The Prestige Awards is sponsored annually by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievements by Louisiana radio and television broadcasters. This competition was established to encourage the highest standards of reporting, community service and production creativity.
2026 Prestige Awards Recipients
| Hall of Fame Ed Daniels, WGNO-TV, New Orleans, LA | Hall of Fame John Bridges, KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA |
| Hall of Fame Kevin Meeks, WJBO-AM | Hall of Fame Randy Rice, WFMF-FM |
| Hall of Fame Steve Wiley, KOGM-FM, Lafayette, LA | Radio Lifetime Achievement: Johnny Chauvin, WTGG-FM, Hammond, LA |
| Television Lifetime Achievement Richard Manship, WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA | Radio Young Professional of the Year: Dawson Eiserloh, KLWB-FM, Lafayette, LA |
| Television Young Professional of the Year Morgan Babineaux. KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA | Broadcast Engineer of the Year: Robert Carroll, WWNO-FM, New Orleans, LA |
| Student Broadcaster of the Year- Radio: Darci Lourigan, KSLU Radio, Hammond, LA | Student Broadcaster of the Year- Television: Jadyn Maloney, KARD-TV, West Monroe, LA |
| Broadcaster of the Year: Pat Galloway, Cumulus Media, New Orleans, LA | Lagniappe Award: Michelle Southern, WDGL-FM, Baton Rouge, LA |
| Best Podcast- Radio: WYLK-FM, Hammond, LA – small market WEMX-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Best Used of Digital Media – Television: KTVE-TV, West Monroe, LA – small market WWL-TV, New Orleans, LA – large market |
| Best Used of Digital Media – Radio: KLWB-FM, Lafayette, LA – small market KRVE-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Best Election Coverage – Television: WDSU-TV, New Orleans, LA- large market |
| Best Election Coverage – Radio: WBRP-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Best Morning Show – Television: KLFY-TV, Lafayette, LA – small market WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA – large market |
| Best Morning Show – Radio: KRRV-FM, Alexandria, LA – small market KRVE-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Best Newscast- Television: KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA – small market WVUE-TV, New Orleans, LA – large market |
| Best Interview – Radio: KQID-FM, Alexandria, LA – small market WWOZ-FM, New Orleans, LA – large market | Best Series or Documentary – Television: KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA – small market WLPB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA – large market |
| Best Live On-Site Remote – Radio: KLWB-FM, Lafayette, LA – small market WWOZ-FM, New Orleans, LA – large market | Best Sport Show – Television: KNOE-TV, Monroe, LA – small market WAFB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA – large market |
| Best Sports Show – Radio: KLWB-FM, Lafayette, LA – small market WNXX-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Best Weathercast: KADN-TV, Lafayette, LA – small market WVUE-TV, New Orleans, LA – large market |
| Best Radio Personality/Team: KRRV-FM, Alexandria, LA – small market KRVE-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Breaking News: KADN-TV, Lafayette, LA – small market WDSU-TV, New Orleans, LA – large market |
| Producer of the Year – Radio: Paul O’Neill, WNXX-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Producer of the Year – Television: Matt Phillips, KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA – small market Davis Thomas, WGMB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA – large market |
| Community Service- Radio: WTGG-FM, Hammond, LA – small market Guaranty Media, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Community Service – Television: KATC-TV, Lafayette, LA – small market WAFB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA – large market |
| Promotion of the Year – Radio: KLWB-FM, Lafayette, LA – small market WDGL-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Promotion of the Year – Television: KLFY-TV, Lafayette, LA – small market KTAL-TV, Shreveport, LA – large market |
| Investigative Report: KNOE-TV, Monroe, LA – small market WVUE-TV, New Orleans, LA – large market | Multimedia Journalist of the Year: Brendan Brown, KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA – small market Sarah Gray Barr, WBRZ-TV, Baton Rouge, LA – large market |
| Reporter of the Year: Joshua Moton, KATC-TV, Lafayette, LA – small market Traver Mackel, WDSU-TV, New Orleans, LA – large market | Uniquely Louisiana- Radio: KVPI-FM, Ville Platt, LA – small market WWOZ-FM, New Orleans, LA – large market |
| Uniquely Louisiana- Television: KLFY-TV, Lafayette, LA – small market WGMB-TV, Baton Rouge, LA – large market | Station of the Year Radio: KAPB-FM, Marksville, LA – small market WDGL-FM, Baton Rouge, LA – large market |
| Station of the Year Television KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, LA – small market WVUE-TV, New Orleans, LA – large market |
Award Market
| Television | Large market | Baton Rouge, New Orleans/Metairie, Shreveport/Bossier City | |
| Small market | All others | ||
| Radio | Large market | Baton Rouge, New Orleans/Metairie, Shreveport/Bossier City | |
| Small market | All others |
2026 Prestige Award Entry Guidelines
ENTRY DEADLINE
Entries must be submitted electronically through the RockOurAwards.com website no later than 5:00pm on Friday January 23rd, 2026.
ELIGIBILITY
The Prestige Awards is open to LAB member stations which have a primary audience in Louisiana.
Entries must have been produced and broadcasted during the period from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. Entries must be totally created and produced by the station. Material produced with outside advertising or production agency assistance is not eligible. Entries are limited to one per station in each of the categories EXCEPT Student Broadcaster of the Year. An entry can only be entered in one category.
LAB Member stations must be in good standing and have paid their 2025 dues.
All entries must have :30 second video with sound for the award presentation. If your submission doesn’t have this, your submission will be disqualified.
ENTRY FEE
There is no entry fee to participate in this contest.
LIABILITY
If it is determined an entry is not fully locally produced and/or is entered with false documentation, the station and ownership of that station will not be permitted to submit for that award for a period of two years.
As in any contest, conflicts may arise. Issues involving judging of entries will be resolved by the judges; their
decisions will be final. Issues involving interpretation of the rules and procedures of the LAB Prestige Awards will be settled by the Executive Staff of the LAB and, if deemed necessary by the Executive Staff, in consultation with the LAB Awards Committee. Their decisions will be final.
JUDGING
To insure objectivity, judging is conducted by a panel of broadcast experts from outside the state of Louisiana. They will evaluate all entries based on the criteria listed in the “Awards Categories” sections on the following pages. There will be one winner in each category. If the judges think an entry was submitted in the wrong category, they may move it to the proper category. The decision of the judges will be final.