The 2020 GABBY Awards were presented virtually for the first time ever on Saturday, October 24th 2020. The GABBY Awards focus on content produced in the 2019 calendar year. Merit Awards recognize those entries that the judges felt deserves special recognition. The GABBY Awards are awarded to entries that stood above all in their categories. The GAB is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s GABBY and Merit Awards in order of appearance in the show. To watch the full version of the 2020 GABBY Awards show, please click HERE. For more information on the 2019 GABBY Awards submission process, please click HERE.
Best News Story
WLJA- Asa Jones (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WJCL- Jackson Kurtz (Merit TV Class AA)
WRDW- Ciara Cummings (GABBY TV Class AA)
WABE- Stephannie Stokes (GABBY Radio Class A)
WGCL- Adam Murphy and Erin Coker (GABBY TV Class A)
Best Feature Story TV
WGXA- Jeff Cox (Merit TV Class AA)
WMAZ- Erica Carr, Thais Ackerman, Taylor Drake, and Ben Jones (GABBY TV Class AA)
WGCL- Adam Murphy and Eric Carlton (GABBY TV Class A)
Best Feature Story Radio
WLBB- Joel Brock (GABBY Radio Class AA)
Georgia News Network- Scott Kimbler (Merit Radio Class A)
WABE- Emma Hurt (GABBY Radio Class A)
Best Investigative Reporting Series
WTOC- Wright Gazaway (Merit TV Class AA)
WRDW- Meredith Anderson, Richard Rogers, and Drew Thomas (GABBY TV Class AA)
WSB-TV – Brad Stone (GABBY TV Class A)
Best Newscast
WVOP- Zack Fowler (Merit Radio Class AA)
WSB Radio- The Staff of WSB Radio (GABBY Radio Class A)
WBTR, WCKS, WWGA, WKNG, and WLBB- Colin Worthington (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WRDW- The News 12 Team (GABBY TV Class AA)
Best Program Non-News or Sports Radio
WBHF- Alan Sanders (Merit Radio Class AA)
WRGA- Tony McIntosh (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WDAK- Wes Carroll (Merit Radio Class A)
WABE- Stephannie Stokes (GABBY Radio Class A)
Best Program Non-News or Sports TV
Farm Monitor TV- Ray D’Alessio (Merit TV Class AA)
WALB- Whitney Argenbright, Mike Leach, and the Staff of WALB (GABBY TV Class AA)
WUVG- Eddy Elguezabal (GABBY TV Class A)
Best Team Weather Coverage
WRJY, WSSI, and WXMK- Joe Willie Sousa (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WTVM- The Staff of WTVM (Merit TV Class AA)
WUVG- Gianncarlo Cifuentes (GABBY TV Class A)
WRBL- Bob Jeswald and Cody Nickel (GABBY TV Class AA)
Best Station Produced Promo
WGCO- Stacy Scott (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WTVM- Brian Correll and Michael Scott (Merit TV Class AA)
WMAZ- Jesse Horton and Ben Jones (GABBY TV Class AA)
WRFC- David Johnston and Dan Ricci (GABBY Radio Class A)
WXIA- Brendan Keefe (GABBY TV Class A)
Best Sports Program
Georgia News Network- Tommy Palmer (Merit Radio Class A)
WUGA- Chris Shupe and Vicki Michaelis (GABBY Radio Class A)
WDUN- Bo Wilson, Caleb Hutchins, and Bryan Pirkle (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WJBF- John Hart, Scott Elledge, and John Holden (GABBY TV Class AA)
Best Mobile App
WMAZ- Andrew Plaskowsky (GABBY Class AA)
WUGA- Chris Shupe and Jimmy Sanders (GABBY Class A)
Best Online Breaking News Coverage
WMAZ- Andrew Plaskowsky and the 13WMAZ Digital Team (GABBY Class AA)
WUVG- Gianncarlo Cifuentes (GABBY Class A)
Best Online Produced Story
WJBF- Jenna Kelley and Nikki Wilder (GABBY Class AA)
Georgia Public Broadcasting- Sean Powers, Chuck Reece, Shane Mitchell, and Josephine Bennett (GABBY Class A)
