Montana PBS wins two regional Emmy Awards
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From the MSU News Service
BOZEMAN — Two Montana PBS productions received regional Emmy Awards for excellence in media production and a former Montana PBS producer was recognized for public service, mentoring, leadership, and professional accolades during a June 1 event celebrating the 2024 Northwest Regional Emmy Awards.
The Montana PBS program “11th and Grant with Eric Funk” received a regional Emmy in the entertainment category for a 2023 episode featuring the band Shakewell. “11th and Grant” features regional musicians, fusing in-depth interviews with performances in the KUSM-TV studio on the MSU campus. Funk, a composer and retired MSU music professor, has served as artistic director for the series since its start. Named on the award are producer Scott Sterling; Aaron Pruitt, executive producer; Paul “Gomez” Routhier, series creator and producer; Funk, host and artistic director; and Jeremiah Slovarp, producer and director of audio. “11th and Grant with Eric Funk” has now received 12 regional Emmy Awards.
In addition, a promotional spot Montana PBS produced, “Support Indignant Gasps,” received a regional Emmy Award in the non-news promotion (single spot) category. The award went to Kyle Sorenson, creative director.
Finally, Ray Ekness, a former Montana PBS producer and director of Montana Public Radio, was inducted into the prestigious Silver Circle of the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, or NATAS. The Silver Circle recognizes individuals with more than 25 years of public service, mentoring, leadership and professional accolades. Ekness helped produce many of Montana PBS’s most popular programs, including “Backroads of Montana,” “Remembering the Columbia Gardens” and “Building Bridges: Back to Ireland.” He was also a professor at the University of Montana’s School of Journalism and chair of its Department of Radio-Television.
The Northwest Regional Emmy Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Entries in the contest came from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.
To see the full list of Emmy nominees and winners or to learn more about NATAS Northwest, visit: natasnw.org. To learn more about Montana PBS, visit montanapbs.org.
