Two of our Graham Media Group stations, WKMG in Orlando and WJXT in Jacksonville, took home Overall Excellence honors this past weekend, as the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists announced the 2021 award winners.

WKMG won in the large-market category, and WJXT took home the same award as a medium-sized market.

This marks the second year in a row WKMG has been named station of the year. WKMG won more than any other local station in the Orlando market.

"I am incredibly proud of our team at WKMG," News Director Allison McGinley said. "They know what it takes to cover, celebrate and make an impact on our community, and they give it their all every day!"

The awards ceremony was held May 7, 2022, at Wyndham Orlando Resort.

More than 40 radio and television stations submitted more than 550 entries in the contest, which featured content produced in the year 2021.

WKMG won awards in the following categories:

News 6 executive producer John Ambrogne and producers Ryan Burkett and Cathleigh Winningham won “Best Television Morning Newscast” for their coverage of “Launch of Crew-2 Mission: April 23, 2021 | 5:30 a.m.”
WKMG-TV’s news team won best “Continuing Coverage” for their entry titled “Capitol Riot Arrests.”
News 6 anchor Matt Austin and photographer Paul Giorgio won best “Series/Franchise | Light” for their “Getting Results Award” coverage.
Investigative reporter Mike DeForest and photographer Darran Caudle won best “Political, Government, Election Reporting | Single” for their entry titled “Voter Fraud.”

WKMG was a finalist in the following categories:

Some of the News 6 team on awards night.

Assistant news director Jason Olson, executive producer Victoria Lyons and producer Ken Pilcher were finalists in the “Best Television Evening Newscast” category for their “Othal Wallace Manhunt: June 24, 2021 | 7 p.m.” entry.
WKMG-TV’s news team were finalists in the “Breaking News | Station” category for their “Othal Wallace Manhunt” coverage.
News 6 investigative reporter Erik Sandoval and photographers Paul Giorgio and Jim Cavanaugh were finalists for the “Environmental Reporting | Series” category for “Forecasting Change.”
Investigative reporter Merris Badcock and photographer Paul Giorgio were finalists in the “General Assignment” category for their “Traffic Angel” entry.
News 6 investigative reporter Erik Sandoval and photographer Jim Cavanaugh were finalists in the “General Assignment | Long” category for their “Policing 2.0″ coverage.
Investigative reporter Mike Holfeld and photographer Robert Breuer were finalists in the “Consumer, Financial, Economic Reporting” category for their work on “Make Ends Meet.”
Investigative reporter Merris Badcock and photographer Anthony Murdock were finalists for the best “Series/Franchise | Hard” with their “One Giant, Big Failure” coverage.
News 6 producers Tiffany Browne, Robert Brown and Ken Pilcher were finalists for the best “Feature Reporting | Cultural & Historical” category with their “Black History Month” coverage.
News 6 photographer Paul Giorgio was a finalist for the best “Use of Sound” for his “Running 4 Heroes” entry.
Investigative reporter Mike DeForest and photographer Darran Caudle were finalists for the best “Investigative Reporting | Single” category for their “Realtor Scheme” entry.
News 6 anchor Kirstin O’Connor, photographer Paul Giorgio and traffic safety expert and anchor Steve Montiero were finalists for the best “Health Reporting | Series” for their “Trooper Steve: A Survival Story” entry.

WJXT won awards in the following categories:

Community Service Station of the Year: “Positively Jax”
Best Television Evening Newscast: “Condo Collapse” at 5 p.m.
Breaking News, Station: “Buckman Bridge Damaged”
Continuing Coverage: “Hunt For A Cop Killer”
Climate/Environmental Reporting: “Forecasting Change: Sea Level and Infrastructure” - Scott Johnson and Joe Drumm
Education Reporting: “Picture Day Gone Wrong” by Joe McLean and Curtis Bottoms
Feature Reporting, Hard News: “A Second Shot” by Marilyn Parker and Ciara Earrey
Weather Reporting: “Text Message Warns of Tornado” by Renee Beninate and Jud Hulon
Traffic/Transportation Reporting: “Killer Crossroads” by Vic Micolucci, Chris O’Rourke and Eric Wallace
Political, Election, Government Reporting, Series: “This Week in Jacksonville: Attack on the Capitol” by Kent Justice, Jodi Mohrmann and Eric Wallace
Reporter: Vic Micolucci “Tragedy, Tactics, Training”

WJXT was a finalist in the following categories:

Best Television Evening Newscast: “Ahmaud Arbery Verdict” at 6 p.m.
Digital Programming: “Gators Breakdown” with David Waters and Will Miles
Climate/Environmental Reporting: “Toxic Coal Ash Spill” by Tarik Minor and Eric Wallace
General Assignment: Long – “Manhunters” by Vic Miccoluci, Chris O’Rourke and Jodi Mohrmann
Consumer, Financial, Economic Reporting: “Air Ambulance” by Anne Maxwell and Ciara Earrey
Weather Reporting: “Tornado Touchdown” by John Gaughan and Stacey Readout
Traffic/Transportation Reporting: “Teen Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver” by Renee Beninate and LeeAnn Walker
Investigative Reporting, Series: “I-Team, Rodent Residential” by Jennifer Waugh, Chris O’Rourke and Jodi Mohrmann
Political, Election, Government Reporting, Series: “This Week in Jacksonville: Remembering Tommy Hazouri” by Kent Justice, Jodi Mohrmann and Eric Wallace
Multimedia Journalist: Marilyn Parker

For links and to find a full list of winners, click or tap here.