WCM announces the 2024 Best of the Midwest Media Fest winners

Wisconsin Community Media has completed the judging, scoring, and compiling of the entries in the 2024 Best of the Midwest Media Fest. Notifications were sent to winners and non-winners the week of March 18.

To purpose of the Media Fest is to recognize the outstanding video and radio programs that are produced by Midwestern professionals and amateurs who use PEG media centers or low-power FM stations to produce and/or distribute their programming. The Fest also seeks to encourage excellence in community programming by providing constructive feedback on each program entered.

Top-scoring entries, including Excellence and Achievement award winners, will be highlighted at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest Banquet and Show on Thursday evening, May 16, 2024 at the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased through this webpage.

If you entered a program and did not receive a notification, please contact Andrew Black at ablack04@gmail.com.

179 entries were received for this year’s Fest. Of those entries, 44 were presented with Excellence Awards, 46 with Achievement Awards, and 56 with Merit Awards. 82 percent of the entries were chosen to receive one of the three awards. Information on ordering plaques and statuettes is here.

Congrats to all of the winners. We look forward to seeing you on May 16!

Nominate a "Friend of Access" by February 14

Many people throughout Wisconsin work or volunteer in community media. But only a chosen few can be honored with the prestigious Friend of Access award!

Wisconsin Community Media is looking for those people who have made a long-lasting positive impact on the success of community media.

With this award Wisconsin Community Media aims to recognize people in the community who understand, support, and champion community media. It could be someone who has made a significant impact on the success of one community media center or perhaps someone who has been involved in community media for many years and has demonstrated an overall commitment to its mission and survival.

For more information and to nominate someone please click here. The deadline for submission is February 14. The award will be presented at the Best of the Midwest Media Fest on May 16.

Entries for the 2024 Best of the Midwest Media Fest are in!

The calls for entries are over! All of the videos, podcasts, radio and TV programs that will be competing for glory at the 2024 Best of the Midwest Media Fest have been submitted.

Fast facts about this year’s fest:

• There were 178 programs entered.

• The category that received the most entries was “PSA-Professional.”

• The media center that submitted the most shows was Sun Prairie.

• There were 34 centers across seven states who entered the Media Fest.

• The amount of content in hours and minutes entered into the Fest was 89.5 hours or 5,374 minutes. (Get judging, judges!)

All judges should have received the judging guidelines, the judging quiz, and their judging assignments..

If you have signed up to judge and have any questions about the process, please email Andrew Black.

A sincere thank you to all of our volunteer judges. We could not have a Media Fest without you!

Of course the winners will be revealed on May 16 in Eau Claire! Best of luck to all those who entered!