ST. PAUL — The KAXE News Team won five 2026 Page One Awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists.
The team won three awards in the Radio tier and two in Photography/Graphics.
News Director Chelsey Perkins swept the Local Politics/Government Reporting category in radio with first place for her reporting on the Brainerd City Council and its 2025 decision to not allow the city's homeless shelter to remain open year-round. She earned second place for the story headlined "Itasca, Cass sheriffs first in MN to agree to ICE’s revived task force model."
Perkins also secured second place in Breaking News Reporting (Radio) for coverage of former state Sen. Justin Eichorn’s arrest.
Photographer Lorie Shaull was awarded first place for Northern Minnesota Portrait Photography and third place for Northern Minnesota Sports Photography. See her winning photos in the gallery below.
"Lorie is this team's secret, or maybe not-so-secret, MVP," Perkins said. "Her phenomenal photography adds so much to our storytelling. Northern Minnesota is lucky to have her, and so are we!"
The Page One Awards highlight the best work in journalism from around Minnesota. Recipients are honored at an annual banquet.
Sarah Bignall, KAXE's CEO/general manager said, "I am so proud of our team. Chelsey's reporting and Lorie's photography help people better understand what's happening in Northern Minnesota and the communities we serve. These awards are a wonderful recognition of the care and dedication they bring to their work every day."
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, 18 awards from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association and seven awards from the Public Media Journalists Association.
In total, the team has earned 50 awards for its work since the department was added to KAXE in 2023.
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KAXE partnered with ICTV to host candidate forums for Grand Rapids and Deer River school boards on Sept. 30, 2026. Videos of the forum are available at watchictv.org. -
Contributed/Mark KlabundeGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River and After Dark DJ and volunteer, Mark Klabunde. -
Contributed/Lakeland PBSThe Bemidji Pioneer, Brainerd Dispatch and Park Rapids Enterprise are among the media partners participating in the Northern Minnesota candidate debate series. -
Contributed/Will OwensGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River host and volunteer, Will Owens. -
Contributed/Michelle BedfordGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River DJ and volunteer, Michelle Bedford. -
Contributed/Wild HorsesAttendees will get an exclusive first listen to the latest album from Wild Horses, "The In Between," and hear a band interview by Music Director Kari Hedlund in Grand Rapids, MN. -
Contributed/Ken McBrideGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from "On The River" and "KAXE After Dark" host and volunteer, Ken McBride, aka DJ Lake Poseidon. -
Contributed/Heather KiddGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River host and volunteer, Heather Kidd. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEKAXE did a LIVE broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. -
Contributed/Justine JacobsonGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from "Green Cheese" and "On The River" host and volunteer, Justine Jacobson.
