Arizona Public Media won eight 2026 Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmy® Awards across eight categories, with staff members earning a total of 17 individual awards, the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Saturday.
The winning projects celebrate a diverse range of AZPM storytelling, from the experiences of adaptive athletes and the preservation of cultural history to scientific exploration, local arts and the people and places that make Southern Arizona unique.
"These Emmy® Awards are a tremendous honor and a reflection of the talent, dedication and creativity of the people who make AZPM what it is,” said Jack Gibson, AZPM CEO. “I'm incredibly proud of our team and the stories they bring to life every day. This work demonstrates the value of public media and its impact. Congratulations to everyone whose hard work made these awards possible."
Among this year's notable honors are stories that shine a light on underrepresented voices and celebrate the creativity behind compelling storytelling. Together, they reflect AZPM's commitment to elevating diverse perspectives, highlighting inspiring achievements and bringing meaningful stories to audiences.
Two of this year's awards honor AZPM's coverage of adaptive sports, spotlighting athletes whose accomplishments reflect the power of opportunity, determination and inclusion. Adaptive Golf Team and Para Swimming Team celebrate athletes pursuing their passions and competing at the highest levels, while bringing greater visibility to adaptive sports and the people who make them possible.
The award-winning Discovering Boone takes viewers behind the scenes of Be Still Boone, a film created by Clinton Willis while he was a student at the University of Arizona. Willis, who is now an AZPM videographer, reflects on the inspiration and creative process behind the film, which stars University of Arizona alumnus Craig T. Nelson. Be Still Boone also received a College Fiction student Emmy® nomination earlier in the year, making the recognition a celebration of both the finished film and the creativity behind its production.
The awards follow an impressive year of recognition for AZPM. The organization received 20 Emmy® nominations across 16 categories, including Overall Excellence, with AZPM staff earning 43 individual nominations. AZPM received more nominations than any other television station or organization in Tucson and more than any other public media organization in the region.
The recognition comes as AZPM continues to expand news and production capabilities at the Paul and Alice Baker Center for Public Media, its state-of-the-art facility that provides new opportunities for creative collaboration, community engagement and original programming.
AZPM's Emmy® Awards recognize the following productions and individuals:
Sports Story - Short Form Content
- Laura Holánszky – Producer
- Diana Cadena – Photographer
- Dennis Fitzgerald – Producer
Arts / Entertainment - Short Form Content
- John DeSoto – Producer
- Danny Sax – Editor
Historical / Cultural - Short Form Content
- Dennis Fitzgerald – Producer
Diversity / Equity / Inclusion Content
- Laura Holánszky – Producer
- Nathan Huffman – Photographer
- Danny Sax – Editor
- Dennis Fitzgerald – Producer
Environment / Science - Long Form Content
- Danny Sax – Photographer
- Bryan Nelson – Producer
Lifestyle - Content
- Tony Paniagua – Producer
- Robert Lindberg – Photographer
- Nathan Huffman – Editor
Editor - Short Form Content
- Emmanuel Joubeaud – Editor
Photographer - Content
- Danny Sax – Photographer
The winning projects demonstrate AZPM's commitment to telling stories that inform, inspire and reflect the communities it serves. AZPM's Emmy® recognition builds on a long history of achievement. Since 2011, AZPM staff have earned 262 individual Emmy® Awards. The organization previously received the Overall Excellence award in 2015 and the prestigious Governor's Award in 2016 for its feature documentary Passing On.
The Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmy® Awards recognize outstanding television and media production across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and El Centro, California. For a full list of 2026 nominees and recipients visit rockymountainemmy.org.