Order of Events
BOARD OF GOVERNORS' CITATION
CATEGORIES
GOLD CIRCLE INDUCTEE
SILVER CIRCLE INDUCTEES
Letter from the President
Welcome to the 39th Annual Heartland Emmy® Awards!
On behalf of our Board of Governors, we’re delighted to celebrate the exceptional talent and storytelling from across our region with simultaneous in-person galas in both Denver and Oklahoma City.
It’s a true privilege to shine a spotlight on the impactful work being done throughout the five-state Heartland Emmy® area. From emotional news features to compelling documentaries and original programs, your work captures not just events, but the spirit and resilience of the communities you serve. These stories are an enduring snapshot of our time.
This year, we received close to 900 submissions in both English and Spanish. After a rigorous review by panels of at least seven peer judges from 11 NATAS chapters, 350 entries earned nominations. Tonight, we’re excited to honor 130 Emmy® recipients for their outstanding achievements.
We are also thrilled to welcome a new class of Gold and Silver Circle honorees. John Ferrugia enters the prestigious Gold Circle for his remarkable 50+ years in the industry. Joining the Silver Circle are Melissa Brunner, Eddie Castro, Dave Fraser, Byron Grandy, Karen Larsen, and Rob Namnoum—each with more than 25 years of service that goes far beyond job titles. These individuals are pioneers and leaders, and we are fortunate to have them as part of our community.
Earlier this year, we proudly hosted the third annual Student Production Awards and continue to be inspired by the emerging talent. We also celebrated two deserving Heartland scholarship recipients: Bailey Borkowski and Amaris Medina.
Tonight, we’re honored to present the first-ever Governors’ Citation from the Heartland Chapter to Bill Perry. His long-standing contributions—especially his work advocating for an Emmy® gala in Oklahoma City—have made a lasting impact.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Heartland Chapter Board of Governors. Their dedication and volunteer service throughout the year are the driving force behind tonight’s celebration.
Special thanks also to Traci Bilek and Ashton Gaultier, whose outstanding leadership and commitment keep the Heartland Emmy® office running smoothly. Their partnership is vital to our continued success.
Most of all, thank you to every one of you who submitted entries and who support NATAS and the Heartland Chapter. Your passion and commitment to excellence are what make this celebration so meaningful.
Congratulations to all of tonight’s nominees and winners—we are proud to honor your work!
Nathan Higgins
President
Heartland Chapter Board of Governors
2025 Inductees
John Ferrugia
Melissa Brunner
Eddie Castro
Dave Fraser
Byron Grandy
Karen Larsen
Rob Namnoum
NATAS Heartland Region
The Heartland Chapter consists of 12 DMAs in five states:
Colorado Markets
Denver
Colorado Springs/Pueblo
Grand Junction/Montrose
Durango
NEBRASKA MARKETS
Omaha
Lincoln/Hastings-Kearney
North Platte
OKLAHOMA MARKETS
Oklahoma City
Tulsa
KANSAS MARKETS
Wichita/Hutchinson
Topeka
WYOMING MARKETS
Cheyenne/scottsbluff
Casper/Riverton
Board of Governors
The Heartland Chapter’s Board of Governors is comprised of members of our industry who are committed to furthering the interest of the Heartland Chapter and the Emmy® Awards. They meet monthly and volunteer their time; most are elected by the membership to a 3-year term.
The Board meets monthly to process the business of the chapter; its membership consists of representatives from all areas of broadcast, media, production and education, both affiliated and independent.
They are proud to represent the 1031 members of our chapter and encourage you to contact them at any time.
Any Heartland chapter member in good standing may apply for a position on the board; elections are held in the fall. If you are interested for one of our three (3) open positions please email the office at office@emmyawards.tv before July 31, 2025.
Officers are elected by the board members to a 2-year term of office.
