WHRO received 11 nominations in the 58th Annual NETA Public Media Awards—the most of any individual station. WHRO's nominations span community engagement, marketing and communications, content, radio, and two Overall Excellence categories, demonstrating the breadth and impact of WHRO's work across public media.
WHRO’s 2026 Public Media Awards honorees:
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Local Project
The Story Exchange
WHRO Public Media’s PBS KIDS Village at the Virginia Children’s Festival
National Project
Sail250 Partnership
Community Initiative
WHRO The Voice
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Special Event
We the People: A Yorktown Battlefield Event
CONTENT
Cultural Feature
Virginia Symphony Fellows: Orchestrating Change
Short Form
Curate 757: Pat Tozzi
RADIO
Radio – Society & Culture
Christmas in Colonial Virginia
Radio – Local Storytelling
Ermias and the Future of Public Broadcasting
OVERALL EXCELLENCE
Excellence in Marketing & Communications
WHRO Public Media: Marketing with Purpose
Excellence in Engagement Campaigns
Making History Where History Was Made
Winners will be announced September 13, 2026, during the 2026 NETA Conference.
About the Public Media Awards
The Public Media Awards celebrate a mosaic of creative and diverse work that reflects the collective power of public media to educate, inform, inspire, and connect.
Except for the overall excellence categories, stations compete within divisions based on station size. Awards are judged by a group of expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media.
“In a time when connection and community matter more than ever, stations are bringing public media’s mission to life in powerful ways, reflecting the values and vision of the system by serving communities with integrity, innovation, and a deep commitment to storytelling that matters,” said NETA President Eric Hyyppa. “Congratulations to all the honorees. Their work is truly remarkable."