Today I achieved a goal I set out when I moved to Lexington more than two years ago. I wanted to win an award. An Associated Press award, specifically. The majority of the stations around the country subscribe to the AP and therefore, can enter statewide contests every year judging their work in different categories, like best anchor, best reporter, best hard news, best light news.
This year, I submitted several entries to the Kentucky AP contest. I didn't win anything. I got better. I got nominated for an Emmy. Emmy's are a huge deal. The only award that's bigger than an Emmy is an Edward R Murrow. They are regional awards. Mine comes from the Ohio Valley, which includes stations from Columbus, Cincinnati, Evansville, Louisville, Dayton, Terra Haute, etc.
I was nominated for a story I did in January of 2009 about a mother searching for her missing daughter. There are five other people nominated, one from my market, one from Louisville, one from Columbus and one from Terra Haute.
There's no guarantee I'll get an Emmy. Everyone could get one, or no one could. They judge on a point system, so you have to have a certain number of points to get a nomination and then a certain number of points to win. I don't know what my chances are to get one. Of course I hope I do, but being nominated is like winning, as cliche as that is, especially when it's your first nod. I find out July 31st at an awards ceremony in Columbus.
It makes me proud. We in the news business work tirelessly day in and day out and there is often little to no recognition. It's just nice to know that someone is noticing what I am doing. The best part though, is the perspective it gives to my career. I found out via text from someone I used to work with at my college station, WOUB. They are also in the Ohio Valley, so there are people I went to school with there who are also nominated. Friends from high school, former stations, former markets, competitors have all offered me a congratulations.
I am lucky. Which begs the question, what now?
No comments:
Post a Comment