Order of Events
SILVER CIRCLE INDUCTEES
Letter from the President
Welcome to the 40th Anniversary of the Heartland Emmy® Awards!
On behalf of the Heartland Chapter Board of Governors, welcome to this special celebration of excellence in television. We are honored to recognize the outstanding achievements of our industry with simultaneous Emmy® Galas in both Denver and Oklahoma City.
Tonight, we celebrate the remarkable storytellers whose work informs, inspires, and connects communities throughout our five-state region. From powerful investigative reporting and compelling documentaries to exceptional sports, entertainment, and original programming, your work preserves the moments that define our communities and chronicles the history of our time.
This year, the Heartland Chapter received more than 900 entries in both English and Spanish. Following a rigorous peer-review process conducted by panels of at least seven judges representing 11 NATAS chapters, 350 entries were selected as nominees. This evening, we are proud to recognize 439 Emmy® recipients for their outstanding achievements.
We are also privileged to welcome this year's distinguished Silver Circle honorees: Dave Aguilera, Dave Delozier, Jeremy Hubbard, Sharon Levy Freed, Kathy Sabine, Corky Scholl, and Shawn Wittrock. Each has dedicated more than 25 years to our profession, leaving a lasting impact through exceptional leadership, mentorship, and service. Their contributions have strengthened not only our industry but also the communities we serve.
Our commitment to the future of our profession remains equally strong. Earlier this year, we proudly recognized outstanding student journalists and filmmakers during our fourth annual Student Production Awards. We also awarded scholarships to three exceptional students—Madison Szpunar, Adam Gross, and Gabriella Marinace-Lee—whose talent and dedication inspire confidence in the future of our industry.
This celebration would not be possible without the extraordinary dedication of the Heartland Chapter Board of Governors. Their countless volunteer hours and unwavering commitment throughout the year make tonight's event—and all of our chapter's programs—possible.
Special appreciation also goes to Traci Bilek and Ashton Gaultier, whose professionalism, leadership, and tireless dedication ensure the continued success of the Heartland Chapter. Their daily efforts are invaluable to our mission.
Finally, thank you to everyone who submitted entries, served as judges, volunteered your time, and supported the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Heartland Chapter. Your commitment to excellence is the foundation of everything we celebrate this evening.
To all of tonight's nominees and recipients, congratulations. It is our privilege to honor your extraordinary work and celebrate your achievements.
Nathan Higgins
President
Heartland Chapter Board of Governors
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 1056 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 open positions please email the office at office@emmyawards.tv before July 31, 2026.
Officers are elected by the board members to a 2-year term of office.
Board Members
elected
Carl Bilek
CPR, Denver
Quanecia Fraser
KETV, Omaha
Joanna Kail
Wyoming PBS, Riverton
Sarah Klinger
KETV, Omaha
Tony Kovaleski
KMGH, Denver
Ali Meyer
KFOR, Oklahoma City
Sarah Newberry
RMPM, Denver
Mark Pinkerton
KOTV, Tulsa
Paula Roth
Freelance, Denver
George Taylor
KWCH, Wichita
Valerie VanDerSluis
KTWU, Topeka
Open
Board Members
appointed
Nathan Higgins
KUSA, Denver
Dago Cordova
KCNC, Denver
Alexis Kikoen
RMPBS, Denver
Travis Lupher
KMGH, Denver
Isaias Medina
KDVR, Denver
Bobby Springer
PBS12, Denver
Officers
Nathan Higgins
President
Carl Bilek
1st VP
Bobby Springer
2nd VP
Valerie VanDerSluis
Secretary
Tony Kovaleski
Treasurer
Committee Chairs
Carl Bilek
Awards
Bobby Springer
PR/Marketing
Paula Roth
Sponsorship
Nathan Higgins
Silver Circle
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.
CATEGORIES:
News Coverage
CATEGORIES:
news & programming talent
2026 Silver Circle Inductee
Chief Meteorologist, KCNC CBS4 Denver
Dave Aguilera has been forecasting the weather in Colorado for nearly four decades, and more than three of those decades have been at KCNC CBS4 in Denver where he is now the chief meteorologist. When questions arise about the forecast, the most common response is, “Well, what does Dave say?”
An optimist by nature, Dave has a deep love for sharing science, especially with students. More than a decade ago, he launched weather visits to schools, inspiring curiosity and understanding among children. He has visited hundreds of schools across Colorado in his effort to foster young minds.
Dave is always ready to help and with a great attitude. He volunteers for organizations such as the Spina Bifida Association of Colorado, the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, and Shades of Blue, a nonprofit that helps children achieve their dreams of careers in aviation and aerospace. His generosity of spirit and steadfast dedication have left an indelible mark on the community he serves.