Board Members
elected
Andrew Barker
KJRH, Tulsa
Carl Bilek
CPR, Denver
Joanna Kail
Wyoming PBS, Riverton
Sarah Klinger
KETV, Omaha
Travis Lupher
KMGH, Denver
Ali Meyer
KFOR, Oklahoma City
Mark Pinkerton
KOTV, Tulsa
Paula Roth
Freelance, Denver
George Taylor
KWCH, Wichita
Valerie VanDerSluis
KTWU, Topeka
Board Members
appointed
Nathan Higgins
KUSA, Denver
Dago Cordova
KCNC, Denver
Alexis Kikoen
RMPBS, Denver
Tony Kovaleski
KMGH, Denver
Isaias Medina
KDVR, Denver
Officers
Nathan Higgins
President
Carl Bilek
1st VP
Open
2nd VP
Valerie VanDerSluis
Secretary
Tony Kovaleski
Treasurer
Committee Chairs
Carl Bilek
Awards
Open
Programs
Paula Roth
Sponsorship
Nathan Higgins
Silver Circle
Open
PR/Marketing
Andrew Barker
Student Production Awards/Scholarship
Emeritus
Bill Perry
Retired, Oklahoma City
Office
Traci Bilek
Executive Director
The Judging Procedure
The purpose of the Awards is to provide incentives for continuing outstanding individual and production achievements within our industry and to focus public attention upon the multi-talented individuals who comprise the industry. As a result, there can be one award, more than one award, or no award in each category. This year, almost 900 entries in 110 categories were judged by television professionals in various chapters around the country: Rocky Mountain Southwest, Suncoast, Lone Star, Boston, Southeast, National Capital/Chesapeake Bay, Mid-America, Michigan and Chicago/Midwest.
In accordance with national NATAS guidelines, panels of at least 7 peers scored each entry on Content, Creativity and Execution. English and Spanish language entries are judged independently. Tabulated ballots scores were compiled and checked, then a coded sheet representing the scores of the entries in each category (but without identifying features) was presented to the Awards Committee during a special Curve Cut meeting.
The committee members did not know which entries were being considered. They determined a cut-off score high enough to ensure a standard of outstanding achievement; all entries above the cut-off were considered nominees. The highest scoring entries will receive Emmy® awards. There are no winners or losers here tonight – only those who continue to make our markets representative of the best work in the country!
Our Judging Policy
The success of the Emmy® Awards process depends on the willingness of qualified professionals to serve as judges.
By entering, you agree to serve as a judge when asked, and that judging must occur during calendar year of your entry.
• If you enter once, you’ll need to judge once
• If you enter twice, you’ll need to judge twice
• If you enter three or more times, you’ll need to judge at least 3 times
Those who meet these judging requirements during the current calendar year will receive substantial discounts on entry fees next year.
There are typically 6-10 opportunities to judge other chapters’ entries during the year (we call them Rounds) and all entrants are notified via email. You can also check your NATAS account online to see if judging opportunities await.
What’s the time commitment for judging? 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the category; judging can be done anywhere you have a computer; it’s all online.
When you judge 3 or more times during a calendar year, you’ll earn a $10 discount on membership dues for the upcoming year. There is no limit to the amount of judging you can do, as long as you’re qualified to judge the categories you choose. You don’t have to be a member or entrant, as long as you have experience in the category you’re judging.
The NATAS Story
The Emmy® statue is a symbol of excellence in the television industry that has been awarded by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) since 1949. NATAS is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing outstanding achievement and improving the quality of television on all levels. In June 1986, the Heartland Chapter became the 17th chapter in the country, culminating an intense three-month campaign to meet the high eligibility standards of the Academy’s national board. Denver television executives were united and aggressive in their efforts to create a local chapter.
In 1987, the “Denver Chapter” was granted the privilege of being authorized to hold its own Emmy® Awards. For many years, only markets located within the boundaries of established NATAS chapters were eligible to participate in the local Emmy® awards and be rewarded for their best work. In 1989, the national Board of Trustees expanded the territory of the 17 existing chapters to include over 90 percent of the Unites States.
