KAWC journalists have been recognized with two awards in the Public Media Journalists Association 2026 Annual Awards Competition, PMJA officials announced today.
KAWC education solutions reporter Sisko Stargazer earned KAWC a 1st Place award in the Digital Writing category for the story “Deep Dive: How Arizona’s School Facilities System Was Ruled Unconstitutional.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to have earned a PMJA award for this article — not just because it’s incredibly affirming to receive recognition for my work, but because this story itself matters a great deal,” Stargazer said. “When I first learned of the lawsuit outcome, I knew this story mattered. But its significance became much clearer as I pored through court records, depositions and photos that were, at times, difficult to sit with.”
They noted that they spent more time on this article because they believe making public school funding systems legible to the public is a crucial community service.
“Looking through board minutes, researching school histories and talking numbers can get tedious, but it matters because the bottom line isn’t some abstract budget total,” Stargazer said. “It’s the schools the kids in our communities go to — the desks they use, the water they drink and the buses they ride.
“Arizona school finance is a tricky beast to understand, but it behooves us to be well-informed because these systems are shaped by public policy and the choices we make as voters.“
The KAWC Student Newsroom was also recognized for its outstanding podcast episode, “Siendo Primero: Navigating Language,” produced by Saghey Barcenas and Evelyn Garcia.
The episode focused on bilingualism, a topic that is dear to Barcenas.
“Not many people talk about what it means to be bilingual,” she said. “Speaking more than one language is a special thing, and as I said in that episode, it is a super power, something we should be very proud of, just like our culture.”
Barcenas’ inspiration came from her experiences growing up in Tijuana, Mexico.
“When I came to study at AWC, it was my first time taking classes fully in English; it was a challenge for me,” she said. “For the episode, I talked to an international student; his story had a big impact in my perspective about the topic. I hope listeners who share this experience feel seen and know they are not alone.”
For Evelyn Garcia, who also contributed to the episode, this topic was also personal.
“I grew up with my grandparents who only spoke Spanish and they babysat me as a child,” she said. “As a bilingual person, being able to communicate with others is very important, specially in our community.”
Reflecting on the episode, she hopes people will take away the benefits of speaking more than one language.
“I feel really happy that we won second place because being a person who is bilingual is an asset and hopefully people understand what it is like for us when we come from different backgrounds and need to learn different languages to excel in school or work,” Garcia said.
Kevin Kato, who was the student newsroom’s professor when “Navigating Language” was produced, noted that the episode was the very first feature-length piece that he and then-news director Lou Gum had asked student reporters to produce.
“Radio is magical from the outside. You turn on the power or dial in the frequency and you’re transported straight into a story,” he said. “As consumers of radio, we don’t often ask what it takes for a story to make it to air. But as producers, we know it’s process.”
While he and Gum thought it would be a two-week process, the turnaround was quicker than a week.
“Tuesday afternoon we heard pitches. By Thursday we roundtabled a roughcut. 10am Saturday morning is when Arizona Edition aired on KAWC. Between Tuesday afternoon and Friday evening, Saghey had cut acts, written copy, tracked host lines, and produced ‘Navigating Language’ for inclusion to AZED,” he said. “She followed the same timelines as her professional counterparts to pitch, produce, and air a segment, an award-winning one at that, for radio.”
For Barcenas, the accomplishment was especially notable as she recently won a national graphic design contest from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development as well.
“It feels really good to win this award, especially for a project I care about so much,” Barcenas said. “Siendo Primero is my safe place, and acting as a microphone for students, professors, and members of AWC is a true honor. It opens many doors and helps us see the world in new ways.”
These are the fifth and sixth PMJA awards for KAWC since 2022. It’s also the station’s second time earning a first place award.
In 2024, KAWC was awarded First Place in Narrative/Produced Program for "Arizona Edition: RCBH holds the line on migrant street releases in Yuma, but for how long?", a look at a day at the migrant processing center at the Regional Center for Border Health in Somerton by reporter Victor Calderón.
KAWC also took Second Place that year in News/Public Affairs Program for "Arizona Edition Friday: Ag-pilots, the ACA in AZ, San Luis church lawsuit," with reporting by reporter Victor Calderón, former news and operations director Lou Gum and former reporter Chris McDaniel.
In 2022, KAWC received Second Place for News/Public Affairs Program "Arizona Edition: Aide Group Collects Belongings and Stories on the U.S.-Mexico Border" with reporting by KAWC reporter Victor Calderón and former reporter Chris McDaniel. KAWC also took Second Place for Long Documentary for "On Topic: Title 42 in Yuma- A KAWC Special Report" by former reporter Lisa Sturgis.
PMJA officials say the 293 awards for 2026 span breaking news, investigative reporting, features, audience engagement, science storytelling, video journalism represent organizations of every size, from small community stations like KAWC in Yuma and La Paz counties to major metropolitan outlets.
