ATLANTA, Ga– The 2026 GABBY Awards were presented during the Georgia Association of Broadcasters’ annual convention, GABCON on Saturday, September 26th. All the awards focus on content produced in the 2025 calendar year. The GABBY Awards are awarded to entries that stand above all in their categories. And Merit Awards recognize those entries that the judges deemed of special recognition. The GAB is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s GABBY and Merit Awards. Stay tuned for or event photos, videos, award duplicate orders, and a post-event survey. If you are an award winner, please use one of these premade graphics to share the news on social media! Tag the GAB @GABroadcasters and use the #2026GABBYs or #GABCON2026.
Best Breaking News Coverage
Audacy Atlanta (Large Market Radio) – Maria Boynton (GABBY Award)
WALB (Small Market TV) – WALB News Team & Jerry Goodman (Merit Award)
WJCL (Small Market TV) – WJCL 22 News Staff (GABBY Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – WSB-TV News Team (GABBY Award)
Best Community Service Project
Audacy Atlanta (Large Market Radio) – Danie B, Beestroh Manteca, Greg Street, Lil Bankhead, Tori Ogakwu & Elisabeth Omilami (Hosea Helps) (GABBY Award)
WBYZ Z-94 (Small Market Radio) – Katie Carmichael, Cody North, James Earl, Jan Crosby, Peggy Miles & Elwaner Parker (GABBY Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – Marian Pittman, Joe Cowan, Condace Pressley & Sean Garcia (GABBY Award)
WTOC (Small Market TV) – Christine Edwards, Hunter McKee, Abi Cox, Andy LaViola & Marsha Fogarty (GABBY Award)
Best Feature Story
13WMAZ (Small Market TV) – Hunter King (Merit Award)
CBS News Atlanta (Large Market TV) – Donald Fountain (Merit Award)
WABE (Large Market Radio) – Lisa Rayam & Lily Oppenheimer (GABBY Award)
WBHF (Small Market Radio) – Nia Myrthil (GABBY Award)
WDUN (Medium Market Radio) – William Daughtry (GABBY Award)
WJCL (Small Market TV) – Christopher Smyth & Greg Coy (GABBY Award)
WSB Radio (Large Market Radio) – Jonathan O’Brien (Merit Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – WSB-TV, Linda Stouffer & Brian Ferguson (GABBY Award)
WUGA (Small Market Radio) – Mary Ryan Howarth (Merit Award)
Best Hard News Reporting
13WMAZ (Small Market TV) – Naomi Washington (Merit Award)
WABE (Large Market Radio) – Marisa Mecke (GABBY Award)
WBHF (Small Market Radio) – Earnestine Young Jones (GABBY Award)
WDUN (Medium Market Radio) – William Daughtry (GABBY Award)
WJCL (Small Market TV) – Christopher Smyth & Andy Cole (GABBY Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – Mark Winne & Jesse Pope (GABBY Award)
Best Investigative Reporting Series
WANF (Large Market TV) – Andy Pierrotti, Luke Carter, Lindsey Basye, Derek McClanahan & Tim Darnell (GABBY Award)
WGXA (Small Market TV) – Brittany C. Miller & Leah Kincaid (Merit Award)
WRDW (Small Market TV) – Will Rioux & Hector Munoz (GABBY Award)
WUVG – (Large Market TV)- Dacelys Martinez, Ana Lourdes Herrera, Jensser Morales & Patricia Soto (Merit Award)
Best Mental Health Awareness Coverage
WABE (Large Market Radio) – Jess Mador (GABBY Award)
WANF (Large Market TV) – Ciara Cummings, Luke Carter, Lindsey Basye & Tim Darnell (GABBY Award)
WTOC (Small Market TV) – Rachel West & Megan LeRoy (GABBY Award)
Best Meteorologist
WANF (Large Market TV) (GABBY Award)
WTVM (Small Market TV) (GABBY Award)
Best News Anchor
WSAV (Small Market TV) (GABBY Award)
WXIA (Large Market TV) (GABBY Award)
Best Newscast
Audacy Atlanta (Large Market Radio) – Maria Boynton (Merit Award)
WRDW (Small Market TV) – WRDW News Team (GABBY Award)
WRGA (Small Market Radio) – David Crowder (GABBY Award)
WSB Radio (Large Market Radio) – WSB News Team (GABBY Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – WSB-TV News Staff (GABBY Award)
Best On-Air Personality or Team
B98.5 (Large Market Radio) – Tad Lemire, Kara Wilson & Drex Rener (GABBY Award)
Golden Isles Broadcasting (Small Market Radio) (GABBY Award)
Best Online Breaking News Coverage
WANF (Large Market Digital) – Jason Braverman, Jordan Barela, Josh White, Ellie Parker & Tim Darnell (GABBY Award)
WRDW (Small/Medium Market Digital) – The WRDW News Team (GABBY Award)
Best Online Produced Story
WABE (Large Market Digital) – Molly Samuel & WABE Staff (GABBY Award)
WGXA (Small/Medium Market Digital) – Leah Kincaid & Brittany C. Miller (GABBY Award)
Best Podcast Series
Georgia News Network (Large Market Digital) – Wes Carroll, Shawn Cruzen, Joey Williams & Graham Hobson (GABBY Award)
WUGA (Small/Medium Market Digital) – Lara Dua-Swartz (GABBY Award)
Best Program (Non-News or Sports)
Audacy Atlanta (Large Market Radio) – Maria Boynton (GABBY Award)
