22 Emmy Nominations Go To Northland TV Stations For 2026 Upper Midwest Emmy Awards
The nominations are out, and a total of 22 nominations for the 2026 Upper Midwest Emmy Awards are for TV stations in the Duluth area.
Not to be confused with the primetime Emmy Awards happening tonight that cover television programming on a national scale, there are also regional Emmy Award ceremonies that celebrate outstanding local and regional television programming.
The Upper Midwest Emmy Awards celebrate TV productions in Minnesota, North & South Dakota, Iowa, and the western half of Wisconsin.
Of the numerous nominees in a variety of different categories spanning areas like newscasts, special reports, documentaries, lifestyle programming, sports, commercials, and more, a total of 22 nominated productions on the list of 2026 nominees belong to Northland TV stations.
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Here's a breakdown of the Duluth area TV stations with nominations for the 2026 Upper Midwest Emmy Awards:
PBS North (WDSE TV)
The Northland's PBS station received a total of 5 nominations for this year's Upper Midwest Emmy Awards. Here's how they break down by category:
| Category | Production |
| Informational/Instructional | "Fur Trade and Revolution" |
| Informational/Instructional | "What Do You Do With a Laurentian Divide?" |
| Arts/Entertainment - Short Form Content | "Scott Murphy" |
| Business/Consumer - Short or Long Form Content | "Steger Mukluks" |
| Diversity/Equity/Inclusion - Short or Long Form Content | "Minnesota MMIR Office & Family of Peter Martin" |
WDIO TV
Duluth's ABC affiliate, owned by Hubbard Broadcasting in the Twin Cities, has a total of 4 nominations for this year's Upper Midwest Emmy Awards. Here's how they break down by category:
| Category | Production |
| Evening Newscast - Markets (76+) (5pm - midnight) | "WDIO News at Six" |
| Weather - Short or Long Form Content | "Winter Weather Ready" |
| Promotion – News - Image (Single Spot or Campaign) | "Dori's Forecast" |
| Promotion – News - Image (Single Spot or Campaign) | "Hockey Journalist" |
Northern News Now (KBJR TV)
The Northland's NBC/CBS group, owned by Atlanta, Georgia-based Gray Media, has a total of 13 nominations for this year's Upper Midwest Emmy Awards. Here's how they break down by category:
| Category | Production |
| Evening Newscast - Markets (76+) (5pm - midnight) | "Thundersnow" |
| Continuing Coverage | "CAD Crisis: A Nonprofit Nightmare" |
| News Feature - Serious Feature | "Securing the Shore" |
| Arts/Entertainment - News | "Marty’s Goldenaires" |
| Business Consumer - News | "Traveling Terror: Unaccompanied Minors Program" |
| Crime/Justice - News | "Get Out Of Jail (Almost) Free" |
| Historical/Cultural/Nostalgia - News | "Edmund Fitzgerald 50th: Coast Guard Hero's Story" |
| Military - News | "The Camo Coalition" |
| Diversity/Equity/Inclusion - News | "Tuskegee Airman Joe Gomer fought nazis and racists" |
| Societal Concerns - News | "Dateline Data Center" |
| Societal Concerns - News | "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of AI" |
| Weather - News | "From the Ashes" |
| Special Event Coverage | "Edmund Fitzgerald 50th Anniversary Show" |
The nomination process includes the stations submitting productions for consideration and then peer judging before nominations are announced about a month before the awards ceremony.
The awards ceremony for the 2026 Upper Midwest Emmy Awards will be held on Saturday, October 17, in the Twin Cities.
During the ceremony, winners in the various categories will all be announced, along with other program highlights like the annual Golf Circle and Silver Circle awards, honoring long-tenured professionals in the field.
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