Wilbur Awards
Over 70 Years of Recognizing Excellence in the Communication of Religious Issues, Values, and Themes in Public Media
Since 1949, the Wilbur Awards have been presented annually to recognize excellence in the communication of religious issues, values, and themes in public secular media. Through the awards, the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) recognizes the work of individuals, production companies and agencies as they communicate about religious issues, values and themes with professionalism, fairness, respect and honesty. Past winners include Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Pauley, Mister Rogers, CBS Sunday Morning, ABC’s 20/20, Meet the Press, Vanity Fair, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the New York Times.
The Wilbur Award honors Marvin C. Wilbur, a pioneer in the field of religious public relations. Each Wilbur stained glass trophy is individually hand-crafted. An eloquent thank you for excellent work!
Submission Deadline:
Monday, February 8, 2021
2021 Wilbur Awards
Any person or agency may submit entries for the 2021 Wilbur Awards. Entries are eligible if released or distributed through a non-religious medium of general circulation during the 2020 calendar year. The work must be focused on religious issues, positive values, and uplifting themes.
The competition is judged by religion media professionals from across the United States in a jury process. The basic criteria of content, creativity, execution and results, apply in the evaluation of each entry. The ultimate criterion is excellence in the communication of religious values, the hallmark of RCC and the Wilbur Awards.

Entry period opens for 2021 Wilbur Awards
Entry Deadline: February 8, 2021
Winners will be notified by March 8, 2021.
Awards will be presented virtually during the RCC National Convention, April 6-9, 2021.
Questions? Contact us!
Wilbur Awards Contact Form
2020 Wilbur Awards Sponsor
We are honored to have the Wilbur Awards for 2020 underwritten by Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, OK.
The seminary, at its core, is a community of teachers and learners seeking to be faithful to God through disciplined, reasoned and reflective study of scripture, religious tradition and human experience. We offer courses online and on-campus with students across the U.S. and abroad.

2020 Wilbur Award Winners
The 2020 Wilbur Awards celebrated 23 winners for work completed in 2019. Among this year’s winners are a number of pieces that highlight stories from around the world or were produced internationally. Such winners include “Wrapped in Love,” the Toronto based radio documentary winner from Tapestry on CBC Radio, and “Life & Soul,” the Dublin based winner in the TV & Cable documentary category by Scratch Films for RTÉ. The Associated Press won in two categories, one for a breathtaking photo essay depicting recent crackdowns by the Indian government in the largely Muslim Kashmir region.
Other Wilbur winners include New York Time Bestseller, “The Dearly Beloved,” published by Simon and Schuster; “Bipartisan Prayer,” a TV interview by CBS Face the Nation; and a magazine essay published by Emergence Magazine, “On the Road with Thomas Merton.”.
Join Us in Celebrating the 2020 Winners
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES (print and online)

National or Top 15 metro markets (single article, series of articles, special section, religion page)
Sikh Drivers are Transforming U.S. Trucking,” (series: “Sikh drivers are transforming U.S. trucking. Take a ride along the Punjabi American highway,” “How a rural Oklahoma truck stop became a destination for Sikh Punjabis crossing America,” “Behind the Story: On a search for Sikh truckers”) Jaweed Kaleem, reporter; Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California

All other markets (single article, series of articles, special section, religion page)
“Coverings,” Peter Smith, religion editor; Stephanie Strasburg, staff photographer; Shelly Bradbury, public-safety reporter; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Blog/Column
“Holiness in the midst of pain: Reflections on a year of difficult events” Kelsey Dallas, religion reporter and InDepth content manager; Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah
MAGAZINE ARTICLES (print and online)

All Markets
“On the Road with Thomas Merton,” Fred Bahnson, essayist; Jeremy Seifert, filmmaker; Emergence Magazine, Inverness, California
Photography

Photo Story/Essay
“India’s Crackdown Hits Religious Freedom in Disputed Kashmir,” The Associated Press, Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan, Rajesh Kumar Singh, photographers
BOOKS

Fiction
“The Dearly Beloved,” Cara Wall, author; Simon & Schuster, New York, New York

Non-fiction
“Sacred Liberty,” Steven Waldman, author; HarperOne, HarperCollins, Brooklyn, New York

Youth/Children
“The Best of KidSpirit, Volume VI,” Elizabeth Dabney Hochman, editor; KidSpirit, Brooklyn, New York
FILMS & VIDEO

Feature Length Film
“Breaking Bread,” Beth Elise Hawk, writer, producer & director; Jon Fitzgerald & Travis Knox, executive producers; Martin Goldenberg, Michelle Harrison, Issie Rabinovitch, Lois Schottenstein, associate producers; Ofer Ben Yehuda, director of photography; Jonty Fine & Itai Levin, editors; Omar El-Deeb, music; Gemini Girls Productions, Santa Monica, California

Documentary (30 min.+)
“American Heretics: The Politics of the Gospel,” Jeanine Butler & Catherine Butler, directors & producers; Jamie Lee Godfrey, editor; Peter Hutchens, camera; Butlerfilms in association with Contemporary Dialogues, Charlottesville, Virginia

Documentary (30 min.+)
“Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story,” Martin Doblmeier, filmmaker; Mark Comberiate, producer & director of photography; Carrie Snyder, producer; Deryl Davis, producer; Journey Films, Alexandria, Virginia
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

Online News Stories
“The Reckoning,” The Associated Press Staff; The Associated Press New York, New York

