2020 E.B. Craney Award Winners
Made possible by the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation.
Radio On-Air Broadcaster of the Year
Winner:
Brian Lee & Chris Wolfe, KZOQ Radio, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Troy Shockley, KCAP Radio, Helena
Radio Copywriter of the Year
Winner:
Kevin Skaalure, KIMO/KMTX Radio, Helena, "Yule Tales"
Runner-Up:
Don Walter & Brian Braunberger, KOFI/KZMN/KOLK Radio, Kalispell, "Toro Snowblowers - Movie Trailer"
Radio Commercial of the Year
Winner:
Troy Mellinger, KWGF Radio, Great Falls, "Mikes Tint Kelly Pick"
Runner-Up:
Shawn Hertel, KIKF Radio, Great Falls, "Headwaters"
Radio News Story of the Year
Winner:
Peter Christian, KGVO Radio, Missoula, "The Ambush of Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer"
Runner-Up:
Edward O'Brien, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "The legal battle over vaping in Montana"
Radio Newscast of the Year
Winner:
Kurt Kittelson & Troy Shockley, KCAP Radio, Helena, "Montana's Morning News"
Runner-Up:
Troy Mellinger, KWGF Radio, Great Falls, "STARadio Minute-To-Minute News Updates"
Radio Non-Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
John Floridis, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "Rahim AlHaj: Overcoming Saddam And Bringing The Musical Soul of Bagdad To America"
Runner-Up:
Sarah Aronson, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "'Fall Back Down When I Die' With Joe Wilkins"
Radio Public Service
Winner:
Christina Lefler & Angel Hughes, KAMM Radio, Missoula, "Alt 101.5 Spin-a-thon"
Runner-Up:
Ryan Nelson, KYSS RADIO, Missoula, "KYSSMAS for Kids"
Radio Sports Coverage
Winner:
Ryan Tootell & Colter Nuanez, KKVU Radio, Missoula, "Tootell and Nuanez "
Runner-Up:
Chris Reyes, KRYK Radio, Havre, "Chris Reyes Sportscaster Coverage"
Radio Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Troy Mellinger, KXGF Radio, Great Falls
Runner-Up:
Ron Bruschi, KOJM/KRYK/KPQX Radio, Havre
Radio Station Promotion
Winner:
Shawn Hertel, Melissa Farrell & Kara Kochivar, KIKF Radio, Great Falls, "Sales Bell Ringing Challenge"
Runner-Up:
KC Kloppel & Angel Hughes, KBAZ Radio, Missoula, "Blaze Easter Keg Hunt 2019"
Radio Program of the Year
Winner:
Blake Simonson & Angela Marshall, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "Montana Murder Mysteries"
Runner-Up:
Sarah Aronson, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "'We Leave the Flowers Where They Are: True Stories of Montana Women'"
Radio Website of the Year
Winner:
Josh Burnham, Montana Public Radio, Missoula, "mtpr.org"
Runner-Up:
Tony Vigliotti, KOJM/KPQX/KRYK Radio, Havre, "Hi Line Today"
Television Commercial of the Year
Winner:
Frank Palazzi & Brian Mellott, KWYB-TV, Butte, "UM Western Outfitting, Millers Jewelry, Rock Hand Hardware."
Runner-Up:
James Sanders, KPAX-TV, Missoula, "Jim Sanders Commercials"
Television Writer-Commercial & Public Service
Winner:
Carley Rainey, KBZK-TV, Bozeman
Runner-Up:
Lindsay McNay, KFBB-TV, Great Falls, "Family Connections"
Television Writer - News & Long Form Programming
Winner:
Kevin Maki, KECI-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Evelyn Schultz, KTVH-TV, Helena
Television Newscast of the Year
Winner:
NBC Montana News Team, KECI-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
ABC/Fox Montana News Team, KTMF-TV, Missoula
Television Non-Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Jackie Coffin, MontanaPBS, Bozeman, "The Rundown w/ Jackie Coffin-Fighting Her Wars"
Runner-Up:
Ray Ekness, Gus Chambers, John Twiggs & William Marcus, MontanaPBS, Missoula, “Backroads of Montana"
Television Pubilc Service
Winner:
Carley Rainey, KBZK-TV, Bozeman, "PSA of the Year"
Runner-Up:
James Salley, KBZK-TV, Bozeman, "City of Bozeman Snow Removal"
Television Sports Story or Series
Winner:
Thomas Wylie, KRTV-TV, Great Falls, "Montana Rodeo Stories: A Way of Life"
Runner-Up:
Shawn Newton & Dillon Davies, KXLH-TV, Helena, "Megan Fisher | Under the Big Sky"
Television Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Richie Melby, KTVH-TV, Helena
Runner-Up:
Kevin Levine, KECI-TV, Missoula
Television Station Promotion
Winner:
Scott Sterling, MontanaPBS, Bozeman, "MontanaPBS Fall 2019 Sizzle"
Runner-Up:
Matt Reid, KBZK-TV, Bozeman, "Matt Reid Station Promotion"
Television On-Air Broadcaster of the Year
Winner:
Shannon Newth, KRTV-TV, Great Falls
Runner-Up:
Ben Wineman, KTMF-TV, Missoula
Television Feature News
Winner:
Scott Breen & Brandon Sullivan, KTVQ-TV, Billings, "Play Like a Girl: Lauren Cummings"
Runner-Up:
Heidi Meili & Ben Priestley, KECI-TV, Missoula, "Search for baby buried alive"
Television Commercial Program of the Year
Winner:
Shawn Newton & Dillon Davies, KXLH-TV, Helena, "Under the Big Sky Sessions"
Runner-Up:
Sarah Gravlee & Ben Wineman, KTMF-TV, Missoula, "Gertie's Babies"
Television Hard News
Winner:
Becky Hillier, Conner Menahan, Jessica Hilgendorf, Phillip Ohnemus & Christine Cleveland, KULR-TV, Billings, "Crime Files: Marty Etchemendy"
Runner-Up:
Laurel Staples, Cyndy Koures, Ben Priestley, Willy Miller, Scott Ashleman, Maria Whisenhunt, KECI-TV, Missoula, "On the Northern Border"
Television Weathercaster of the Year
Winner:
Lewis Dortch, KPAX-TV, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Brandon Michaels, KRTV-TV, Great Falls
Television Breaking News
Winner:
KPAX News Team, KPAX-TV, Missoula, "KPAX Breaking News Trooper Shooting Coverage"
Runner-Up:
Russ Riesinger, KTVQ-TV, Billings, "Amanda Fenner Cold Case Solved"
Television Website of the Year
Winner:
Jessica Hilgendorf, KULR-TV, Billings, "KULR8.com"
Runner-Up:
Shawn Newton & Dillon Davies, KXLH-TV, Helena, "Under the Big Sky Website"