WKU News

Julie Bowles, a recent WKU graduate, received her first Ohio Valley Emmy Awards nomination for her collaborative work on Lost River Sessions.

WKU PBS, Western Kentucky University’s Public Television Service, has been nominated for awards in three categories for the 58th Annual Ohio Valley Emmy Awards. The awards will be presented July 30 in Columbus, Ohio.

Cheryl Beckley, who recently retired from WKU PBS, is nominated twice for her work on The Nature of History documentary.

Three others -- Darius Barati, Jeff Petrocelli and Neil Purcell -- are nominated again for their work on Lost River Sessions. Julie Bowles, a recent WKU graduate, received her first nomination for her collaborative work on Lost River Sessions while a student.

Purcell, Joshua Niedwick and Zeb Weese are nominated with Beckley for The Nature of History. They have all been previously nominated for their work.

“To me, everything comes down to surrounding yourself with the right team,” said Barati, producer/director for WKU PBS. “In particular, I cannot overstate the value that Julie Bowles brought to our productions. From initially running cameras and editing, to set design and lighting, working her way up into an assistant producer role, and eventually taking full lead and producing an episode, top to bottom, entirely on her own. She has been instrumental to the success of Lost River Sessions -- all while she was still a WKU student. I consider it the greatest honor to have worked alongside her, and her impact will be felt on this show and our station for years to come.”

WKU PBS received the following nominations for Ohio Valley Emmy Awards:

• Entertainment (Short Form or Long Form Content): Lost River Sessions -- Composite, Darius Barati, Julie Bowles, Jeff Petrocelli, Neil Purcell (For more, visit https://youtu.be/pVeQvmfxLLo and https://youtu.be/yu1OaTZNPBI) 
• Informational/Instructional or Interview/Discussion (Short Form or Long Form): The Nature of History -- Cheryl Shrader Beckley, Joshua Niedwick, Neil Purcell, Zeb Weese (For more, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxHy2kOrqHo)
• Writer (Long Form Content): The Nature of History -- Cheryl Shrader Beckley

“In The Nature of History we were able to tell the stories of how nature and history intertwine in this once in a career documentary. There is so much beauty to our state that it took all of us to tell these incredible stories and bring history to life,” Beckley said. “It's such an honor to be nominated with these awesome professionals and to be able to tell the incredible stories and show the beauty of our state.”

Niedwick said: “It is humbling as well as a pleasure to work and collaborate with such amazing and talented colleagues and students. The added challenge of completing The Nature of History amongst the pandemic and resulting modified production guidelines was nothing short of harrowing, and the fact that we not only completed the project during that time but to also have it recognized by the academy, speaks to our ability to work together, and achieve our goals. It is an absolute honor to have my name listed alongside these exceptional professionals whom I consider to be dear friends.”

Barati was pleased to see the group recognized for their work.

“Cheryl, Josh, Neil and Jeff have been pillars of our station for years and I am beyond thrilled to see their work acknowledged on the highest level,” he said. “Their dedication to their craft as well as their commitment to their community is second to none. They lead by example and are always the last to look for credit, so I’ll do it for them.”

WKU PBS has been nominated in each of the past 20 years, receiving 30 awards.

Contact: WKU PBS, (270) 745-2400

-WKU-

Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.