Governors' Award
The Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Governors' Award is the highest award our chapter bestows upon an individual, group or organization within our region (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico or El Centro, CA). Historically, the Board of Governors' Award is for truly outstanding and unique accomplishments or for achievements of some duration and durability in our industry. We seek examples of excellence in broadcasting that go beyond those normally found in individual craft or program categories. The Board of Governors calls for nominations once a year. The award, in the form of a regional Emmy® statuette, is presented at the Rocky Mountain Emmy® Awards. Past recipients have ranged from technical innovations to public service programs to remarkable individuals.
2024 CALL: NOW CLOSED
Governors' award recipients
2024
Living & Aging With Pride
Living & Aging With Pride is a 501(c)(3) non-profit multimedia advocacy organization & infotainment program serving the aging community. Its mission is to ensure our aging population is not forgotten and has access to the tools, resources, and remedies for issues that impact their lives. Through its multimedia platforms, Living & Aging With Pride gives a voice to influence change in policies that will improve areas in medical, housing, and employment. Discussions focus on topics that are relevant and important to the older adult audience including social, political, economic, and cultural matters.
2023
KRQE Cares
KRQE Media Group saw the challenges within its community and started KRQE Cares to consolidate its community outreach and create a more thoughtful and impactful approach to the problems facing New Mexicans. The mission of KRQE Cares is to positively and quantifiably impact children of low-income families throughout the state of New Mexico, which has the 3 rd highest poverty rate in the country. Since its creation in 2015, the organization has given out over 26,000 new pairs of shoes, distributed over 3,000 food boxes, and roughly 150,000 new books were given out to low-income children. All of this through its KRQE Cares Food for Kids, Books for Kids and Shoes for Kids programs.
2022
Dr. John Craft
Honoring a lifetime of service to creating and nurturing exceptional journalism, we award Dr. John Craft with the Governors' Award. As the longest-serving faculty member of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Dr. Craft has educated thousands of students for nearly a half century, developing talent and passion among generations of television journalists. His impact stretches beyond the classroom, into the offices of some of the industry’s top media executives where he has provided critical counsel at the local, regional, national and international levels. A 2012 inductee into the Gold Circle Society, Dr. Craft has solidified his legacy in the industry.
2020
Safe Start New Mexico
KOB's "Safe Start New Mexico" program was a real game-charger for a community hit hard by Coronavirus and the resulting sudden economic downturn. In addition to broadcasting updates, the station assembled a "think tank" of local business, medical and civic leaders to help strategize the best ways to protect New Mexico's diverse communities and jump-start our economy in a responsible way. As a direct result of this collaborative effort, leaders established the "Safe Start New Mexico" portal, giving businesses and groups direct communication to consumers about changes/safety protocols and allowing all members of commerce to share best practices with each other.
2019
Silver Bullet Productions
Silver Bullet Productions (Santa Fe, NM) is a 501(c)3 educational film company that uses film as a vehicle for change. Through filmmaking workshops for New Mexico’s tribal youth, SBP empowers students and encourages academic achievement. Through its award winning documentaries, Silver Bullet promotes awareness and preservation of culture and heritage. Shattering stereotypes and informing on issues relevant to sovereignty, environment, tribal leadership, and power of indigenous women, each film is an agent of change. SBP previously received an Emmy in 2013 for its documentary film “Canes of Power.” With no employees, all monies raised by SBP are used to fund their programs and documentary films. Silver Bullet Productions has completed more than 50 educational film projects. The journey continues...
2018
Kent Dana
Honoring a lifetime of service to Broadcasting in Phoenix, we award Kent Dana with the Governors' Award.
2017
Arizona PBS Educational Outreach
Arizona PBS Educational Outreach (Phoenix, AZ) an organization dedicated to providing the most innovative educational content and technologies to enrich the lives of children, students, educators, caregivers and parents through quality outreach programs and services that educate, inform and inspire.
2016
Cox Communications
Cox Communications (Phoenix, AZ) for the Build a Bike program & Arizona Public Media for their “Passing On” campaign. This was a program about death and dying that was coupled with workshops and events.
2015
KSL’s Read Today program
KSL’s Read Today program (Salt Lake City, UT) & Hooked, by Cronkite School at ASU (Phoenix, AZ)
2014
Es El Momento
ASU’s Jim Dove and Univision Arizona’s “Es El Momento” (Phoenix, AZ)
2013
Paul’s Car Wash
Paul’s Car Wash / CBS5 (Phoenix, AZ) Partnership with Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Arizona & "No Exceptions" documentary and project, created by Christopher Productions, about the dangers of Opioids and ways to combat it.
2012
House of Broadcasting Inc.
House of Broadcasting Inc. (Phoenix, AZ) This radio and television museum is dedicated to preserving the rich history of Arizona broadcasting and honoring the memories of the broadcast pioneers in Arizona.
2011
Project 121: Action for Animals
Project 121: Action for Animals / KTVK 3TV (Phoenix, AZ) This project brought awareness to pet overpopulation in Phoenix. KTVK teamed up with the Arizona Humane Society and HAPI Agency to create awareness and raise money. Donations topped $446,000, exceeding the previous year’s donations by more than $100,000.
2010
“This One’s For You!”
July 4th live broadcast of Diamondbacks game that was seen by AZ National Guard deployed in Iraq. The soldiers spoke with Announcers and their loves ones, who were also at the game, during the broadcast.
