The Thursday 11 News cast and crew, including the three Gracie winners, pose for a photo after the newscast.
Three of BYU’s broadcast students recently brought home awards from the Alliance for Women in Media’s Gracie Awards.
Julianne Horsley won Best Anchor, Mary Blanchard won Best Sports Host and Danielle Ycmat Jansson won Best News Producer in February 2014.
Blanchard’s win marks the fourth year in a row that a BYU broadcast student has won this award. Past winners include Sable Petersen, Briana Carr, Lakia Holmes, and Taylor Lansford.
“I consider myself lucky every day that I get to attend a school with such an amazing broadcast program,” Blanchard said. “BYU has provided an environment to hone my skills in that we do have our own newsroom and camera equipment, and daily show that students run and get to be a part of.”
Blanchard’s interest in broadcasting was sparked by the ESPN show SportsCenter.
“I remember starting to get really into it early in high school and I just thought…I need to anchor that show. I love sports, I love talking, but I especially love talking about sports – it’s perfect,” she said.
The Gracies are awarded every year to outstanding women in the media with the student awards spotlighting upcoming college women who show dedication to the media profession.
“The Alliance for Women in Media was formed in 1951 as successor to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) women’s division. In 2010, the organization changed its name to the Alliance for Women in Media, in order to better represent our commitment to women in all forms of electronic media.” according to the organization’s website.