A Pueblo native, Dave can also whip up some mean green chile, giving him the bona fides when he says it’s “hot as jalapeños” during the summertime! Dave’s professionalism, expertise, and dedication to both viewers and colleagues exemplify the very best of broadcast meteorology.
2026 Silver Circle Inductee
Video Journalist & Reporter, KUSA-TV Denver
What makes Dave Delozier such an incredible journalist is that he is also an exceptional human being, who truly cares about the people he meets. He is a mentor and a teacher and an innovator in the broadcast television news industry.
Dave started his long and storied career in 1974 at WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He has worked in the Heartland region for 34 years; 31 of them at KUSA-TV in Denver, Colorado where he was a video journalist and reporter. He embodies the ability to adapt in an ever-evolving industry. He was the first in the newsroom to transition into the role of solo journalist and quickly became one of the best storytellers in the news department. He has taught reporter and photojournalism seminars for various universities and the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) among others, and has worked to mentor and develop storytelling skills in the next generation of journalists.
Dave has a natural curiosity and volunteers with organizations such as Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center which cares for orphaned, injured and sick wildlife. He also coached for the Boulder Valley Hockey Association, embodying the best qualities of a mentor: steady leadership, compassion, humility, and a deep commitment to helping young people grow not just as athletes, but as human beings. Friends say that Dave has never sought, and would never seek, recognition such as being inducted into the Silver Circle, which is precisely why he deserves to be included. He is talented, kind, generous and humble. In short, he represents the best of us.
2026 Silver Circle Inductee
Evening News Anchor, KDVR FOX31 Denver
As Jeremy Hubbard marks 30 years in the television broadcast industry, he does so not only as the evening news anchor at KDVR FOX31 in Denver, but as an ambassador to the industry and as a mentor and role model with a commitment to community service.
Friends and colleagues describe Jeremy as “humble, kind, compassionate, and generous,” adding "what truly sets Jeremy apart is the way he treats the people he works with.”
Jeremy started his television career as a reporter for KWCH News 12 in Wichita, Kansas before moving to the anchor desk at KMBC in Kansas City. He joined KDVR FOX31 in 2004 and was later tapped by ABC News in New York as a national correspondent and anchor. While he relished the opportunity to tell inspiring stories to a national audience for four years, he jumped at the opportunity to return to FOX31 and to serve the community in Colorado. He has dedicated the last 15 years sharing the important and touching stories that shape our lives.
Jeremy devotes time mentoring the next generation of journalists, inspiring young reporters to write profound and moving stories that reflect the community. He instills a standard of excellence and tells them to have the courage to report the truth. In 2012, Jeremy and his wife, Taunia, started the Jeremy Hubbard and Taunia Hottman Scholarship in Communication at Wichita State University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1996.
Jeremy is an industry ambassador, serving as president of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Heartland Chapter. He continues to volunteer with NATAS on a national level as a member of the Board of Directors. Jeremy also volunteers for organizations like the Salvation Army and The Greatest Generations Foundation. His humanitarian efforts extend beyond our local community, and include a recent trip to dig freshwater wells in Malawi in Africa. Jeremy enjoys meeting people and has visited more than 80 countries and all 50 states, and on those journeys he manages to find Colorado connections to later share with viewers. It’s that genuine curiosity and engagement that define his storytelling and his remarkable career as a journalist.
2026 Silver Circle Inductee
Production Coordinator, TEGNA Sports
For more than 40 years, Sharon Levy Freed has been a talented storyteller, photojournalist, writer, editor, producer, educator, and leader. Friends will say she is far more than that. She is kind and caring, a mentor to anybody who needs one, and a teacher whose decades of impact are immeasurable. One colleague said, “She would never expect to receive this recognition because she would never put herself first and I feel this alone makes her an outstanding candidate. She has touched the lives of many people on both sides of the camera in a very positive and honest manner.”
Sharon started her career as a full-time videotape editor in 1980 at what was then KBTV-9News in Denver while she was still in college. She got her first job as a television news photojournalist in 1983 at KAKE-TV in Wichita, Kansas, in a time when female photographers were a rarity. She was a pioneering photojournalist who broke barriers and became an accomplished news photographer. She would go on to work at KCNC-CBS4 in Denver. Sharon has also spent more than four decades teaching and leading at the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) News Video Workshop, both as an educator and as its long-time executive director.
On a personal note, Sharon is known for her home-baked M&M cookies, which she’d give to co-workers, friends and even strangers, a loving way to say “I’m here for you and ready to support you in whatever you need.” Sharon brings professionalism, expertise, and a rare kind of human warmth, leaving people better than before they met her. She has a way of making people feel seen, supported, and capable of more than they realize.
