ATLANTA, Ga– The 2023 GABBY Awards were presented during the GAB’s annual convention, GABCON on Saturday, September 16th. All the awards focus on content produced in the 2022 calendar year. Merit Awards recognize those entries that the judges felt deserve special recognition. The GABBY Awards are awarded to entries that stand 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. Information coming soon on event photos, award duplicates, and post-show survey.
GABBY Award
Best Feature Story, Small Market TV
WMAZ-TV (Macon)
Credited:
Suzanne Lawler
________
GABBY Award
Best Feature Story, Small Market TV
WTOC-TV (Savannah)
Credited:
Sam Bauman & Ricardo Thomas
________
MERIT Award
Best Feature Story, Small Market Radio
WDUN AM (Gainesville)
Credited:
Austin Eller
________
GABBY Award
Best Feature Story, Small Market Radio
WBHF-AM (Cartersville)
Credited:
Ryan Santa Maria
________
GABBY Award
Best Feature Story, Large Market TV
WANF (Atlanta)
Credited:
Adam Murphy & Eric Sander
________
MERIT Award
Best Feature Story, Large Market Radio
GPB (Statewide)
Credited:
Grant Blankenship
________
GABBY Award
Best Feature Story, Large Market Radio
WSB (Atlanta)
Credited:
Veronica Waters
________
MERIT Award
Best General Assignment Reporting, Small Market TV
WTVM-TV (Columbus)
Credited:
James Giles
________
GABBY Award
Best General Assignment Reporting, Small Market TV
WJCL (Savannah)
Credited:
Andy Cole
________
GABBY Award
Best General Assignment Reporting, Small Market Radio
WBHF-AM (Cartersville)
Credited:
Earnestine Jones
________
GABBY Award
Best General Assignment Reporting, Large Market TV
WUVG (Atlanta)
Credited:
Jensser Morales, Patricia Soto, Dacelys Martinez, Michelle Benitez, & Valerie Burgos
________
GABBY Award
Best General Assignment Reporting, Large Market Radio
WUGA (Athens)
Credited:
Isabela Weiss
________
MERIT Award
Best Online Breaking News Coverage, Small Market Broadcaster
WMAZ (Macon)
Credited:
The 13WMAZ Team
________
GABBY Award
Best Online Breaking News Coverage, Small Market Broadcaster
WSAV (Savannah)
Credited:
Molly Curley, Dajhea Jones, Ben Katko, Brett Buffington, Megh Porterfield, & Brian Gallagher
________
GABBY Award
Best Online Breaking News Coverage, Large Market Broadcaster
WXIA (Atlanta)
Credited:
The 11 Alive Team
________
GABBY Award
Best Online Produced Story, Small Market Broadcaster
WTOC (Savannah)
Credited:
Jessica Savage, Julian Agnew, & Clinton Hinely
________
GABBY Award
Best Online Produced Story, Large Market Broadcaster
WXIA (Atlanta)
Credited:
The 11 Alive Team
________
MERIT Award
Best Podcast Series, Small Market Broadcaster
WDUN-AM (Gainesville)
Credited:
Bo Wilson, Jeff Hart, Caleb Hutchins, Seth Chapman, & Walker McCrary
________
GABBY Award
Best Podcast Series, Small Market Broadcaster
WUGA (Athens)
Credited:
Martin Matheny & WUGA News
________
MERIT Award
Best Podcast Series, Large Market Broadcaster
WXIA (Atlanta)
Credited:
Kaitlyn Ross, Will Johnson, Reed Redmond, & Jesse Nussman
________
MERIT Award
Best Podcast Series, Large Market Broadcaster
GPB (Statewide)
Credited:
Stephen Fowler & Josephine Bennett
________
GABBY Award
Best Podcast Series, Large Market Broadcaster
WABE news (Atlanta)
Credited:
Stephannie Stokes
________
MERIT Award
Best Investigative Reporting Series, Small Market TV
WSAV (Savannah)
Credited:
Brett Buffington & Jenson Bland
________
GABBY Award
Best Investigative Reporting Series, Small Market TV
WRDW-TV/WAGT-TV (Augusta)
Credited:
Meredith Anderson
________
GABBY Award
Best Investigative Reporting Series, Large Market TV
WANF (Atlanta)
Credited:
Andy Pierrotti, Luke Carter, Eric Carlton, & Lindsey Basye
________
MERIT Award
Best Newscast, Small Market TV
