Personality Profile
Storee Powell
Ryan Combe for Congress

2nd Place Radio Spot News
Storee Powell
From New York to Utah: An Eyewitness Account of Hurricane Sandy

2nd Place Radio Documentary
Storee Powell
Women's Education, Women's Empowerment

3rd Place Radio General Feature
Storee Powell
Introducing the Logan Film Festival

Associated Press Television and Radio

1st Place Best Special Program
Jennifer Pemberton, Matt Jensen
Five Billion Gallons

2nd Place Best Coverage of an Ongoing Story
Jennifer Pemberton
Having a Bad Air Day?

2012

Society of Professional Journalists

2nd Place Feature Reporting
Storee Powell
New Local Author Talks About Janitorial Job as his Inspiration

3rd Place Feature Reporting
Storee Powell
Utah Women in Municipal Office

1st Place Online Feature Reporting
Ryan Cunningham, April Ashland
Buddhist Monk Urges Awareness, Understanding Amid Political Tension in Tibet

1st Place Radio Feature
Ryan Cunningham
Coyotes Fascinate, Puzzle Researchers in Utah

Radio Feature
Kinzie Hamilton
Porcupine Music Festival: Hairy, Friendly People in Northern Utah

Radio Feature
Kinzie Hamilton
Kids with William's Syndrome are Pretty Tight, According to Friends and Researchers

Radio News Reporting
Brianna Bodily
Bicycle Brent

Radio News Reporting
Brianna Bodily
Water Dispute at Oneida Narrows

Utah Broadcasters Association

1st Place
Storee Powell
National Women's History Month

3rd Place
Storee Powell
Tyler Whitesides

PRE-2012

• 2011 UBEE: 1st Place for Circle the Wagons by Storee Powell
• 2010 SPJ: Finalist for Circle the Wagons by Storee Powell