The Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has nominated KET productions and programs for 26 Regional Emmy Awards.

Kentucky Life, KET’s weekly magazine program covering the history, people and places that make the Commonwealth unique, received four Regional Emmy Award nominations. Brandon Wickey is the producer for the series, which recently completed its 20th season.

• Military Program Category: “Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center,” produced by Matthew Grimm, highlighting the Greenville facility used by the Kentucky National Guard.
• Nostalgia Program Category: historical segment on the “Andrew Jackson Duel,” produced by Paul Smith, which sheds light on the Logan County duel between Jackson and fellow horse breeder and plantation owner Charles Dickinson.
• Magazine/Feature Segment Category: “Simpsonville Massacre,” produced by Paul Smith, showcasing the history of a January 1865 Confederate ambush of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry and modern efforts to memorialize the site.
• Photographer Mike Benton was nominated in the Photographer-Program Category for his work on both KET’s Kentucky Life and Beloved Productions’ The Local Traveler, which airs on other media outlets.

KET’s long-running, weekly current events news program for fourth through eighth graders, News Quiz, was honored with two Regional Emmy nominations, with one episode receiving a nomination in the Children/Youth/Teens Category and another nominated in the Informational/Instructional Program Category. News Quiz is produced by Brandon Wickey.

KET’s special report Safe and Sound: Raising Emotionally Healthy Children in a Stressful World – which explores the importance of social and emotional development in a child’s first years of life – was nominated in the Health/Science/Environmental Category. The program was produced by Laura Krueger.

Longtime KET producer Tom Thurman received three total nominations for two KET productions as well as his independent documentary on Gatewood Galbraith, which aired on KET. Thurman’s KET Kentucky Muse documentary “Appalatin” – a concert special featuring Louisville-based group Appalatin, which seamlessly blends the music of Appalachia and Latin – was nominated in the Arts/Entertainment Category. And his KET Kentucky Muse “Actors Theatre of Louisville” documentary, which celebrated the theater’s beginnings and rich legacy in conjunction with its 50th anniversary, was nominated in the Documentary–Historical Category.

Producer Barry Bernson’s KET documentary A History of Kentucky in 25 Objects received dual nominations, with Bernson receiving nominations in both the Writing-Program Category and as Program Host/Moderator/Narrator. The film tells the story of Kentucky’s history through 25 iconic objects spanning more than 1,000 years of history, including Bill Monroe’s mandolin, Harlin Sanders’ original pressure cooker and more.

Amy Hess, host of KET’s Kentucky Collectibles and contributing producer on KET’s Kentucky Life, was also nominated in the Program Host/Moderator/Narrator Category for her composite hosting roles with KET as well as her Beloved Productions television program The Local Traveler, which airs on other Kentucky media outlets.

In addition to the above KET productions, the following programs that air or aired on KET were nominated for Regional Emmy Awards:

• Health/Science/Environment-Program: kNOwMORE Nonprofits “Surgery on Sunday,” Prosper Media Group, Inc., produced by Kyle Lake
• Human Interest-Program: “Clay Dyer,” Kentucky Afield, Kentucky Afield Television, produced by Nathan Brooks and Tim Farmer
• Politics/Government-Program: Gatewood, Pan-Opticon Films, produced by Tom Thurman and Chris Iovenko
• Informational/Instructional Program: kNOwMORE “What Would It Be Like Without Water, Part 1” (Bluegrass Greensource segment), Prosper Media Group, Inc., produced by Kyle Lake
• Informational/Instructional Program: Unbridled Vines: Kentucky’s Finest, High Impact Productions, produced by Douglas High, Tyler Madison, and Kaitlyn Foree
• Informational/Instructional Program: Ecosense for Living “Food Fight,” Salt Run Productions, Inc., produced by Suzan Satterfield, Mary Higgs, Kitty Swain, Jolean Olson and Jennie Garlington
• Magazine Program: backSTORY, pilot episode, Dapper Productions, produced by Jason Parmer and Debra Locker
• Program Host/Moderator/Narrator: Tim Farmer, Tim Farmer’s Country Kitchen, Tim Farmer productions, produced by Tim Farmer
• Photographer-Program Category: Kentucky Afield, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife, Scott Moore, photographer

        Additionally, the Bluegrass & Backroads series, produced by Kentucky Farm Bureau and airing on KET, received five nominations in the Magazine Feature/Segment Category. The segments nominated include:

• “Dulcimer Builder Mark Eubanks,” produced by Matt Hilton and Bob Shrader “Artist Keith Chambers, Wood Werks,” produced by Matt Hilton and Bob Shrader
• “Artist Tim Hall,” produced by Matt Hilton and Bob Shrader
• “Artist Bill Kolok,” produced by Matt Hilton, Bob Shrader and Joseph Randall
• “Cellar Door Chocolates,” produced by Matt Hilton, Bob Shrader and Joseph Randall

“It’s an honor to be recognized by our industry peers through these Regional Emmy Award nominations,” said KET Executive Director and CEO Shae Hopkins. “These nominations are a testament to the high quality and creativity of KET’s individual and team efforts in bringing the best programming to our viewers – and to public media’s critical role in bringing engaging, educational programming into homes, classrooms and communities throughout Kentucky.”

The Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Awards recognize excellence in the areas of local news, programming and individual achievement and are one of the industry’s highest honors. The Ohio Valley Chapter includes 13 television markets from a four-state region, including parts of Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky. The awards ceremony will take place at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on July 25.

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, serving more than one million people each week via television, online and mobile. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization on Twitter @KET and facebook.com/KET and at KET.org.

Contact:

Todd Piccirilli
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
859-258-7242
tpiccirilli@ket.org