VPM closed out the 2025 award season with another handful of honors! On Sept. 15, the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) announced the winners of the 57th Public Media Awards where VPM added four awards to its total this year.
VPM won a public media award in the community initiative category for its ongoing series Racism: Challenging Perceptions. VPM launched the discussion series in 2020 to explore the social, cultural and economic impact of systemic racism on our communities.
In the cross-platform content category, VPM won an award for its docuseries Finding Edna Lewis. The show follows host and food writer Deb Freeman as she journeys from Freetown, VA to New York City and beyond in search of the legacy of Edna Lewis, a Virginia-born chef who pioneered seasonal cooking.
VPM won in the podcast category for the second season of RVA’s Got Issues. RVA’s Got Issues (RGI) delves into the politics and big issues defining life in and around Richmond, Virginia. Host Rich Meagher connects with guests to discuss the past, present and future impact of these questions so you know what’s happening in the news. Season three of RGI premiered last week.
VPM’s annual report also won a public media award for its report from the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
VPM was a finalist in four other categories, including:
- Overall Excellence in Content: VPM Original Content
- Short Form: VPM 60th Anniversary Short
- Local Project: 90by5
- Independent Production: Chasing Cambodia
The National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) is one of the nation’s leading service organizations strengthening and amplifying public media’s education mission. The Public Media Awards honor NETA members’ finest work in community engagement, content, education, marketing/communications, independent productions, and overall excellence. The awards were judged by a group of expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media.
View the full list of this year’s winners.