In 1991, the regional NATAS Board of Governors voted to change our name to the Heartland Regional Emmy® Awards to formally recognize the participation of other states in our chapter’s awards. Today we are known as the Heartland Chapter in recognition of the contribution of our five-state chapter area. We are one of 19 chapters nation-wide.
2025 Board of Governors' Citation
Bill Perry is an unwavering champion of the Heartland Chapter. He became our chapter’s first Regional Vice President 20 years ago and has never looked back, taking on the role of outreach and awareness to heart.
Bill has worked tirelessly to increase membership and interest in the Heartland Chapter in Oklahoma City and to increase student involvement, from high school to college, through the Student Production Awards and scholarships. Bill has also tutored the next generation of broadcasters, many of whom say they owe their careers to him.
Bill grew up in the Heartland and began his television career at KTEN in Ada, Oklahoma even before he graduated college, taking pride in the fact that he operated the station's first color camera for the first locally originated color program there in 1969. Bill was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 2016 and was inducted into the Heartland Gold Circle in 2019, recognizing at least 50 years of service to both our broadcast community and to the larger community as a whole.
While many other NATAS Chapters have regional representation, it is through the work of Bill Perry that we not only have major participation from the commercial TV stations in Oklahoma but also from Indigenous television production houses and public broadcasters. This has made our chapter one of a very few to elevate those voices and to see their high quality work honored with an Emmy®.
Bill is now an Emeritus board member, consistently going above and beyond. The Board of Governors' Citation is our way to honor Bill Perry’s enduring contribution and dedication to the Heartland Chapter.
CATEGORIES:
NEWS
2025 Gold Circle Inductee
John Ferrugia began his distinguished 50 year career in broadcast television journalism at KOMU in Columbia, Missouri. He would go on to work as a network correspondent for CBS News, covering the White House and significant domestic and international stories before spending more than three decades as a highly-acclaimed investigative journalist in Colorado, most recently as a journalist, trainer and coach with the non-profit Colorado News Collaborative focused on journalism, civic engagement and accountability. John worked at KCNC CBS News Colorado for three years followed by 24 years at KMGH Denver7. He has been honored with 26 regional Emmys®, three Peabodys, two duPont-Columbia Silver Batons and a National Murrow for his investigative reporting.
John's contributions extend far beyond the newsroom. He has generously volunteered his time to support numerous nonprofit organizations, serving as an emcee and volunteer for causes that improve lives. He has also mentored aspiring journalists at the University of Colorado and his alma mater, the University of Missouri, imparting wisdom gained from decades in the field.
2025 Silver Circle Inductee
Melissa Brunner is the news director, managing editor and an anchor at WIBW in Topeka, Kansas. She began her television broadcast career 31 years ago as a producer at WFRV in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Melissa realized a deeper desire to tell stories firsthand and directly connect with the people she serves, and thus embarked on a new career trajectory as a reporter and ultimately to her current leadership position.
She has received numerous awards including a regional Edward R. Murrow for her series of reports on childhood cancer. Melissa has also distinguished herself as someone who gives back to the public she serves. She has been recognized for her service to the greater Kansas community in different organizations and nonprofits. Among her community service honors, the Junior League of Topeka awarded Melissa its Community Volunteer Award and “Go Topeka” named Melissa one of the area’s distinguished “Women of Influence.” Today she helps to shape, guide, and educate students from various Kansas universities through the WIBW/Gray Media internship program.
2025 Silver Circle Inductee
Eddie Castro has made his mark as a dedicated, focused and skilled photojournalist whose images tell the stories of people throughout the Heartland region. He began his broadcast television career in 1980 at KOLD in Tucson, Arizona. He’s spent the last 31 years at KCNC CBS News Colorado in Denver. In 2024, he was Inducted into the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame for 30 years of covering Colorado's history, news, and events.
While he loves being a photographer, Eddie loves mentoring the next generation of journalists even more, taking immense pride in sharing his knowledge and expertise with aspiring reporters and photographers. His philosophy is that a great journalist must not only be skillful, but also compassionate and resourceful. But it is love of family that is his north star. In his words, I have always strived to be a role model, not only in my career but also in my personal life. My love for my family and devotion to being a good husband, father, and grandfather are what allow me to be a good photojournalist.
