WTOP wins 5 first place awards from Chesapeake AP Broadcasters Association

The WTOP team show their pride at the 2023 CAPBA Awards. (WTOP / Luke Garrett)
Co-host of WTOP’s “DMV Download” podcast, Luke Garrett. (WTOP / Luke Garrett)
Afternoon Drive Producer Mike Jakeitis. (WTOP / Luke Garrett)
(1/3)

It was a big night for WTOP at the Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association Awards convention held in Ocean City, Maryland, on Saturday.

In all, 27 news organizations in D.C., Maryland and Delaware submitted 314 entries for the annual contest. You can check out the full list of the winners here. A broadcast journalism major at Howard University named Kiara Patterson was also awarded a $3,000 scholarship from CAPBA.

WTOP was honored with eight awards total (five first place and three second place). A few highlights, as well as a complete listing of our honors are below.

DMV Download

WTOP’s podcast, “DMV Download” with Megan Cloherty and Luke Garrett, won first place for Best Podcast Audio. For the nod, judges for the event cited the podcast’s good reporting and sound design, as well as being “engaging and informative.”

Nightmare on I-95

Our coverage of the “Nightmare on I-95,” where thousands of travelers were trapped in cars on Virginia Interstate-95 during and after a snowstorm in January, 2022, received first place for Outstanding Coverage of a Continuing Story.

“For people trapped in cars during a snowstorm, radio could be the only reliable medium for news and information. WTOP’s coverage strikes me as a huge service to the community. Plus, it’s ongoing and thorough,” said the judges.

WTOP Sports

Our tireless sports team took home first place for Outstanding Year-Round Local Sports, with the judges calling our coverage of the region’s professional teams, “spot on.”

They went on to say that “the reporting on other local sports, ranging from Little League to ax throwing, was a welcome bonus and great example of covering the broader sports community.”

WTOP website

WTOP also won first place for Outstanding Website, with judges hailing its “robust reporting with lots of content on a variety of topics. Clear, clean site with strong mix of text, video and audio.”

Here’s the complete list of WTOP’s wins at the 2022 CAPBA Awards below:

  • Best Podcast-Audio: Megan Cloherty and Luke Garrett for “DMV Download,” first place

  • Outstanding Coverage of a Continuing Story: WTOP for “Nightmare on I-95,” first place
  • Outstanding Year-Round Local Sports: WTOP, first place
  • Outstanding Website: WTOP, first place
  • Outstanding Newscast: WTOP, first place
  • Outstanding News Series: J.J. Green for “War in Ukraine: Battle for the Soul of Europe,” second place
  • Best Reporter: Nick Iannelli, second place
  • Outstanding Election Night Coverage: WTOP, second place

Joshua Barlow

Joshua Barlow is a writer, composer, and producer who has worked for CGTN, Atlantic Public Media, and National Public Radio. He lives in Northeast Washington, D.C., where he pays attention to developments in his neighborhood, economic issues, and social justice.

Tadiwos Abedje

Tadi Abedje is a freelance digital writer/editor for WTOP. He was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Northern Virginia. Journalism has been his No. 1 passion since he was a kid and he is blessed to be around people, telling their stories and sharing them with the world.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up