The KAXE News Team won six 2025 Page One Awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists.
The team won three awards in the Radio tier and three in Photography/Graphics.
Reporter Megan Buffington’s coverage of the grassroots movement to save Cobb Cook Park won first place in the new Local Politics/Government Reporting category.
Buffington’s work also won second place in State Politics/Government Reporting (Struggling rural ambulance services seek support from state Legislature) and Breaking News (Social media rumor prompts 4th notice of alleged threats in GR schools).
Photographer Lorie Shaull was awarded second place for her News Photography and third place for her Portrait and Sports images.
"We are incredibly fortunate to have Lorie in our corner. She's an amazingly talented photographer and has a keen eye for stories that need to be told," said Chelsey Perkins, news director.
"She travels all over Northern Minnesota taking photos and video for us and does it almost entirely as a volunteer. I could never thank her enough for all she has added to our coverage on our website and social media. Her visuals have been extremely valuable to telling the stories of Northern Minnesota."
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— Voters stand at evenly spaced voting booths at Cohasset City Hall on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of voters standing at evenly spaced voting booths at Cohasset City Hall on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024, was part of her second-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of News Photography.
Lorie Shaull
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— An anti-Pride person uses their phone video while a Pride attendee blocks them with a bingo card.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of a pride attendee blocking a video camera with a bingo card at Itasca Pride Fest on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Old Central School in downtown Grand Rapids was part of her second-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of News Photography.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Striking Essentia Health workers at a rally along Division Street in Deer River.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of striking Essentia Health workers at a rally along Division Street in Deer River on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, was part of her second-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of News Photography.
Lorie Shaull
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— 02 Herman and The Golden Rabbit in Detroit Lake, Minnesota.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of Herman Robinson (age 8), visiting from Montreal, Canada, and The Golden Rabbit in Detroit Lakes, part of the Trolls in D.L. installation by Danish artist Thomas Danbo, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, was part of her third-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of Portrait Photography.
Lorie Shaull
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— Sharon Niemi is in charge of making the Moijakka at Laskiainenl in Palo, Minnesota.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of Sharon Niemi making the Mojakka leading up to Laskiainen on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, was part of her third-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of Portrait Photography.
Lorie Shaull / Contributed
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— Lori Ah-shein.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of Lori Ah-shein holding an MMIW flag at the eighth annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's ceremony and walk at the Bemidji Waterfront on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, was part of her third-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of Portrait Photography.
Lorie Shaull
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— August Agerskov, of Denmark, clears 90 cm in the long jump at Unicon 21 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of August Agerskov, of Denmark, clearing 90 cm in the long jump at Unicon 21 in Bemidji on Friday, July 19, 2024, was part of her third-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of Sports Photography.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— 09 Participants in Group Freestyle Competion at Unicon 21 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of the Japanese team, Tokyo Boys, performing in the Freestyle Group Small category at Unicon 21 in Bemidji on Thursday, July 18, 2024, was part of her third-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of Sports Photography.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— 05 Afton native Jessie Diggins skis in the Women's Sprint Quarterfinals at the Loppet Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.jpg
Lorie Shaull's photo of Afton native Jessie Diggins skiing in the Women's Sprint Quarterfinals at the Loppet Cup in Minneapolis in February 2024, was part of her third-place 2025 Page One Award in the category of Sports Photography.
Lorie Shaull
The Page One Awards highlight the best work in journalism from around Minnesota. Recipients are honored at an annual banquet.
“I am so proud of our team. Work like Megan Buffington's reporting and Lorie Shaull's beautiful photojournalism show why local news matters,” said Sarah Bignall, CEO/general manager.
“These SPJ awards are such an honor, but more than that, they remind us why we're here: to tell the stories of Northern Minnesota and the people who live here."
Listeners can hear more stories from the KAXE News Team on the award-winning Up North Report. This year, their work has also won a prestigious Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, 10 awards from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association and two awards from the Public Media Journalists Association.
