Panhandle PBS Earns Five Award Nominations for Regional Storytelling

Panhandle PBS has earned five nominations recognizing its work in storytelling, education and community engagement, including three nominations for the Regional Emmy Awards and two nominations for the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) Public Media Awards.

The station’s Regional Emmy nominations include:

• Entertainment – Short Form or Long Form Content: Gammy Jo! Episode: Buffering
• Informational/Instructional – Short Form or Long Form Content: Gammy Jo! Episode: The Garden
• Human Interest – Short Form or Long Form Content: Voices Episode: Jacqui, No Matter What

Gammy Jo! is Panhandle PBS’ first original animated series and celebrates family, imagination and life in the Texas Panhandle. Created locally by people from the region, the series uses humor, creativity and engaging characters to turn local experiences into stories with universal themes. The Emmy-nominated episodes, Buffering and The Garden, represent the series’ entertainment and instructional storytelling.

The Panhandle Voices episode Jacqui, No Matter What highlights the personal story of Jacqui and reflects the series’ focus on sharing the experiences of people in the Texas Panhandle.

Panhandle PBS also received two nominations for the NETA Public Media Awards, recognizing Cadillac Ranch: 10 Cadillacs, 10 Movements, 1 Stunning Performance and Unmodified.

Unmodified explores storytelling and creativity through the Texas Panhandle’s tabletop and miniature gaming community. The production features players who create collaborative adventures through games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, wargamers who build narrative campaigns, and miniature painters who use their craft as a creative outlet.

Cadillac Ranch explores the connection between music, art and the Texas Panhandle as the Amarillo Symphony celebrates Cadillac Ranch through an original composition commissioned by the symphony and written by Grammy-winning composer Michael Daugherty. The production brings together the Panhandle landscape and soundscape in a celebration of one of the region’s most iconic landmarks.

“These nominations are a reflection of the talent and dedication of our team and the power of local storytelling,” said Matt Franklin, Panhandle PBS general manager. “Our goal is to create meaningful content that connects with the people we serve and shines a light on the remarkable stories, creativity and culture found throughout the Texas Panhandle. We’re proud to see that work recognized by our public media and television peers.”

The Regional Emmy Awards honor excellence in television production across regional markets, while the NETA Public Media Awards recognize outstanding work produced by public media organizations.

Winners of the Regional Emmy Awards will be announced at events later this year. For more information about Panhandle PBS programming, visit PanhandlePBS.org.