WRDW-TV/WAGT-TV (Augusta)
Credited:
The News 12 NBC 26 Team
________
GABBY Award
Best Newscast, Small Market TV
WTOC-TV (Savannah)
Credited:
Bari Soash, Pria Padgett, Van Vogt, Mike Cihla, Dawn Baker, & Max Diekneite
________
GABBY Award
Best Newscast, Small Market Radio
WRJY-FM (Brunswick)
Credited:
Joe Willie Sousa
________
GABBY Award
Best Newscast, Large Market TV
WSB-TV (Atlanta)
Credited:
Brandon Moseley, Linda Stouffer, Brad Nitz, Jorge Estevez, Mark Winne, & Richard Coleman
________
GABBY Award
Best Newscast, Large Market Radio
GNN (Atlanta)
Credited:
Matt McClure & The GNN News Team
________
MERIT Award
Best Program (Non-News or Sports), Small Market TV
wsav (Savannah)
Credited:
Brett Buffington & Jenson Bland
________
GABBY Award
Best Program (Non-News or Sports), Small Market TV
Farm Monitor TV (Macon)
Credited:
Ray D’Alessio, Kenny Burgamy, John Holcomb, & Dean Wood
________
GABBY Award
Best Program (Non-News or Sports), Small Market Radio
WDUN AM (Gainesville)
Credited:
Martha Zoller & Caleb Hutchins
________
GABBY Award
Best Program (Non-News or Sports), Large Market TV
WAGA (Atlanta)
Credited:
Dale Russell, Mindy Larcom, Chris Rosenthal, Randall Rinehart, AJ Willen, & Chris Lawson
________
GABBY Award
Best Program (Non-News or Sports), Large Market Radio
WSB (Atlanta)
Credited:
The Staff of WSB Radio
________
MERIT Award
Best Station Produced Promo, Small Market TV
WRBL-TV (Columbus)
Credited:
Arthur Shipp
________
GABBY Award
Best Station Produced Promo, Small Market TV
WGXA (Macon)
Credited:
Addison Jeffries & WGXA Creative Services
________
GABBY Award
Best Station Produced Promo, Small Market Radio
Golden Isles Broadcasting ()
Credited:
Sanders Hickey, Chuck Bear, & Randy Reeves
________
GABBY Award
Best Station Produced Promo, Large Market TV
WANF (Atlanta)
Credited:
Josh Morey, Mike Von Ruden, Brittney White, Josh Dillard, Kelly Corder, & Melissa Fennell
________
GABBY Award
Best Station Produced Promo, Large Market Radio
WFXH (Savannah)
Credited:
John Marshall & Mixx Group
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Political Coverage, Small Market TV
WMAZ-TV (Macon)
Credited:
The 13WMAZ Team
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Political Coverage, Small Market Radio
WRGA (Rome)
Credited:
David Crowder
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Political Coverage, Large Market TV
WXIA (Atlanta)
Credited:
Kristin Crowley, Luke Carter, & Erin Peterson
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Political Coverage, Large Market Radio
GNN (Atlanta)
Credited:
The GNN News Team
________
MERIT Award
Best Team Weather Coverage, Small Market TV
WMAZ-TV (Macon)
Credited:
The 13WMAZ Team
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Weather Coverage, Small Market TV
WRDW-TV/WAGT-TV (Augusta)
Credited:
Riley Hale, Tim Strong, Anthony Carpino, Mikel Hannah-Harding, & Chris Still
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Weather Coverage, Small Market Radio
Oconee Radio Group (Milledgeville)
Credited:
KJ Allen & Jason Williams
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Weather Coverage, Large Market TV
WSB-TV (Atlanta)
Credited:
Brad Nitz, Jorge Estevez, Wendy Corona, Berndt Petersen, Erin Frederickson, & Amanda Stanley
________
GABBY Award
Best Team Weather Coverage, Large Market Radio
GNN (Atlanta)
Credited:
John Wethebee & The GNN News Team
________
MERIT Award
Best Sports Program, Small Market TV
WGXA (Macon)
Credited:
WGXA News Team
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Program, Small Market TV
WJCL (Savannah)
Credited:
Amy Zimmer & Frank Sulkowski
________
MERIT Award
Best Sports Program, Small Market Radio