Multimedia or Video
“Coverings,” Peter Smith, religion editor; Stephanie Strasburg, staff photographer; Shelly Bradbury, public-safety reporter; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
TELEVISION & CABLE

Drama
“Jesus: His Life,” Ben Goold, Jane Root, Joel Osteen, D. Emerson Iloff, Mary Donahue, Evan Lerner, executive producers; Simon Breen, series producer; Joshua Hyams, Alex Dwiar, Jackelyn Viera Lloff, producers; Adrian McDowall, Craig Pickles, Ashley Pearce, directors; Joe Ainsworth, Ed Selleck, Anna McPartlin, Lauren Klee, writers; produced by Nutopia; History, A&E Network, New York, New York

News – network or national syndication (up to 4 min.)
“The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell: WWE Wrestler Fights Stereotypes,” Jim Axelrod, correspondent; Kimberly Godwin and Jay Shaylor, executive producers; Alturo Rhymes, senior producer; Sharaf Mowjood, producer; CBS News, New York, New York

News – network or national syndication (4-8 min.)
“CBS News Sunday Morning: Family Man: When Mitch Albom found Chika” Nancy Giles, correspondent; Mary Lou Teel, producer; Joseph Frandino, editor; Rand Morrison, executive producer; CBS Sunday Morning, New York, New York

News – network or national syndication (8 min.+)
“CBS News 60 Minutes: Tree of Life,” Lesley Stahl, correspondent; Shachar Bar-On, producer; Kate Morris, associate producer; April Wilson, editor; Bill Owens; executive producer; Tanya Simon, executive editor; 60 Minutes, CBS News, New York, New York

Documentary (up to 30 min.)
“In Bad Faith: Child Sex Abuse and the Catholic Church,” Paul Abowd, producer; Natasha Del Toro, correspondent; Laila Al-Arian, executive producer; Erik Ljung and Stephen Bailey, dp; Paul Abowd, additional photography; Warwick Meade, editor; Fault Lines, Al Jazeera English, Washington, D.C.

Documentary (30 min.+)
“Life & Soul,” Liam McGrath, producer/director; Roger Childs, executive producer; Greg Fromholz, associate producer; Áine O’Neill & Colm Flynn, presenters /producers; Lanka Perren, director of photography; Elisanne Pires, production co-ordinator; Scratch Films for RTÉ, Balbriggan, Dublin

Interview
Face the Nation – Bipartisan Prayer, Margaret Brennan, moderator; Mary Hager, executive producer; Catherine Reynolds, senior producer; Jake Miller, producer; Alison Hawley director; CBS News, Washington, D.C.
RADIO OR PODCASTS

Single Program
“‘Blue Christmas’ Services Offer Refuge From Holiday Cheer” Deena Prichep, reporter; Jason DeRose, editor, freelance broadcast on NPR, Portland, OR

Series of Programs (two or more)
“On Freedom Road: The Roots and Fruits of U.S. Exploitation of Immigrant Labor,” David Dault, producer, audio engineer, and editor; Lisa Sharon Harper, executive producer & host; Freedom Road, producing organization; Sojourners, partnering organization; The Work of the People, partnering organization; Sandburg Media, LLC, Chicago, Illinois

Documentary
“Wrapped in Love,” Sarah Keaveny-Vos, producer; Erin Noel, editor & sound designer; CBC Radio – Tapestry, Toronto, Ontario Canada
Previous Winners
2012-2019
Recognizing excellence in the communication of religious issues, values, and themes in secular media.
2019
2019 Wilbur Awards Program and Winners
2019 Wilbur Award Acceptance Videos
2019 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2018
2018 Wilbur Awards Program and Winners
2018 Wilbur Award Acceptance Videos
2018 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2017
2017 Wilbur Awards Program and Winners
2017 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2016
2016 Wilbur Awards Program and Winners
2016 Wilbur Award Acceptance Videos
2016 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2015
2015 Wilbur Awards Program and Winners
2015 Wilbur Award Acceptance Videos
2015 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2014
2014 Wilbur Awards Program and Winners
2014 Wilbur Award Acceptance Videos
2014 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2013
2013 Wilbur Awards Program and Winners
2013 Wilbur Award Ceremony Photos
2012
2003-2011
Recognizing excellence in the communication of religious issues, values, and themes in secular media.
2011
2011 Wilbur Award Acceptance Videos
2011 Wilbur Award Ceremony Photos
2010
2010 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2009
2009 Wilbur Awards Ceremony Photos
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
1992-2001
Recognizing excellence in the communication of religious issues, values, and themes in secular media.
2002
2001
2000
1998
1996
1992

Shirley Struchen and Andy Rawls Provide Leadership for the Wilbur Awards Program
Shirley Struchen, RCC Executive Director since 2001, is coordinator of the 2020 Wilbur Awards.
Dr. Andrew “Andy” B. Rawls, former director of media services at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is producer of the 2020 Wilbur Awards event for the 30th year. He received a “Special Wilbur” in 2012 as Producer Extraordinaire for his many years of creatively producing the RCC Wilbur Program.
Want to check out some of the previous Wilbur Awards presentations again? Go to the RCC YouTube Channel to see the award presentations.
Many thanks to Andy Rawls, Wilbur Awards producer, for preparing all the video clips highlighting the introduction to each award and excerpts from the acceptance remarks!