WRAL continues its legacy of excellence, earning the coveted Emmy for News Excellence at the 39th annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards in Nashville over the weekend. This marks another milestone for WRAL, reinforcing its position as a leader in broadcast journalism.

"This award reflects the efforts of every single person in the company—behind the scenes and in front of the cameras—working tirelessly to make our content the best it can be," said Joel Davis, Vice President and General Manager of Capitol Broadcasting Company. "Other awards reinforce our dedication to breaking news, weather, investigative, and consumer reporting.”

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WRAL's commitment to journalistic excellence was further demonstrated as the station swept major categories, highlighting the hard work of its dedicated newsroom staff.

"This is a huge achievement for everyone in the newsroom,” said WRAL News Director Mike Fredrich. “I also want to pass along gratitude from former News Director Rick Gall, whose leadership helped shape the work that earned this recognition."

WRAL's 2025 Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards Wins:

Investigative Reporting

Single Report: Crisis at Nash DSS: WRAL uncovers second child's death under DSS care

Lena Tillett, Investigative Reporter

Multiple Reports: EXPOSED: NC State pulls out of federal health investigation

Keely Arthur, Reporter; Pritchard Strong, Producer; Richard Adkins, Photojournalist; Kara Lysle, Producer

Informational/Instructional

WRAL Weather Explainers

Liz McLaughlin, Producer/Reporter; Aimee Wilmoth, Producer; Shan Zhong, Editor

Journalistic Enterprise

Unsafe: North Carolina kids dying from gun violence

Cristin Severance, Producer/Reporter; Dwayne Myers, Photojournalist; Gilbert Baez, Reporter

News Special

Forever Chemicals: North Carolina's Toxic Tap Water

Cristin Severance, Producer/Reporter; Dwayne Myers, Photographer; Liz McLaughlin, Reporter

Breaking/Spot News

Single Report: Unrest at UNC

Kelsey Coffey, Reporter; Mark Olexik, Photographer; Lauren Thomson, Executive Producer; David Emke, Senior Producer

Multiple Reports: Shots fired on campus: Tragedy at UNC

Dan Haggerty, Anchor; Mark Boyle, Live Center Anchor; Kimberly Ursich, Executive Producer; Stephanie Beck, Senior Producer; Chris Lovingood, Anchor/Reporter; Matt Talhelm, Reporter; Aaron Thomas, Reporter; Noah Klein, Producer; Allyson Lorick, Producer; Samantha Maneri, Producer; Ashley Foster, Producer; Ryan Terhune, Photojournalist; Curtis Tremper, Photojournalist; Ryan Bisesi, Producer

Team Coverage

Devastation in eastern North Carolina: EF-3 tornado rips through Nash County

Kat Campbell, Meteorologist; Ashley Rowe, Anchor/Reporter; Chelsea Donovan, Reporter; Aaron Thomas, Reporter; Mark Boyle, Live Center Anchor; Chris Lovingood, Anchor/Reporter; Ashley Talley, Executive Producer; Courtney Gartman, Executive Producer; Stephanie Beck, Senior Producer; Vincent Boccanfuso, Photojournalist; Keith Baker, Photojournalist; Samantha Maneri, Producer; Bri Leach, Producer; Kelly Riner, Producer; Jeremy Spearman, Producer

Continuing Coverage

Cancer cases from contaminated classrooms at NC State?

Keely Arthur, Reporter; Pritchard Strong, Producer; Richard Adkins, Photojournalist; Kara Lysle, Producer

Business/Consumer Reporting

In-Depth with Dan: What's a DINK? And can we talk about how much it costs JUST to get by?

Dan Haggerty, Anchor; Miles Moraitis, Producer; Justin Arner, Producer/Editor

Graphic Arts

Shan Graphic Arts Composite

Shan Zhong, Designer

Technical Achievement

WRAL Virtual and Augmented Reality

Shan Zhong, Technical Director; Liz McLaughlin, Technology Researcher; Aimee Wilmoth, Executive Producer

News Excellence

WRAL News: Coverage You Can Count On

Rick Gall, News Director

This year’s awards celebrate the dedication, passion, and expertise of WRAL’s journalists, photojournalists, producers, and technical teams. Their commitment to delivering impactful, high-quality journalism continues to set WRAL apart as a trusted news leader.