Mississippi radio stations and on-air personalities were recognized Saturday night as the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters hosted its annual Excellence in Broadcasting Awards, honoring standout work across news, sports, programming, promotions, and community service.
The ceremony, held at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson, brought together broadcasters from across the state to celebrate excellence in both radio and television, with radio talent again earning a strong share of the spotlight in morning drive, news coverage, and public affairs programming.
Among the most visible radio winners were Adam and Allison from Y101 in Jackson, who were honored in the morning show category, continuing their presence as one of the most recognizable contemporary radio duos in the capital city market.
Public broadcasting once again showed a dominant statewide presence. Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB Think Radio) earned multiple honors across radio categories, including recognition in documentary production, continuing coverage, and public affairs programming. MPB’s work was highlighted for its depth in long-form journalism and statewide storytelling, reinforcing its role as a key public radio voice in Mississippi.
In the newsroom categories, MPB entries were recognized for sustained coverage and feature reporting that focused on issues impacting communities across the state, continuing a trend of strong public radio performance in journalistic categories.
Commercial radio also saw strong representation in promotions and programming categories, with stations recognized for imaging, branding, and audience engagement efforts that blended traditional on-air creativity with digital and streaming platforms.
In news categories, Mississippi radio entries were honored for breaking news coverage and continuing reporting, with judges again emphasizing severe weather coverage, public safety reporting, and community-focused journalism as defining strengths of local stations.
Sports radio also remained a key competitive category, with entries highlighting play-by-play coverage and feature storytelling tied to Mississippi high school and college athletics. Judges recognized work that extended beyond game action to capture athlete stories and community impact.
One of the most decorated broadcast organizations overall was WDAM 7 in the Pine Belt, which earned multiple awards across categories including breaking news, continuing coverage, and investigative reporting. Among its recognized entries were first-place honors for continuing coverage and investigative reporting tied to school zone traffic camera legal challenges in Hattiesburg.
While WDAM is primarily a television operation, several of its newsroom and digital storytelling categories reflect the increasingly blended nature of radio, TV, and digital reporting across Mississippi media markets.
Community service remained a defining category in the radio division, with stations honored for fundraising campaigns, disaster relief efforts, and public awareness initiatives. Entries frequently focused on tornado recovery efforts, flood response, and health awareness campaigns—areas where Mississippi radio continues to play a critical real-time role.
Digital integration was also heavily represented, with winners recognized for extending radio content into social platforms, streaming audio, and web-based news coverage. Judges noted that audience engagement and multiplatform storytelling have become essential parts of modern radio success.
The Mississippi Association of Broadcasters, which represents stations statewide, said the awards program is designed to highlight excellence while encouraging continued innovation in an evolving media landscape.
As the night concluded in Jackson, winners left with recognition for standout work—but also a reminder that Mississippi radio continues to thrive on immediacy, personality, and community connection.
And for winners like Adam and Allison at Y101, along with statewide public radio leaders at MPB, the message from the stage was clear: local radio is still delivering the stories—and still owning the moments that matter most.
-JPS