Central Florida Public Media over the weekend earned 12 awards for work done in 2025 from the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists, including eight first place awards.
Our content team was honored for our flagship multiplatform series Central Florida Seen & Heard as well as for a series looking at how families with children who have complex medical needs are struggling to get them the care needed after being dropped from Medicaid after the COVID 19 pandemic.
In addition, Central Florida Public Media was honored for our efforts to meet audiences where they are on social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook) as well as with our space podcast Are We There Yet.
We also brought back awards in the categories of education reporting, environment reporting, health reporting and sports reporting.
First place honors:
- Climate/Environmental Reporting Single or Series: Molly Duerig, The trouble with water (compilation)
- Podcast/Single: Brendan Byrne and Marian Summerall, "Are We There Yet: An astronaut answers questions from kids. Plus, a tasty space read.”
- Series Franchise Reporting/Hard: Central Florida Public Media Content Team "Central Florida Seen & Heard: Costly Commute"
- General Assignment Reporting: Rick Brunson "Bill to lower gun age from 21 to 18 has young people talking"
- Sports Story Single or Series: Joe Mario Pedersen, "Orlando's esports scene levels up with bigger tournaments and learning opportunities”
- Transportation Reporting Single or Series: CentralFlorida Public Media Content Team, Central Florida Scene & Heard: Costly Commute
- Health Reporting Single/Series: Joe Mario Pedersen, "Health Reporting Compilation"
- Feature/Light News, Claire Machiarola and Bryan Gonzales (Sounds of Central Florida partnership with UCF), "Hospice chaplain provides comfort in life's final moments"
Finalists:
- Continuing Coverage: Molly Duerig, "Flooding Woes compilation"
- Series Franchise Reporting/Hard: Joe Mario Pedersen, Medically Unnecessary
- Digital Based Reporting: Central Florida Public Media Content Team, Digital Reporting Compilation
- Education Single or Series: Rick Brunson, "Apopka Nonprofit launches classes, hopes of immigrants wishing to be U.S. citizens"