WDUN-AM (Gainesville)
Credited:
Caleb Hutchins & Bryan Pirkle
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Program, Small Market Radio
WVOP (Vidalia)
Credited:
Bob Roberts & Chester Proctor
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Program, Large Market TV
WSB-TV (Atlanta)
Credited:
Zach Klein, Alison Mastrangelo, Justin Reid, David Hickox, & John League
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Program, Large Market Radio
GNN (Atlanta)
Credited:
Mitch Evans
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Play-by-Play, Small Market Radio
WKZR-FM (Milledgeville)
Credited:
Scott MacLeod, Al Weston, & KJ Allen
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Play-by-Play, Large Market Radio
WCNN/Braves Radio Network (Atlanta)
Credited:
Ben Ingram, Joe Simpson, Jonathan Chadwick, & David Dickey
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Anchor, Small Market TV
WMGT-TV (Macon)
Credited:
Shaaz Peerani
________
GABBY Award
Best Sports Anchor, Large Market TV
WXIA (Atlanta)
Credited:
Maria Martin
________
GABBY Award
Best Meteorologist, Small Market TV
WMAZ-TV (Macon)
Credited:
Ben Jones
________
GABBY Award
Best Meteorologist, Large Market TV
WAGA-TV (Atlanta)
Credited:
Jonathan Stacey, Billy Heath, Christopher Lawson, & David Killebrew
________
GABBY Award
Best Reporter, Small Market TV
WRDW-TV/WAGT-TV (Augusta)
Credited:
Meredith Anderson
________
GABBY Award
Best Reporter, Small Market Radio
WBHF-AM (Cartersville)
Credited:
Ryan Santa Maria
________
GABBY Award
Best Reporter, Large Market TV
WSB-TV (Atlanta)
Credited:
Justin Gray
________
GABBY Award
Best Reporter, Large Market Radio
WSB (Atlanta)
Credited:
Jonathan O’Brien
________
GABBY Award
Best Videographer, Small Market TV
WJCL (Savannah)
Credited:
Chris Smyth
________
GABBY Award
Best Videographer, Large Market TV
WXIA (Atlanta)
Credited:
Mike Nicolas
________
GABBY Award
Best On-Air Personality, Small Market Radio
WRJY-FM (Brunswick)
Credited:
Joe Willie Sousa & Robbie Sue Sousa
________
GABBY Award
Best On-Air Personality, Large Market Radio
WFSH-FM (Atlanta)
Credited:
Beth Bacall & Mike Blakemore
________
GABBY Award
Best News Anchor, Small Market TV
WSAV (Savannah)
Credited:
Tina Tyus-Shaw
________
GABBY Award
Best News Anchor, Large Market TV
WXIA (Atlanta)
Credited:
Jennifer Bellamy
________
MERIT Award
Best Community Service Project, Small Market Broadcaster
WDUN (Gainesville)
Credited:
Craig Shoemaker, Steve Roper, Seth Chapman, & the WDUN/JMC team
________
GABBY Award
Best Community Service Project, Small Market Broadcaster
WALB-TV (Albany, GA)
Credited:
Jim Bernhardt, Bruce Austin, & Riley Armant
________
MERIT Award
Best Community Service Project, Large Market Broadcaster
WSB-AM/WSBB-FM (Atlanta)
Credited:
95.5 WSB Programming, News, and Content Teams, & Clark Howard
________
GABBY Award
Best Community Service Project, Large Market Broadcaster
WSB-AM/WSBB-FM (Atlana)
Credited:
95.5 WSB Programming, News, and Content Teams
________
GABBY Award
Station of the Year, Small Market TV
WMAZ-TV (Macon)
________
GABBY Award
Station of the Year, Small Market Radio
WDDK-FM (Greensboro)
________
GABBY Award
Station of the Year, Large Market TV
WXIA (Atlanta)
________
GABBY Award
Station of the Year, Large Market Radio
WSB (Atlanta)
________
GABBY Award
Broadcasters of the Year
In recognition for their joint effort in supporting “Black Radio United for the Vote”, the management, on-air talent, and behind-the-scenes staff of the following Atlanta stations were recognized collectively as the 2023 Broadcasters of the Year:
WALR-FM, WAMJ-FM/WUMJ-FM, WAMJ-HD2, WAOK-AM, WCLK-FM, WHTA-FM, WJZA-FM, WPZE-FM, WRDG-FM, WVEE-FM, WWSZ-AM, WXJO-AM
