WLRN reporter Carlton Gillespie was named Thursday as a recipient of the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award for Feature Reporting.
The Radio Television Digital News Association recognized Gillespie for his evocative audio feature, "Bending the Bars: Hip-hop album showcases the talent at Broward County jails." It was published online and broadcast on air in July 2025.
The Murrow awards were created in 1971 and are named in honor of Edward R. Murrow, a pioneer journalist who set the standard for the highest quality of broadcast journalism.
The awards are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news.
This year's winning entry marks the fifth time since 2013 that WLRN has won a National Murrow award. The WLRN newsroom previously won National Murrow awards in 2023, 2021, 2016 and 2013.
READ MORE: WLRN wins 5 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including top honors for 'Killer Train'
Gillespie’s award-winning report takes listeners inside Florida’s correctional system to explore the making of Bending the Bars, a 16-track hip-hop album featuring original music written and performed by 15 current and former incarcerated artists, mostly from Broward County.
The story highlights the extraordinary lengths artists went to record their tracks — often rapping over crackling payphone connections limited to 30-minute intervals. Producers and sound engineers then polished the raw landline audio into a professional album released on major streaming platforms.
In his reporting, Gillespie illuminated how a project that began as a lockdown crisis hotline transformed into a creative outlet and a platform for social critique. The feature captured the humanity, resilience, and raw artistic talent of individuals often overlooked by society.
"The story is so compelling because it exists at the intersection of the limiting aspects of incarcerated life and the freedom of artistic expression," said Gillespie, who covers Broward County for WLRN.
"The Murrow Award is a testament to the storytelling we proud ourselves in doing at WLRN — it's how we shed light on our diverse community in South Florida," said WLRN Vice President for News Sergio Bustos.
The national recognition for Gillespie's work comes on the heels of WLRN journalists earlier this year winning five Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including investigative reporting and feature reporting.
