Kansas City, MO - Kansas City PBS is proud to announce it has received five nominations for the 2025 Mid-America Emmy® Awards, recognizing excellence in television across the region.  

The nominated programs and their creators are: 

“A Tale of Three Cities” (Public Affairs Program) 

Michael Price, Nick Haines 

As violent crime dropped nationwide in 2023, Kansas City saw its highest rates. The recent deadly shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade shined an international spotlight on the issue, leaving many to wonder if the shooting was enough to galvanize the city to tackle violent crime head-on. In search of solutions, filmmaker Michael Price explores successful crime reduction programs in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas, and Omaha, Nebraska, immersing viewers in critical conversations about violent crime and inspiring meaningful action. 

“Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast” (Documentary: Cultural) 

Kerry Rounds, Tamara Rounds, Trey Swager, Jor-El Washington, Spencer Chaney 

In 1950, Andrew “Skip” Carter began operating KPRS as the nation’s first Black radio station west of the Mississippi River. Seventy-five years later, the Kansas City radio station is still alive and well, celebrating its Diamond Jubilee anniversary.  

“AIDS in KC: Getting to Zero” (Human Interest: Long Form) 

Emily Woodring, Sandy Woodson 

From filmmakers Sandy Woodson and Emily Woodring, AIDS in KC spans the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the current organizers who continue to rally against the virus. The series shares the untold perspectives of Kansas Citians who battled the HIV/AIDS and local efforts to combat the spread of the virus through education, testing and treatment. The final chapter of the series follows individuals currently navigating the complexities of living with HIV/AIDS and the local organizers aiming for a future of zero new infections, deaths or discrimination.  

“The Potato King” (Documentary: Historical) 

Jacob Handy, Paris Norvell, Cole Blaise, Samuel Jones, Betty Jones, Michael Rollen 

The Potato King tells the story of Junius Groves, a formerly enslaved man who became known as the “Potato King of the World.” Told from the perspective of local farmer Mike B. Rollen, this film sets out to learn about Groves and his pioneering journey to become one of the wealthiest men of his time.  

“Environmental Justice” (Public Affairs Program) 

Cody Boston, D. Rashaan Gilmore, Julie Freijat, Nicole Dolan 

In cities across the US, heavily polluted industrial zones are often established adjacent to communities of color and low-income residents. Flatland in Focus speaks with residents living in Kansas City neighborhoods that suffer from a history of air pollution. 

"These nominations reflect the depth and diversity of our storytelling, shining a light on topics that are central to our community," said Kliff Kuehl, President and CEO of Kansas City PBS. "We are immensely proud of our teams for their dedication to producing meaningful and impactful work that serves the people of Kansas City." 

The nominated programs can be found at kansascitypbs.org and the PBS App.  

The 2025 NATAS Mid-America Emmy® awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Brilliance Ballroom at Ameristar in St. Charles, Missouri and will be hosted by Jeff Houghton. More information about the 2025 nominees can be found at emmymid-america.org/. 

About the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) 

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, founded in 1955, is a professional service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television. NATAS presents the prestigious Emmy® Award for achievements in News & Documentary, Sports, Daytime, Public & Community Service, Technology & Engineering, and more. Regional Emmy® Awards are given in 19 regions across the United States. 

About the NATAS Mid-America Chapter 

The Mid-America Chapter was chartered in 1962 and began honoring outstanding achievements in television with local Emmy® Awards in 1976. As "The Emmy® People," their mission is to set the gold standard while celebrating innovation and integrity across all platforms of visual media. The chapter includes television markets primarily in Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois. 

About Kansas City PBS 

Located in the heart of Kansas City, MO, Kansas City PBS is a non-profit multimedia organization serving the community since 1961. The PBS member station airs diverse content focused on civic affairs, science, food, drink, arts and culture on four television channels, including Channel 19.1, 19.2, 19.3 (Create) and 19.4, the 24-hour PBS kids channel. Channels 19.1 and 19.4 are also available to live stream online, with programming available on-demand in the PBS App and Kansas City PBS Passport, a member-benefit streaming service. Kansas City PBS serves students, caregivers and the local education community through free online resources, workshops for parents and teachers, and annual conferences and events. It also owns and operates the local NPR music station, 90.9 The Bridge, providing nonprofit radio in a AAA format to listeners over the air and online streaming. Kansas City PBS’ nonprofit source for local journalism, Flatland (flatlandkc.org), produces multimedia reporting focused on civic affairs, arts and culture, food and drink, and education. For more information on Kansas City PBS or its wide variety of local and national content, visit kansascitypbs.org.