Best Sports Play by Play
WCON- Joel Williams (Merit Radio Class AA)
WBTR, WCKS, WWGA, and WKNG- Mitch Gray, Aaron Sones, Casey Bass, Seth Cain, Doyle Johnson, and Matt Skinner (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WZGC- Steve Holman, Mike Conti, Miller Pope, and James Fairey (Merit Radio Class A)
WDAK- Scott Miller (GABBY Radio Class A)
Best Photojournalist
WXIA- Matt Pearl (GABBY TV Class A)
WRBL- Kevin Roble (GABBY TV Class AA)
Best Reporter
WSB Radio- Robyn Walensky (GABBY Radio Class A)
WYUM- Chester Proctor (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WJCL- Jackson Kurtz (GABBY TV Class AA)
WXIA- Brendan Keefe (GABBY TV Class A)
Best Meteorologist
WTVM- Derek Kinkade (GABBY TV Class AA)
Best Sports Anchor
WALB- John Barron (GABBY TV Class AA)
Georgia Public Broadcasting- Jon Nelson (GABBY TV Class A)
Best News Anchor
WRDW- Meredith Anderson (GABBY TV Class AA)
WUVG- Gianncarlo Cifuentes (GABBY TV Class A)
Best On-Air Personality
WJUL- Steven Phillips (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WSTR- Mike Kannon (GABBY Radio Class A)
Angelo Ditty – Frank McLemore Engineering Award
Phil Baker
Jim Gantner
Charlie Harrell
Georgia Army National Guard Minutemen Awards
WXMK- Golden Isles Broadcasting
WDBG- Radio Jones
WFXL- Sinclair Broadcasting
WGTA- Marquee Broadcasting
Georgian of the Year
Congressman John Lewis
Best Community Service Project
WJBF- Savannah Barron (GABBY TV Class AA)
WXIA- Robbin Steed (GABBY TV Class A)
Stations of the Year
WSB Radio (GABBY Radio Class A)
WUVG- Eddy Elguezabal (GABBY TV Class A)
WJBB- Christopher Rude, Blake McCarrin, David Willard, Tim Rose, and Jeff Batten (GABBY Radio Class AA)
WALB- Bruce Austin, Michael Leach, and Jim Bernhardt (GABBY TV Class AA)
A Special Thank You To
Bob Houghton
Velvet Perry
Monica Pearson
John Clark
Ben Henson
McKenzie Lewis
Allison Fulton
Garrett Chapman
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Gianncarlo Cifuentes
Jeff Cox
Joy Crosby
Ray D’Alessio
Blake Eason
Sanders Hickey
Scott Higley
Robert Hydrick
Scott Kimbler
Shorty Mack
Brad Means
Gabe Reynolds
Brittany Santiago
Robin Szabo
Mikaela Thomas
LTC Patrick McDougald
Atlantic Capital Bank
BakerHostetler
Beasley Allen
Georgia 811
Georgia Army National Guard
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
Georgia Department of Transportation
Georgia EMC
Georgia Farm Bureau
Georgia Peanut Commission
Georgia Power
Governor’s Office of Highway Safety
Nielsen
RF Specialties
Szabo Associates
Jeremy Collins and Total Spectrum
Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
The Family of the Honorable John Lewis
Davis Broadcasting
Dick Broadcasting
Georgia News Network
Golden Isles Broadcasting
Perry Broadcasting
Univision Atlanta
WFXG-TV
WGXA-TV
WJBF-TV
WRBL-TV
WSPA-TV
WTOC-TV
WTVM-TV
The Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB) is the trade association that represents the interests of Georgia’s over-the-air radio and television licensees who reach more than 95% of Georgia’s population every week. Our membership is comprised of more than 250 radio and television broadcasters. GAB provides technical, regulatory, and advocacy support to our members as well as offering continuing professional enrichment opportunities designed to keep Georgia broadcasters at the forefront of the industry.
Media Contact: McKenzie Lewis
Director of Digital Media and Communications
o:: 770.395.7200
e:: mlewis@gab.org
