Honoring the finest in journalism in the South, WLRN staffers swept multiple top spots, showcasing investigative reporting, feature storytelling, and audience engagement in the 2026 Green Eyeshade Awards.
WLRN, alongside its collaborative partners at the Miami Herald, earned top honors in several major categories — most notably for its hard-hitting public service project "Killer Train."
Since 1950, the Green Eyeshade Awards have honored outstanding journalism in the southeastern United States. This year's list of winners was announced in early August.
Here’s the list of 2026 Green Eyeshade Awards to WLRN:
• Public Service in Audio/Radio Journalism (First Place): WLRN and the Miami Herald received top honors for the "Killer Train" podcast series, reported by Danny Rivero and Brittany Wallman.
The investigative project also secured First Place in the Podcast Series category and First Place in Investigative Reporting (Audio/Radio).
• Public Service in Written Journalism (Second Place): The joint WLRN and Miami Herald staff effort on "Killer Train" was recognized for its impact across print and digital mediums.
• Podcast Episode & Audio Storytelling: WLRN’s Jenny Staletovich, Merritt Jacob, and Lex Leshansky took First Place in the Podcast Episode category for "Keeper and Killer - The Insanity Defense". The broader "Keeper and Killer" project took Second Place for Podcast Series).
• Helen Acevedo took First Place for Audio Storytelling with Sound Design with her feature, "Personalized Labubus: Miami tattoo artist finds a side hustle in the toy trend."
• Digital producer and reporter Alyssa Ramos claimed First Place in Feature Reporting for her story, "Fort Lauderdale’s Suzie Toot tap dances her way to drag’s biggest stage."
• Digital Audience Engagement: WLRN's news team, led by Senior Producer Sherrilyn Cabrera earned Third Place in digital engagement for its community-led reporting initiative, "No Sabo' Kids CTA-led Reporting."
