Wyoming PBS Takes Home Pair of Heartland Emmys

Two Wyoming PBS productions earned Heartland Chapter Emmy Awards at the 38th annual gala on Saturday in Denver, Colo. One program features the soldier’s perspective on their mental health crisis, and the other spotlights a Casper-based artist and her innovative metalwork.

“I am proud of our team here at Wyoming PBS, and their dedication in telling Wyoming stories that continue to be recognized by the Heartland Chapter with these prestigious awards,” says Joanna Kail, CEO at WY PBS. “Congratulations to all of the recipients, and our sincere gratitude for all the hard work and passion that goes into creating these award-winning stories.”

For a second consecutive year, WY PBS’s popular mental health series, A State of Mind, received an Emmy. The episode, “The Battle Inside,” won in the category for public affairs/societal concerns. Its creators are producers Mat Hames, Beth Hames, and Laura Utt; photographers BJ Klophaus, Kyle Nicholoff, and Anton Gunnarsson; and editors Tyler Hiott and Sandra Guardado.

Last year, the series received three awards for episodes “The Lone Wolf” and “The Pickup Man.” A third episode, “The Cowboy Code,” was also a nominee in 2023.

The second Emmy awarded to a WY PBS production on Saturday went to “The Steel Sculptress” in the arts/entertainment category. Produced by Anthony Stengel, the episode is from WY PBS’s digital series, Our Wyoming, which explores the people, places, and events that make Wyoming unique.

Two additional WY PBS programs were nominated this year: In the documentary—topical category, A State of Mind: “Generation Found,” produced by Mat Hames, Beth Hames, and Utt; photographed by Nicholoff and Klophaus; and edited by Karen Skloss and Hiott; and in the human interest/nostalgia category, Exum Ridge, produced by Kyle Duba.

Local Wyoming producers and valued WY PBS partners Mark Pedri and Carrie McCarthy of Burning Torch Productions were also recipients of three Heartland Emmys for their documentary, Dear Sirs, in writing, editing, and photography categories.

Heartland is a regional chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), encompassing Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The 20 regional chapters celebrate excellence in all areas of media and television. The judging process is rigorous and impartial. Entries are evaluated by a minimum of seven experienced peers from other NATAS regions, ensuring an unbiased assessment of the merit of each work.