2023 E.B. Craney Awards
Non-Commercial Radio Program of the Year
Winner:
Montana Public Radio-Pea Green Boat-Jake Birch, Producer
Runner-Up:
Yellowstone Public Radio-Flavors Under the Big Sky-Stella Fong, Host
Radio Podcast
Winner:
Montana Public Radio, Shared State Season 2
Radio Commercial
Winner:
Shawn Hertel, STARadio, Great Falls "Right Diagnosis"
Runner-Up:
Tommy Evans, Missoula Broadcasting Company, Missoula, "Tommy Evans Radio Commercial Entry"
Radio Copywriter
Winner:
Shane Cox, KBOW/KOPR/KGLM/KQRV, Butte
Runner-Up:
Julie Moore, The Montana Radio Company, Helena
Radio News Story
Winner:
Aaron Bolton, Montana Public Radio, Missoula "More older Americans become homeless as inflation rises and housing costs spike"
Runner-Up:
Peter Christian, Town Square Media, Missoula "Montana Police Response to Epidemic of Fentanyl Overdose Deaths"
Radio Newscast of the Year
Winner:
Troy Mellinger, STARadio, Great Falls "Minute-To-Minute News Update"
Runner-Up:
Peter Christian, Town Square Media, Missoula
Radio On-Air Broadcaster of the Year
Winner:
Dave & Ally in the Morning, Silver Star Communications, Bozeman/Big Sky
Runner-Up:
Shawn Whitney, Townsquare Media, Missoula
Radio Program of the Year
Winner:
Lynne Turner-Fitzgerald, Anthony Media, Billings "Boomers"
Runner-Up:
KC Kloppel, Townsquare Media, Missoula "Real Estate Revolution"
Radio Public Service
Winner:
Aubrey Nilsen, Missoula Broadcasting, Missoula "Public Service Announcements"
Runner-Up:
Stewart Davis and Kurt Kittleson, Montana Radio Company, Helena
Radio Sports Coverage
Winner:
Colter Nuanez, Andrew Houghton & Geoff Safford, Missoula Broadcasting Company, Missoula "ESPN MT Radio Sports Coverage of the Year"
Runner-Up:
Tony Vigliotti, New Media Broadcasters, Havre "MSU Northern Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees, Bright Shining Lights and Prep Sports Preview Weekly Shows"
Radio Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Colter Nuanez, Missoula Broadcasting Company, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Geoff Safford, Missoula Broadcasting Company, Missoula
Radio Station Promotion
Winner:
Troy Mellinger, STARadio, Great Falls "Big Game Watch Party"
Runner-Up:
Shawn Hertel, STARadio, Great Falls "Red Friday"
TV Daily News Report
Winner:
Russ Riesinger, KTVQ, Billings "Remembering the Blizzard of 1955"
Runner-Up:
Jonathan May, NBC Montana, Bozeman "Eastbound vehicles back up for miles amid I-90 closure in Livingston"
TV Digital
Winner:
NBC Montana News Team, Missoula "NBCMontana.com Digital Entry"
Runner-Up:
Non Stop Local, Cowles Media Montana, Missoula/Billings "Brawl of the Wild: Game On!"
Non-Commercial TV Program of the Year
Winner:
Breanna McCabe, Montana PBS, Missoula "Higgins Ridge"
Runner-Up:
Anna Rau, Montana PBS, Missoula "Rise of the Freemen"
TV Podcast
Winner:
Sydney Hanson, Cowles Montana Media, Missoula "Montana Murder Mysteries"
Runner-Up:
Tim McGonigal, KRTV, Great Falls "McGonigal's Chronicles: Arlyne Reichert"
TV Breaking News
Winner:
KTVQ News Team, KTVQ, Billings "Historic Montana Floods"
Runner-Up:
Non Stop Local, Cowles Montana Media, Missoula "WAA June 14th, 2022"
TV Commercial
Winner:
Andrew Demarest, KULR, Billings "Yellowstone Art Museum - Rhyming Spot"
Runner-Up:
Shawn Newton, MTN, Helena "Shawn Newton - Television Commercial"
TV Feature News
Winner:
Shaun Rainey, Cowles Montana Media, Missoula "Amazing Maddie"
Runner-Up:
Brandon Sullivan, KXLF, Butte, "For Mel"
TV Hard News
Winner:
Russ Riesinger, KTVQ, Billings "Burning Below the Surface"
Runner-Up:
John Sherer, KBZK, Bozeman "War on Wolves"
TV Newscast of the Year
Winner:
KTVQ News Team, KTVQ, Billings "KTVQ 5:30 News - Crime at the Colonial"
Runner-Up:
NBC Montana, KECI, Missoula "NBC Montana News at 10 February 8 2023"
TV On-Air Broadcaster of the Year
Winner:
Andrea Lutz, KTVQ, Billings
Runner-Up:
Russ Riesinger, KTVQ, Billings
TV Program of the Year
Winner:
Carley Rainey, KBZK, Bozeman "Mystery On The Snake River"
Runner-Up:
Kevin Maki, KECI, Missoula "Montana Moment Special"
TV Public Service
Winner:
Shawn Newton, KXLH, Helena ""The Conversation" - Lewis & Clark Public Health"
Runner-Up:
James Rafferty, KBZK/MTN, Bozeman "MTN Flood Relief"
TV Sports Story or Series
Winner:
John Martin, KULR, Billings "The History of American Football and Frank Shively"
Runner-Up:
Brandon Sullivan, KXLF, Butte "The Shot"
TV Sportscaster of the Year
Winner:
Shaun Rainey, KTMF, Missoula
Runner-Up:
Robbie Whittle, NBC Montana, Bozeman
TV Station Promotion
Winner:
James Rafferty, KPAX/MTN, Missoula "KPAX/MTN Television Station Promotion"
Runner-Up:
Crystal Meeks, KTVQ, Billings "Q2 Community Campaign"
TV Weathercaster of the Year
Winner:
Andrew Curtis, KTVH, Helena
Runner-Up:
Tracy Smith, KULR, Billings
TV Writer-Commercial and Public Service
Winner:
James Sanders, KPAX, Missoula "James Sanders Script Commercials 2023"
Runner-Up:
Alex Lillie, KPAX, Missoula "Mainstreet Toys Childhood Memories"
TV Writer-News and Long Form Programming
Winner:
Breanna McCabe, Montana PBS, Missoula "Higgins Ridge"
Runner-Up:
Kevin Make, NBC Montana, Missoula "Montana Moment"