2005-2006
CBS 5 Fulton Homes Power of 5
KPHO-TV (Phoenix, AZ) for CBS 5 Fulton Homes Power of 5. It all started January of 2005 when CBS 5 promoted and hosted a phone bank to raise money for the victims of the devastating tsunami in Asia. The outpouring of the community was phenomenal. That sparked an idea to establish an ongoing effort to empower the community to make a difference. Fulton Homes jumped onboard and in conjunction with the Volunteer Center, the valley saw the birth of CBS 5 Fulton Homes Power of 5. Quarterly phone banks televised on CBS 5 urge callers to volunteer 5 hours a month to a worthy cause, donate $5 a week to a local charity and take 5 minutes a day to talk to kids about important social concerns. This is more than a campaign, it is a community coming together to build a better future.
2004-2005
Buddy Check 12
KPNX-TV (Phoenix, AZ) for Buddy Check 12. Back in 1993 Channel 12 began a campaign to increase public awareness of breast health and breast cancer prevention. The idea was to create a system to remind people to perform a monthly breast self-exam. On the 12th of each month, voicemail or e-mail reminders are sent out to the program’s participants, prompting them to do their exam. Additionally, each locally produced newscast carries a story ranging from messages of hope from breast cancer survivors to the latest medical breakthroughs. Now, over 12 years later, more than 45,000 people call themselves Buddy Check 12 members.
2003-2004
A su lado
KTVW-TV (Phoenix, AZ) for “A su lado” phone bank where Univision saw a need and created a monthly 5 1/2 hour phone bank with experts in topics such as Domestic Violence prevention, anti-smoking campaigns, continuing higher education, high school drop out prevention, immigration issues, child drowning prevention campaigns, etc. Julie Bank, Maricopa Animal Care and Control in conjunction with KNXV fights to keep the animals and the life-saving programs in the public’s eye.
2002-2003
Jim Paxon
Jim Paxon, the lead information officer behind the Rodeo-Chediski fire, for his work informing the public during the fire, and Chris Schueler of Christopher Productions, for their project “One Friday Night” dealing with the issue of underage drinking in New Mexico.
2001-2002
Filemon Martinez
KTVW-TV (Phoenix, AZ) The story of Filemon Martinez not only impacted the local community but transcended national borders and embraced the people of Mexico and the government agencies from both sides of the border. This story drew crowds together and established new records in bone marrow registry in Arizona among the Hispanic community.
2000-2001
Wildfire Public Service Campaign
KRQE-TV (Albuquerque, NM) for The Wildfire Public Service Campaign. Deputy Fire Chief Bob Khan (Phoenix Fire Department, Phoenix, AZ) for his exceptional working relationship with both the broadcast and print media, for providing the media with open access to the department and for creating the Certified Fire Journalists Academy.
1999-2000
Jan Jacobson
Jan Jacobson, JB Communications, Phoenix Chapter Trustee & Past President for outstanding service to the television industry and the community.
1998-1999
12 News Project Kid Safe
KPNX-TV (Phoenix, AZ) for 12 News Project Kid Safe car seat inspections, 12 News Documentary: “Unplanned Portrait”, 12 News documentary: “Charley’s Gift”, Wednesday’s Child, Silent Witness, 12 Who Care Volunteer Recognition and “One Bed, One Life.”
1997-1998
Watch Your Kids Around Water
KSAZ-TV (Phoenix, AZ) for Watch Your Kids Around Water campaign, KSL-TV (Salt Lake City, UT) for TV Wise campaign, KVIA-TV (El Paso, TX) for Race Relations public service campaign.
1996-1997
Arizona Presidential Forum
KAET (Tempe, AZ) for Arizona Presidential Forum, KTVX (Salt Lake City) for its community service 4 Utah Kids campaign, KUTV (Salt Lake City) for its Schools 2 Careers community service partnership with businesses and education.
1995-1996
Volunteer 10 program
KSAZ (Phoenix) for its community service Volunteer 10 program and KSL (Salt Lake City) for its public service announcement campaigns on Think Ability and Family Now.
1994-1995
Election Coverage ’94
KAET (Tempe, AZ) for Election Coverage ’94.
1992-1993
Election Coverage
KUED (Salt Lake City) for election coverage.
1990-1991
TV 101 Project
KGGM (now KRQE) the TV 101 Project, created by Chris Schueler, involved over 40 high schools across New Mexico in creating news stories about their schools and communities.
1989-1990
Community service
KPNX (Phoenix, AZ) and KTSP (Phoenix, AZ) for community service.
1988-1989
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KPNX (Phoenix, AZ) for closed-captioning of local newscasts, KAET (Tempe, AZ) for live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Mecham Impeachment Hearing & Trial, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Salt Lake City) for 30 years of TV programming.
1987-1988
Papal coverage
KTVK, KPHO, KAET, KTSP, KPNX, and KTVW (Phoenix, AZ) for the broadcasting pool for the Papal coverage.
1986-1987
Community service
KTSP (Phoenix, AZ), KTVX (Salt Lake City, UT), and KGGM (Albuquerque, NM) for community service.
1985-1986
Bill Close
KTSP (Phoenix, AZ)
1984-1985
Wallace and Ladmo
KPHO (Phoenix, AZ) for the children’s entertainment program Wallace and Ladmo.
1981-1982
Community service
KYUS (Miles City, MT) for community service.
1980-1981
Microwave auto tracking
KPNX (Phoenix, AZ) for microwave auto tracking.
1979-1980
Teletext
KSL and Bonneville Media (Salt Lake City, UT) for Teletext.