Wyoming Public Radio has won two national first-place awards from Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI). Reporter Melodie Edwards won first place for Best Use of Sound in Division B which recognizes stations with news staff sizes between 4 and 7 people. HumaNature also won first place in Division B for Best Station Podcast.  

Edwards won the award for her piece Archeologists Race To Find Artifacts Melting Out Of Mountain Ice Fields. "This was excellent storytelling by Melodie," said News Director Bob Beck. "It was a story about climate, the loss of our historic past, and concerns about the future all into one. The sound took you there and painted an incredible picture. She’s always done an amazing job with sound and this may have been her finest effort."

It’s the second straight year that Wyoming Public Radio has won a first place PRNDI award for Best Use of Sound.

"We’ve had a lot of success against stations in much larger markets. It’s a credit to the station and the staff for the good work we put out year after year," said Beck.

HumaNature’s winning podcast episode, Through The Keyhole, tells the story of a man who struggles with thoughts of suicide and who has a perspective-altering encounter while climbing Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.

“We knew we had a remarkable story with Through The Keyhole, but it’s validating to be recognized by our peers in public radio,” said Cultural Affairs and Production Director Micah Schweizer, who oversees the production of HumaNature. “We set out to create a podcast that brings a Wyoming ethos to a national audience, and this award is an affirmation of that effort.”

HumaNature also received a second place PRNDI award for Best Station Podcast in 2016.  Since 2004, Wyoming Public Radio has won 35 PRNDI awards. The 2018 awards were received in Philadelphia on June 23 at the annual PRNDI conference.