KQED was honored with thirteen Excellence in Journalism Awards at the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California Chapter’s (SPJ NorCal) 40th Excellence in Journalism Awards Ceremony at the Bayview Opera House on November 13, 2025. SPJ NorCal is a longstanding institution that works to support journalists based in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the region. These awards recognize extraordinary contributions in news over the past year and honor long-term accomplishments with accolades like the Career Achievement award, as judged by colleagues in the journalism field.
Earning the most honors of any other media institution in the region, KQED received honors in various categories – from student journalism to ongoing coverage.
“KQED’s representation in these awards demonstrates the exceptional quality of work being produced across our newsroom, podcasts and digital platforms,” said KQED’s Editor-in-Chief Ethan Toven-Lindsey.
A few highlights from KQED’s award winning coverage include Bianca Taylor, Nastia Voynovskaya, Sasha Khokha, Victoria Mauleón, Suzie Racho, Brendan Willard and Hussain Khan California Report Magazine California Composers series in the Arts & Culture category. Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Gina Castro, Carly Severn and Anna Vignet were awarded for their coverage of an SF barber who had offered free haircuts to trans men in the category of Community Journalism. And Cecilia Lei and Juliana Yamada were recognized for their reporting on the struggles of older Japanese Americans in the Bay Area. The full list of KQED award winners are listed below.
2025 KQED SPJ NorCal Awards List
ARTS & CULTURE (print/online — large division): Luke Tsai, with Beth LaBerge, Estefany Gonzalez and Thien Pham, of KQED, for culture stories covering crab fishing, authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and a hidden soul food gem.
ARTS & CULTURE (radio/audio/podcast — large division): Bianca Taylor, Nastia Voynovskaya, Sasha Khokha, Victoria Mauleón, Suzie Racho, Brendan Willard and Hussain Khan of KQED for “The California Report Magazine” for the “California Composers” series, a tribute to three underappreciated musical talents from across the state.
COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS (radio/audio/podcast): The team producing KQED’s “Hyphenación,” a podcast featuring personal stories, and broader cultural criticism and commentary through a hyphenated Latino lens: Xorje Olivares, Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, Chris Hambrick, Christopher Beale, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Vivian Morales, Matt Morales and Michael Palmer.
COMMUNITY JOURNALISM (multimedia — large division): Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Gina Castro, Carly Severn and Anna Vignet of KQED for “The SF Barber That Welcomes All Trans People Into His Shop.”
COMMUNITY JOURNALISM (radio/audio/podcast — large division): Cecilia Lei and Juliana Yamada of KQED for their reporting on the struggles of older Japanese Americans in the Bay Area.
EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM (radio/audio/podcast — large division): Ericka Cruz Guevarra, Lesley McClurg, Alan Montecillo, Jessica Kariisa and Mel Velasquez of KQED for “How RFK Jr.’s Message Took Root in a Small Marin Town.”
FEATURES JOURNALISM (radio/audio/podcast — large division): Ana De Almeida Amaral, Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Caroline Smith of KQED for “San Francisco’s Oldest Lesbian Bar Has Been a Safe Space for More Than 60 Years.”
INTERVIEW (radio/audio/podcast — large division): Brian Watt, Alexander Gonzalez and Dana Cronin of KQED for “How Oakland Style Empowered A’s Great Rickey Henderson and Other Athletes.”
LONGFORM STORYTELLING (radio/audio/podcast — large division): Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Victoria Mauleón, Suzie Racho, Brendan Willard and Sasha Khokha of KQED for “A 129-Year-Old San Francisco Lawsuit Could Stop Trump From Ending Birthright Citizenship.”
ONGOING COVERAGE (radio/audio/podcast): Vanessa Rancano and Guy Marzorati of KQED for their reporting on California’s crackdown on homeless encampments.
SCIENCE REPORTING (radio/audio/podcast): Laura Klivans, Ezra David Romero and Danielle Venton of KQED for the series “Science Meets Daily Life in KQED’s Audio Reporting,” (Parts 1, 2 and 3).
SCIENCE REPORTING (TV/video): Gabriela Quirós, Josh Cassidy, Rosa Tuirán and Mimi Schiffman of KQED for their “Deep Look” series, (Part 1, 2 and 3).
STUDENT JOURNALISM (radio/audio/podcast — large division): Audreyanah McAfee with KQED for “A Basketball Trailblazer: My Mother, the WNBA Star You’ve Never Heard Of.”
A complete list of 2025 Excellence in Journalism winners can be found in the Society of Professional Journalists’ press release here.
About KQED
KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source, leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. www.kqed.org.