2026 Silver Circle Inductee
Kathy Sabine
Chief Meteorologist, KUSA-TV 9News Denver
Kathy Sabine is the chief meteorologist at KUSA-TV 9News in Denver, Colorado. She has a true passion for weather which comes through in the forecasts she delivers to her viewers. She cares deeply about the Colorado community, whether sharing that it’s sunny and 60 or providing urgent weather information when time is of the essence. Kathy is there, and she is tireless. Her calm voice, explaining breaking weather news, has guided people through tornadoes, hailstorms, floods, snow, and windstorms, often getting them to shelter and saving lives.
Kathy got her start in television news at KSBY in San Luis Obispo, California in 1986. She joined KUSA-TV 9News in Denver, Colorado in 1993, and has also been featured on NBC’s Today Show.
Kathy is proud to be a foundation board member of Teen With A Dream, a youth cancer organization and as a volunteer committee member for The Skin Cancer Foundation. In 2022, she shared her own journey with skin cancer treatment and recovery to raise awareness and to destigmatize skin cancer.
Kathy is also a true animal advocate, volunteering with Humane Colorado, Zuma’s Rescue Ranch, Colorado Horse Rescue, Colorado Horsecare Foodbank, Denkai Sanctuary, and the Cat Care Society. She even helped find adoptive families for six feral barn cats to give them safe and secure homes.
Kathy’s professionalism and her years of service reflect the very best of community leadership, charitable impact, and public education.
2026 Silver Circle Inductee
Photojournalist & Storyteller, KUSA-TV Denver
Corky Scholl was an accomplished and beloved photojournalist and storyteller. He loved sharing the stories that are so easily overlooked or forgotten about, like the vanishing signs of Denver. It became his passion project to save the signs, from the historic Oriental and Federal Theaters to the Cameron Motel on Colfax Avenue and the old Chapultepec. In an ever changing city, Corky helped the community remember its rich history by founding the Save the Signs movement.
Corky believed in people. He believed that stories mattered even when they weren’t trending or convenient. Corky was a man with earnestness, integrity, calm, and kindness in every interaction. He had a rare ability to make people feel comfortable, seen, and worthy of being heard. He never rushed the story and he never treated it as disposable content.
Corky got his start in broadcast television at Cable 12 News in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 1999. He worked for more than two decades at KUSA-TV in Denver, Colorado. Corky’s work as a storyteller has left a lasting imprint not only on the industry, but on the lives of countless people; people whose stories mattered because Corky cared enough to tell them.
When Corky passed away last year, it left a void in our broadcast television community, a legacy of television work that is among the best in video journalism. More than anything, Corky was a good person. He was nice, kind, caring and humble. He exemplified the very ideals of the Silver Circle: excellence in craft, integrity in journalism, and a lifelong commitment to serving the public with humanity and respect.
2026 Silver Circle Inductee
Assistant News Director, KJRH Tulsa
Shawn Wittrock is the assistant news director at KJRH in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But far beyond the job title, he is a mentor, a steady presence, and someone who helps define the culture of the newsroom, treating every individual with respect and kindness, regardless of their role or rank. He is a modest man; his is the work of a life well-lived, a career to be emulated and celebrated. He is the lynchpin any newsroom would fall apart without, and yet he would be the first to pivot all attention away from himself. He is the consummate team player, celebrating the contributions of all and lifting up those who are growing in their skills. He is a natural leader who is not reluctant to take on a new challenge and is committed to providing high-quality, informative news reporting to the Tulsa community.
Shawn got his start in broadcast news as a video editor at KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1994. He has worked as a content manager, newscast producer and executive producer, before taking on his current position as assistant news director. He has produced and/or planned coverage of almost every major news event in Tulsa over more than two decades. He has been in the control room for coverage of tornadoes, wildfires, elections, presidential visits, and more. He is well-known for his professional, measured demeanor, no matter the situation.
As one colleague put it, it’s hard to explain Shawn’s combination of playful good spirits (there was lots of singing!), deep intelligence and fierce integrity. Shawn is a truth teller and working with him raised the level of professionalism of our entire newsroom. Countless careers have been shaped by his dedication and example. Shawn’s leadership, service, mentorship, and humanity reflect the very best of our industry.
CATEGORIES:
promos, psas, branded content
CATEGORIES:
CATEGORIES:
human interest-news & programming
CATEGORIES:
craft
CATEGORIES:
lifestyle & arts
CATEGORIES:
features & weather
CATEGORIES:
serious news