Oconee Communications Company (Small Market Radio) – Jeff Laurence, Al Mason, Jessica Easley & Alichia Cruz (GABBY Award)
WBYZ Z-94 (Small Market Radio) – Katie Carmichael (Merit Award)
WDUN (Medium Market Radio) – Martha Zoller & Logan Landers (GABBY Award)
WJCL (Small Market TV) – Haley Kindle, Greg Coy & Pedro Lopez (GABBY Award)
WJCL (Small Market TV) – Lydia Blackstone, Dan Scott, Christopher Smyth, Shannon Royster & Olivia Breen (Merit Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – WSB-TV (GABBY Award)
WXIA (Large Market TV) – Cara Kneer, Deborah Raptis, Taylor Drake, Tiffany Pittman & Paul Sacco (Merit Award)
Best Reporter
Georgia News Network (Large Market Radio) (GABBY Award)
WANF (Large Market TV) (GABBY Award)
WDUN (Medium Market Radio) (GABBY Award)
WRDW (Small Market TV) (GABBY Award)
WUGA (Small Market Radio) (GABBY Award)
Best Severe Weather Coverage
Oconee Communications Company (Small Market Radio) – KJ Allen (GABBY Award)
WSB Radio (Large Market Radio) – WSB News Team (GABBY Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – WSB-TV News Team (Merit Award)
WTVM (Small Market TV) – Derek Kinkade, Tyler Allender, Arianna Wittic, Walter Broseghini, Katrice Nolan & Aaron Lee (GABBY Award)
WXIA (Large Market TV) – Danielle Moss, Chris Holcomb, Melissa Nord & Nicole Burgess (GABBY Award)
Best Sports Anchor
WRDW (Small Market TV) (GABBY Award)
WXIA (Large Market TV) (GABBY Award)
Best Sports Play-by-Play
680 The Fan (Large Market Radio) – Ben Ingram, Darren O’Day & Jonathan Chadwick (GABBY Award)
WBHF (Small Market Radio) – Matt Santini (Merit Award)
WBYZ Z-94 (Small Market Radio) – James Earl (GABBY Award)
WDUN (Medium Market Radio) – Bo Wilson & Tim Whitmire (GABBY Award)
Best Sports Program
680 The Fan (Large Market Radio) – Nick Cellini, Chris Dimino & Matt Edgar (GABBY Award)
WANF (Large Market TV) – Baillie Burmaster, Joey Rogers, Lee Smith, Connor Hines, Avery Braxton & Kinsey Lee (GABBY Award)
WDUN (Medium Market Radio) – Bo Wilson, Caleb Hutchins, Jeff Hart, Walker McCrary & Bryan Pirkle (GABBY Award)
WGTJ (Small Market Radio) – Mike Wofford (GABBY Award)
WJBF (Small Market TV) – John Hart & Rex Main (GABBY Award)
WRBL (Small Market TV) – Rex Castillo & Drew Platta (Merit Award)
Best Station Produced Commercial
Cumulus Media – Atlanta (Large Market Radio) – Vito Gorinas, Maiya Moran, Dom Rados & Steve Romak (GABBY Award)
First Media Services (Medium Market Radio) – Crash Kelley (GABBY Award)
Oconee Communications Company (Small Market Radio) – Randy Beasley (Merit Award)
WANF (Large Market TV) – David Tallarico, Josh Dillard, Mike Von Ruden, Peter Lancaster, Kris Wilkins & Trent Conquest (GABBY Award)
WBYZ Z-94 (Small Market Radio) – Cody North & James Earl (GABBY Award)
WRBL (Small Market TV) – Shaquaveya Brooks (Merit Award)
WRDW (Small Market TV) – Kurt Smith, Alexis Musick, Jennifer Dixon & Chandler Johnson (GABBY Award)
Best Station Promo
680 The Fan (Large Market Radio) – Rob Jenners (GABBY Award)
DBC Radio (Medium Market Radio) – Nathan James & The Mix Group (GABBY Award)
Oconee Communications Company (Small Market Radio) – Al Mason (Merit Award)
WANF (Large Market TV) – Josh Morey, Michael Von Ruden, Josh Dillard, Trent Conquest & Brittney White (GABBY Award)
WBHF (Small Market Radio) – Matt Santini (GABBY Award)
WRDW (Small Market TV) – Clayton Richardson, Will Rioux, Meredith Anderson, Liz Owens, Sydney Hood & Estelle Parsley (Merit Award)
WSB-TV (Large Market TV) – Sean Garcia & Jason Hopkins (Merit Award)
WTOC (Small Market TV) – Hunter McKee, Abi Cox, Shea Schrader & Chris Murray (GABBY Award)
Best Student-Run Program
Grady Newsource (College/University) – Sydney Palmer, Kathryn Young, Sophia Stafford & Professor Ralitsa Vassileva (GABBY Award)
Tiger 411 (College/University) – Lynbyrd Massey, Jr., Kyla Chandler & Kalaysia Robinson (Merit Award)
Best Team Political Coverage
WBHF (Small Market Radio) – Nia Myrthil (GABBY Award)
Best Videographer
CBS News Atlanta (Large Market TV) (GABBY Award)
WJCL (Small Market TV) (GABBY Award)
Station of the Year
Atlanta News First – WANF (Large Market TV) (GABBY Award)
News & Talk WAOK – Audacy Atlanta (Large Market Radio) (GABBY Award)
WJRB 95.1 (Small Market Radio) (GABBY Award)
WTOC (Small Market TV) (GABBY Award)
Student-Run Station of the Year
CAU-TV 23 (College/University) – CAU-TV Student Staff & Volunteers (GABBY Award)
WOLF Radio (College/University) – WOLF Radio Staff and Volunteers (Merit Award)
About the Georgia Association of Broadcasters
The Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB) is the state’s official broadcast association, dedicated to ensuring the vitality and growth of Georgia’s broadcasting industry by advocating for the interests of radio and television broadcasters.
