2021 Ohio APME Broadcast Finalists in random order

Finalists in Television I: Best Producer: Stephen Kappas, WSYX/WTTE-TV; Jonathan Keilholz, WBNS-TV. Best Anchor: Rob Powers, WEWS-TV; Jerod Smalley, WCMH-TV. Best Feature Reporting: Bob Kendrick, WSYX/WTTE-TV, "Uber Care"; Stacia Naquin and Dennis Spronck, WSYX/WTTE-TV, "Restored Citizens." Best Broadcast Writing: Brad Johansen, WCMH-TV; Chuck Ringwalt, Spectrum News 1. Best Photographer: Brandon Coello, Spectrum News 1; Scott Doelling, WBNS-TV. Best Reporter: Haley Nelson, WSYX/WTTE-TV; Lisa Rantala, WSYX/WTTE-TV. Best Sportscast: Stephen Kappas, WSYX/WTTE-TV, "The Football Fever"; WOIO-TV, "Tailgate 19." Best Sports Feature: Dave Holmes and Shawn Dunagan, WBNS-TV, "Blind Wrestler"; Adam King, WBNSTV, "Dublin Football Player Diagnosed with Cancer." Best Use of Photography: Scott Doelling, WBNS-TV, "Flag Factory"; Anthony Mirones, WCMH-TV, "Me Myself and iPhone." Best Documentary or Series: WCMH-TV, "The Conversation"; WKRC-TV, "Redlining in the Queen City." Best Coverage of a Scheduled Event: WBNS-TV, "Black History Month"; WOIO-TV, "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Live Newscast." Best Spot News Coverage: Alexis Moberger and Mike Jones, WSYX/WTTE-TV, "Missing 7-year-old Girl, Found in Abandoned Home"; WOIO-TV, "Bay Village School Threat." Best Continuing Coverage: Jackie Orozco and Edwin Wilson, WSYX/WTTE-TV, "A Letter to "President" Biden"; Lisa Rantala, WSYX/WTTE-TV, "Affordable Housing: Changing the Game." Best Enterprise Reporting: Liz Bonis and James Harrison, WKRC-TV, "The Gift of Life"; WOIO-TV, "Building A Better Cleveland." Best Investigative Reporting: Bennett Haeberle and Chris Kettler, WBNS-TV, "Homicide Dead Zones"; Duane Pohlman and Eric Frisbee, WKRC-TV, "The Restraint Chair." Best Newscast: Stephen Kappas and Carol Morgan, WSYX/WTTE-TV; WBNS-TV. Best Weathercast: Ben Gelber, WCMH-TV, "Overnight Tornado Cut-in." Best Digital Project: Sarah Wynn and Jarrod Clay, WSYX/WTTE-TV, "She Serves: Spotlighting Military Women Who Serve Our Country"; WBNS-TV, "Public Art." Best Digital Presence: Ben Orner, WCMH-TV; WBNS-TV. Finalists in Television II: Best Producer: Katelyn Amato, WKBN/WYTV-TV; Phyllis Smith, WTAP-TV. Best Anchor: Dave Sess, WKBN/WYTV-TV; Phyllis Smith, WTAP-TV. Best Feature Reporting: Adam Aaro and Holden Robinson, WKEF/WRGT-TV, "Remembering Alicia: Family keeps daughter's legacy alive after 9/11"; Derek Steyer, WFMJ-TV. Best Broadcast Writing: Chris Cerenelli, WFMJ-TV. Best Photographer: Joe Cromer, WTOL-TV. Best Reporter: Josh Croup, WTVG-TV; Kaitlin Streator, WTAP-TV. Best Sportscast: Justin Feldkamp, WTVG-TV, "Football Friday"; Chad Krispinsky, WKBN/WYTV-TV. Best Sports Feature: Ryan Allison, WKBN/WYTV-TV, "Helon Amos - Athlete to Aviation Mechanic"; Corey McCrae, WFMJ-TV, "The Lauren McConahy Story." Best Use of Photography: Joe Cromer, WTOL-TV, "Glass City River Wall Mural"; Tony Geftos, WTVG-TV, "Golf, Jeeps, and Bunnies: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Job." Best Documentary or Series: Tony Geftos, WTVG-TV, "2020: The Lost Year"; WKBN/WYTV-TV, "2 Days of Violence in Youngstown." Best Coverage of a Scheduled Event: Lauren Stebelton and Madison Tromler, WFMJ-TV, "The Canfield Fair"; WTAP-TV, "James Hendershot