2017 RTDNAC/AP Award Winners
Winners were announced Nov. 11, 2017, at the RTDNAC/AP annual luncheon at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Click on a tab below to view winners for a specific division.
AP Awards
Daytime Newscast (North Carolina)
– First Place: WSOC – Eyewitness News Daybreak
Daytime Newscast (South Carolina)
– First Place: WIS – 6 a.m. June 29, 2017
Evening Newscast (North Carolina)
– First Place: WSOC – Channel 9 Eyewitness News
– Second Place: WNCN CBS North Carolina – CBS North Carolina News at 11 (May 2, 2017) – Jeremy Spearman, Kim Stephens, Alena Oakes, Marcus Wilson, CBS NC Nightside Team
Evening Newscast (South Carolina)
– First Place: WSPA – 7 News at 6 p.m. – Eric Sheffield, Donald Graham, Tom Crabtree, Diane Lee, Dan Bickford
– Second Place: WSPA – 7 News Live at 5 p.m. – Jennifer Robinson, Gordon Dill, Diane Lee, Christy Henderson, Dan Bickford
First Amendment Award of Excellence
– First Place: WSOC – Mecklenburg County Health Department Investigation
Outstanding News Operation (North Carolina)
– First Place: WRAL-TV
– Second Place: WSOC-TV
Outstanding News Operation (South Carolina)
– First Place: WYFF News 4 – Bruce Barkley, Lee Brown, Jennifer Mihalic, Anne Newman, Anna Dobbins
RTDNAC Awards
Best Newscast
– First Place: WSOC – Channel 9 Eyewitness News
– Second Place: WXII – WXII 12 News at 11
Breaking News
– First Place: WBTV – Keith Lamont Scott Riot
– Second Place: FOX 46 Charlotte WJZY – Charlotte Riots
Consumer/Economic
– First Place: WNCN CBS North Carolina – Avoid Summer Camp Scams – Sean Maroney, Michael Barnard, Patrick Priest
– Second Place: WRAL – Dangerous Windows Spark Fires – Monica Laliberte, David McCorkle, Jennifer Sorber Smith
Education
– First Place: WTVI PBS Charlotte – Carolina Impact / Shoes for Kids – Jeff Rivenbark, Russ Hunsinger
– Second Place: WRAL – Race Concerns in Schools
Entertainment
– First Place: WRAL – Yoga Instructor Breaks Body Image Barriers – Candace Sweat, Richard Adkins
– Second Place: WRAL – Hidden Figures: Heroes Walk Among Us – Mikaya Thurmond, Darrell Pryor
General News
– First Place: WTVI PBS Charlotte – Carolina Impact / After the Protest – Jeff Sonier, Doug Stacker
– Second Place: WRAL – Teenager Meets Heart Donor’s Family – Bryan Mims, Edward Wilson
General News by Multimedia Journalist
– First Place: WBTV – The Veteran’s Portrait Project – Sarah Blake Morgan
– Second Place: FOX 46 Charlotte WJZY – Police Confront Dumpster Diver, Yoga Studio
Hard News Feature
– First Place: UNC-TV – Endurance Seafood – Heather Burgiss, Matt Maisano
– Second Place: WSOC – Prison Contraband Cellphones – Paul Boyd, Mike Stolp
Health-Medicine
– First Place: UNC-TV – Type 1 Football Heroes – Heather Burgiss, Dan Powers
– Second Place: WRAL – Navigating the Cancer Journey – Renee Chou, Greg Clark
Investigative
– First Place: WBTV – WBTV Investigates: Holding Law Enforcement Accountable – Nick Ochsner, Corey Schmidt
– Second Place: WBTV – WBTV Investigates: Union County Parents Speak Out – Corey Schmidt, Nick Ochsner
Light Feature
– First Place: WRAL – Foster Children Find Forever Families – Julia Sims, Chad Flowers
– Second Place: WLOS – Stairs to Space – John Le, Ken Corn
– Second Place: WNCN CBS North Carolina – Student Musician Grammy-Bound – Justin Quesinberry
News Special
– First Place: WCNC – IMPACT
– First Place: WRAL – Black & Blue – Jim Rothschild, Clay Johnson, Jay Jennings, Shan Zhong, Gerald Owens
– Second Place: WRAL – Fran – Clay Johnson, Jay Jennings, Shan Zhong, Bill Leslie
News Website
– First Place: WRAL-TV – WRAL.com
– Second Place: WCNC – WCNC.com
Original Web Reporting
– First Place: WCNC – Impact Team Cuts Through Racial Tensions
– Second Place: WSOC – Fall Foliage
Photography
– First Place: WGHP – Living the Dream – Chris Weaver
– Second Place: WTVI PBS Charlotte – Carolina Impact / The Violinmaker – Doug Stacker
Political
– First Place: WTVD ABC 11 Eyewitness News – Race for N.C. Governor – Jonah Kaplan, Zachary Abrams
– Second Place: WBTV – Hidden Camera Investigation Uncovers Campaign Tricks – Corey Schmidt, Nick Ochsner
Series
– First Place: FOX 46 Charlotte WJZY – Synthetic Marijuana User Gets Second Chance
– Second Place: WLOS – Fighting the Opioid Crisis: On the Front Lines – Derek Bryant
Special Report
– First Place: WBTV – Riots Break Out in Charlotte
– Second Place: Spectrum News – RNC Final Night – Tim Boyum, Loretta Boniti, Dale McElrath, Ben McNeely, Kirstin Garriss
Sports Reporting
– First Place: WCNC – Unspoken Language – Kelsey Riggs
– Second Place: WRAL – Ryan Held Wins Olympic Gold – Jeff Gravley, Debra Morgan, Brad Simmons, Keith Baker
Sports Special
– First Place: WIS – Countdown to the Sweet 16
– Second Place: WXII – Richard Petty: Heart of a Champion
Use of Social Media
– First Place: FOX8 WGHP
– Second Place: WYFF News 4 – Janice Limon, Stephanie Towers, Carla Field, Bruce Barkley
Use of Technology
No winners