New Mexico PBS/KNME-TV recently won several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Top of the Rockies Competition. New Mexico PBS serves most of New Mexico and the Navajo Nation, broadcasting a wide array of nature, history, current affairs, health, performance, children's, educational and entertainment programs.

Top of the Rockies is a regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations in the SPJ Region 9 area, covering Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. With the changing landscape of media, the contest includes a wide range of categories and divisions within print and magazines, online journalism, radio and television.

The awards are as follows:

1st place
Category: Health: Enterprise Reporting 
"Reconnecting With a Healthy Lifestyle"

Awardees: Antonia Gonzales, Sarah Gustavus, Kevin McDonald, Anthony Rodriguez, Kathy Wimmer and Gene Grant.

This multi-state look at the health issues facing Native Americans gives voice to many people doing important work to improve outcomes in the minority community, and raises a public awareness that could inspire more systemic change. This series was produced with support from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism and the Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism.

2nd place
Category: Ag and Environment: Enterprise 
"Our Land: New Mexico's Environmental Past, Present and Future" 

Awardees: Gene Grant, Sarah Gustavus, Antony Lostetter, Kevin McDonald, Laura Paskus, Anthony Rodriguez and Kathy Wimmer.

3rd place
Category: Public Service
"DWI Recovery Court Seeks to Address Root Causes of Addiction" 

Awardees: Gene Grant, Sarah Gustavus, Kevin McDonald, Robert McDermott, Kathy Wimmer.

New Mexico PBS was also part of two 1st Place group awards for the "State of Change" project with the Solutions Journalism Network.  

Those awards were:

1st place - Category: Business - Enterprise Reporting 

1st place - Category: Public Service 

New Mexico PBS operates 5 digital broadcast channels: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 9.1, and 9.2. New Mexico PBS is co-licensed to The University of New Mexico (UNM) and Albuquerque Public Schools (APS).

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This project is supported by High Country News and the Solutions Journalism Network, and is funded by the LOR Foundation.