2025 Silver Circle Inductee
Dave Fraser has distinguished himself as one of Colorado’s most trusted meteorologists in his 24 years as the chief meteorologist at KDVR FOX31 and KWGN Colorado’s Own Channel 2. Dave began his career forecasting at KAAL in Austin, Minnesota in 1987. Dave has provided life-saving coverage of the biggest weather stories in Colorado from blizzards to tornadoes to wildfires. Dave has been independently certified as Colorado’s Most Accurate Weathercaster by Weatherate, Inc. for the last eight years. In addition, he was the first Colorado meteorologist to create in-studio virtual reality forecasts.
Dave has also been a leader, mentor and advisor to countless aspiring interns and up-and-coming meteorologists. He also led a school-based program called “Mile High Skies,” traveling thousands of miles over a seven year period, reaching thousands of school-age students through classroom visits. Through demonstrations and experiments, he shared his love of weather and science with children all over the state of Colorado. And his spirit of volunteerism has helped raise money and awareness for a slew of Colorado charities including the Salvation Army, Easter Seals, and as a co-host of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.
2025 Silver Circle Inductee
Byron Grandy is the Vice-President & General Manager at KDVR FOX31 and KWGN Colorado’s Own Channel 2 in Denver, Colorado. Byron started his career in broadcast television as a reporter at KBTX in Bryan, Texas in 1982. He has worked in the Denver market as both a news director and general manager for 19 years and has been a steadfast leader in helping bring journalistic integrity to investigations that have changed laws and regulations.
Byron is respected as a good human being, professionally and personally, truly caring about the people in his sphere. He has served on boards and in organizations that have contributed greatly to improving the lives of those in his community including the American Red Cross and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Bryon is a man who treasures his family, his friends, his professional colleagues and his community and is always ready to work on their behalf to promote their success.
2025 Silver Circle Inductee
Karen Larsen retired as an anchor from KJRH 2 News Oklahoma in Tulsa in 2024 after more than 30 years. She started her career in broadcast television in 1982 at KESQ in Palm Springs, California. Karen’s work not only reflects her skills as a journalist but also the integrity and compassion that make her truly one of a kind. Her career serves as a testament to the importance of integrity, empathy, and professionalism in the world of journalism and in life.
Karen has shown time and time again that she doesn’t just report on issues affecting the community; she actively participates in making a difference. She frequently volunteers her time for local events or initiatives, and her commitment to supporting those in need goes beyond her role as a journalist or anchor. And while Karen has sacrificed a lot to make sure is always there for her community, she has always found a way to be a wife and mother too, serving as a role model for many women in this industry.
2025 Silver Circle Inductee
Rob Namnoum is not just your average sports enthusiast; he’s a one-man cheer squad for local athletes, his community, his career, and most of all, his family. Rob began his broadcast television career in 1996 as a sports producer at WVIT in Hartford, Connecticut. As Colorado Springs' longest-tenured Sports Anchor at KRDO 13 for the past 25 years, Rob has distinguished himself by covering local sports in a way that transcends mere scores and highlights. He possesses a unique ability to humanize stories, making them resonate even with those who aren't sports fans.
Whether he’s raising money for pediatric diabetes research, supporting his wife or kids in pursuing their dreams, or putting his heart and soul into his work, In 2020, Rob shared his deeply personal story about surviving a heart attack that happened without warning as he was playing basketball in 2019. Following his recovery, Rob really valued being able to educate his friends, family, and the community about the signs of heart disease and the importance of proactive health checks, despite being young and healthy. Rob and his family graciously shared their story from that day to spread awareness. Rob cares deeply. He’s never forgotten how lucky we all are to be working in an industry that still deeply matters.
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PROMOTIONS
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SPORTS/SOCIAL INTEREST
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PROGRAMMING/LIFESTYLE
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SERIOUS CONTENT/NEWS