On March 24, 2025 the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters (MAB) hosted its annual Excellence in Broadcasting Awards Gala at the Old Capital Inn in Jackson, Mississippi. This event is a special occasion where many broadcasters from the entire state of Mississippi get rewarded for their work and talents within the news industry.
A night dedicated to honoring the state’s finest storytellers, Journalists, and media professionals, each person was recognized for their dedication to their individual news stations. Some of these stations included WLBT/3 On Your Side from Jackson, Mississippi, WTOK-TV from Meridian, Mississippi, WCKK-FM from Walnut Grove, Mississippi and many more. The recognition of excellence within the Communications field didn’t stop with professionals, MAB also recognized college students who exemplified excellence at their university’s radio and television stations.
Colleges that were recognized were Alcorn State University (Students who received awards were Alcorn Mass Communications majors, Larissa Chillous, Brandon Buie, Sydney Johnson and Tyarian Carson), Jackson State University, Holmes Community College, The University of Southern Mississippi, The University of Mississippi, etc. Students were awarded for many categories such as, Best Student TV Weathercast, Best Student Radio Show, Best Student TV Newscast, Best Student Radio and TV Reporter and others.
Sydney Johnson, a Senior Mass Communications student at Alcorn stated, “It was a surreal experience. I always knew my hard work and talent would be appreciated. I was very thankful for the opportunity.”
The annual awards gala was sponsored by C-Spire, the Army National Guard, Frontier Strategies, CNN, WJSU-TV, and Maggie Clark Media Services. One anticipated award of the night was the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to a broadcaster who had shaped Mississippi media for decades. This year’s recipient was Howard Ballou, a Journalism professional and anchor at WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi for more than 30 years. Even though he couldn’t make the event in person, he sent a heartfelt tribute to the MAB audience for his appreciation for winning the award. “We have to keep the world of Journalism alive. We have to keep telling stories and exposing those hard truths. It’s the only way,” stated Ballou.
At the conclusion of the event, different media outlets came together for laughs and hugs as another year of Mississippi Broadcasters had been honored.