Murder Trial." Best Spot News Coverage: Jerica Rogers and WKBN Staff, WKBN/WYTV-TV; WKEF/WRGT-TV, "Tornado and flooding outbreak." Best Continuing Coverage: WKEF/WRGT-TV, "The Search for Answers After an Officer Runs Over a Shooting Victim." Best Enterprise Reporting: Andrew DiPaolo, WFMJ-TV, "Rylan's Story"; Kelley King, WDTN-TV, "The Hidden Pandemic." Best Continuing Coverage: Jennifer Rodriguez, WKBN/WYTV-TV, "Student Struggles to Recover from Shooting." Best Investigative Reporting: Stan Boney, WKBN/WYTV-TV, "How Youngstown Lost a $2.6 Million Project." Best Newscast: WKEF/WRGT-TV, "The Insurrection"; WTVG-TV. Best Weathercast: Andrew DiPaolo, WFMJ-TV; Jeff Oechslein, WTOV-TV. Best Digital Project: Zach Medovic, WTOV-TV, "Bridge on the Move"; Chelsea Simeon and Jordan Unger, WKBN/WYTV-TV, "Playground, Cameras, New Pick-up Truck: How Local Communities Spent Federal Money for COVID-19 Relief." Best Digital Presence: Chelsea Simeon and WKBN STAFF, WKBN/WYTV-TV; WTVG-TV. Finalists in Radio: Best Anchor/News Host: Larry Hansgen, WHIO-AM/WHIO-FM; Maryanne Zeleznik, WVXU-FM. Best Feature Reporting: Jason Reynolds, WYSO-FM, "Gigantic Trolls found at the Aullwood Audubon Center"; Ann Thompson, WVXU-FM, "How RFID Is Helping Penguins at The Cincinnati Zoo Swim More." Best Reporter: Kabir Bhatia, WKSU-FM; Nick Castele, WCPN-FM. Best Sportscast: Amanda Rabinowitz and Terry Pluto, WKSU-FM, "What the Supreme Court's NCAA Ruling Means for the Future of Division I Schools Like Akron, Kent." Best Sports Feature: Kabir Bhatia, WKSU-FM, "Cleveland Might Never Get Another NHL Franchise. OH Really?"; Cory Sharber, WVXU-FM, "After a Year Away, the Cincinnati Cyclones Look to put 'Winning Culture' Back on the Ice." Best Use of Sound: Leila Goldstein, WYSO-FM, "Not Even Christmas Trees Could Escape the Everything Shortage"; Jenny Hamel, WCPN-FM, "Akron Firestone Performing Arts Students Won't be Silenced By COVID-19." Best Documentary or Series: Leila Goldstein, WYSO-FM, "Trafficked"; Jacqueline Marino, WKSU-FM, "The Rural Doctor is In." Best Coverage of a Scheduled Event: Statehouse News Bureau, Ohio Public Radio, "January 6: From the US Capitol to Columbus"; WKSU-FM, "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions." Best Spot News Coverage: Bill Hammerstrom, WJER-AM, "Mayor Locks Himself in City Hall After Hours"; Anna Huntsman, WCPN-FM, "The Omicron Variant has been Found in Cleveland." Best Continuing Coverage: Lisa Ryan and Anna Huntsman, WCPN-FM, "Ideastream Public Media's coverage of COVID-19"; Chris Welter, WYSO-FM, "Solar Energy in Ohio." Best Enterprise Reporting: Leila Goldstein, WYSO-FM, "The Ohio AG Says Stings Rescue Trafficking Victims. Often that Means They're Arrested."; Matt Richmond, WCPN-FM, "Team Accepted Officer Who Killed Tamir Rice, Black Players Feel Betrayed." Best Investigative Reporting: Jolene Almendarez, WVXU-FM, "No-Knock Warrants: Black Cincinnatians More Often the Focus As Use Decreases Overall"; Mawa Iqbal, WYSO-FM, "ShotSpotter Generates Thousands Of Alerts In Dayton, But Officers Find Few Crimes." Best Newscast: WHIO-AM/WHIO-FM; WVXU-FM. Best Digital Project: Justin Glanville and Margaret Cavalier, WCPN-FM, "Poetic Reentry"; WCPN-FM, "Equity in Art." Best Digital Presence: WHIO-AM/WHIO-FM; WKSU-FM.