KAXE News earns 18 Eric Sevareid Awards at 2026 MBJA ceremony

The KAXE News team earned 18 Eric Sevareid Awards from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association at this year’s 2026 Midwest Journalism Conference.

Among Medium Market Radio entrants, the team earned nine First Place awards and nine Awards of Merit.

First Place Awards

• Breaking News: Federal Grant Freezes 

•  Broadcast Writing: Up North Report Features — The unhoused in the Brainerd area have nowhere legal to sleep this summer; US Steel permit requests reignite debate over wild rice sulfate limits; 20 years after shooting, former Red Lake students closer to memorial goal 

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Frustration over racism at Rock Ridge 

• General Reporting: Sheriffs and ICE 

• Hard Feature: Homelessness in Brainerd 

• Investigative: Automatic License Plate Readers in Northern Minnesota 

• Morning Newscast: Up North Report — April 10, 2025 

• News Series: Severe Bemidji Windstorm (see summary from our Top 10 Stories of 2025) 

• Weather Breaking Coverage: Brainerd Lakes Area Tornadoes 

Awards of Merit

• Breaking News: State Sen. Justin Eichorn’s Arrest 

• Evening Newscast: Up North Report — Aug. 20, 2025 

• General Reporting: Essentia Health Advanced Practice Providers Strike; Tribal Colleges Face Funding Fluxes 

• Hard Feature: Mining, Wild Rice and Sulfate; Red Lake School Shooting Memorial Project 

• Soft Feature: GoMARTI 2.0 Launch Party; Lifelong Crane Laker Butch Eggen 

• Sports Reporting: World Junior Men’s Hockey Tournament 

News Director Chelsey Perkins and CEO/General Manager Sarah Bignall collected the awards at a banquet Saturday, April 11, at the InterContinential St. Paul Riverfront hotel.

"Feeling really proud of the news team at KAXE right now. They brought home 18 awards from this year's Eric Sevareid Awards for their reporting over the past year, which is incredible," Bignall said.

"The ceremony was a great reminder of the strength of local newsrooms across the Upper Midwest. So many talented journalists doing important work in their communities. Seeing our team recognized in such a big way was very special."

More local news

Fed officers raid Red Lake building; Commission approves natural gas for Boswell

Plus: Industry-specific minimum wage goes into effect for Minnesota nursing home workers; lawmakers hear continuity of care concerns amid fraud battles.

The Nature Conservancy plants over 3 million trees in Northern MN

The organization aims to help Minnesota forests regenerate after fire and disease and protect them in the future.

Commission approves plan to partially convert Boswell Energy Center to natural gas

The Public Utilities Commission approved a plan for how Minnesota Power will generate power on Thursday, Sept. 10. That includes new details about the future of Boswell in Cohasset.

FBI, BIA raid Ombimindwaa child welfare building in Red Lake

The FBI confirmed in an email that federal agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs executed a search warrant at Ombimindwaa on Sept. 10, 2026.

Hibbing School Board considers offer on closed school; 3 million trees planted in Northern MN

Plus: Fosston Schools accept garden bounties to fill gap from lost program.

Fosston Schools accept garden bounties to fill gap from lost program

Because of low free-and-reduced lunch numbers, the Fosston school district no longer qualifies for a fresh fruits and vegetables program for elementary students.

Hibbing School Board considers offer on closed elementary school

The Board deliberated on the offer for Greenhaven Elementary in a closed-door session at Hibbing High School on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.

DNR expects Northern MN fall foliage to begin peak in late September

Drought, temperature and September weather conditions can have an impact on how vibrant the changing season will be.

City of Bemidji to take on management of Sanford Center

The Bemidji City Council voted to pursue in-house management of the Sanford Center rather than renew a contract with Legends Global, slated to expire in March 2027.

Photos: Hobo Day in Boy River, a popular event in a tiny town

The Boy River Hobo Club hosted its annual Hobo Day, a Labor Day weekend tradition in northern Cass County celebrated since 1953.

Bemidji to self-manage Sanford Center; MN State to pilot tech to combat financial aid fraud

And: Questions about investigation go unanswered at Cass County sheriff candidate forum.

Essentia Health, nurses' union reach agreement for Deer River hospital

The new 3-year contract includes wage increases for around 40 nurses serving the Deer River hospital and clinic.

Since 1976, KAXE has served the communities of rural Northern Minnesota with independent community radio, powered by people. The mission of KAXE News is to ensure we provide our listeners and readers with the highest-quality independent, fact-based news and information about Northern Minnesota. Our stations are located in Grand Rapids and Bemidji. Listen to us at 91.7 FM in Grand Rapids, 90.5 FM in Bemidji and 89.9 FM in Brainerd.

The Eric Sevareid Awards are named for the North Dakota-born and University of Minnesota-educated journalist best known for his work as a correspondent for CBS Radio and Television.

Each year, the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association presents awards to the best work done by broadcast news operations and journalists working in small, medium and large markets in its six-state region on radio, television and online.

A distinguished panel of judges is made up of journalists and educators who live outside of Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Iowa and Nebraska to help ensure impartiality.