Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters

03/30/2026

Kurt Williams, longtime anchor of WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Va., was honored with this year’s Associated Press Robert Gallimore Distinguished Service Award. Kurt started his career in radio while a student at Georgia State University and later worked at WXIA-TV and WDEF-TV. He joined WTKR in 1987.

Congratulations, Kurt!

03/30/2026

This year's West Virginia Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Paul Swann, host of the sports talk program, “The Drive with Paul Swann,” on Kindred Communications’ WRVC-AM in Huntington. Paul began his radio broadcasting career 37 years ago at WMUL-FM, the campus station of Marshall University.

Congratulations Paul!

03/30/2026

Meet the 2026-2027 VAPB Board of Directors!

Left to right: Marsha Holton (VAPB Coordinator), Chelsea Church (WHSV-TV), Kate Capodanno (WDBJ-TV), Chris Schulz (WVPB-FM), Heidi Brown (VAPB Coordinator), Nathan Crawford (WWBT-TV), Caleb Peek (WHSV-TV), Chuck Bailey (WMUL-FM), Valerie Sullivan (WVNS-TV), Rachel Lucas (WSLS-TV), David Foky (WVIR-TV), Chris Yost (WDTV-TV)

Missing: Phillip Hickman (WTAP-TV), Payton Marshall (WCHS-TV)

03/30/2026

Congratulations to this year's VAPB Scholarship Winner:
Alexa Bonilla of James Madison University!

Bonilla, a graduating senior, received a $1,000 award at the March 28 VAPB Awards Lunch in Harrisonburg, Va.

03/29/2026

03/28/2026

Congratulations to all the winners who were recognized today at the 2025 Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards!

Winners were announced at the Awards Luncheon and Annual Membership Meeting at Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Conference Center in Harrisonburg, Va. Thirty-seven news organizations in Virginia and West Virginia submitted 598 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories from 2025.

Kurt Williams, longtime anchor of WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Va., was honored with this year’s Associated Press Robert Gallimore Distinguished Service Award. Williams started his career in radio while a student at Georgia State University and later worked at WXIA-TV and WDEF-TV. He joined WTKR in 1987.

The West Virginia Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Paul Swann, who began his radio broadcasting career 37 years ago at WMUL-FM, the campus station of Marshall University. He is the host of the sports talk program, “The Drive with Paul Swann,” on Kindred Communications’ WRVC-AM in Huntington.

The VAPB also awarded a $1000 scholarship to Alexa Bonilla, a senior journalism major at James Madison University. Bonilla serves as news director of the campus station, Breeze TV.

The VAPB is an independent association comprised of local members of The Associated Press, a not-for-profit news cooperative that represents thousands of newspapers and broadcast stations across the United States.

The complete list of award winners and judges’ comments can be found on our website https://vapb.org.

03/21/2026

Virginias AP Broadcasters Awards!
Registration closes TONIGHT at 11:00 p.m.
Don't be left out!

03/20/2026

REGISTRATION for this year's VAPB Awards Luncheon is closing.
Sign up before it's too late!

Join as at a new location this year! Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, Va.

02/19/2026

2025 VAPB Award Finalists Have Been Announced!
Please visit: https://vapb.org/2025-vapb-finalists
for the complete list.
Congratulations to all who participated in this year's contest!

• To advance the craft of journalism • To foster competition • To help the AP respond to the needs of its members