Sylvia Goodman has been selected as the 2026 New Voices Award winner from the Public Media Journalists Association, a national professional organization. Goodman, the Capitol reporter for Kentucky Public Radio, is the second-ever reporter to receive the high honor.
"I see my role as a politics reporter as an ever expanding one, going beyond the circus to genuinely understand how politics and policy affect our community," Goodman said. "I am incredibly grateful both for this award and the opportunity to report on the issues that matter to the people of Kentucky and my region."
KPR is a network of four stations across Kentucky including WKMS in Murray, WKU Public Radio in Bowling Green, WEKU in Richmond and Louisville Public Media, where Goodman is based.
The New Voices Award was established to honor early career journalists who demonstrate professional excellence, innovating and impactful storytelling and who embody the values of public service media. PMJA announced the news Tuesday.
"This award is a recognition of the hard work and dedication Sylvia puts into her reporting each and every day," said Ryan Van Velzer, managing editor of collaboratives. "In just a few short years, she has earned the credibility and trust of journalists, sources and our audience. Her stories demonstrate the importance of local reporting and reflect the values of our newsroom and our community. I'm proud to work alongside her."
In her first year as Capitol reporter, Goodman broke international news. Her work has been cited on the floor of the Kentucky legislature and in major publications across the country.
She has been a guest on TV and radio programs including Comment on Kentucky, Cincinnati Edition, Here and Now, All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Up First, and the NPR Politics Podcast.
LPM President and CEO Kenya Young said Tuesday that the award is going to exactly the right person.
"LPM has benefited from Sylvia's tenacity, rigor and curiosity. Her reporting has shaped our newsroom and the impact we have across Kentucky," Young said. "Her due diligence is a throwback to old-school Journalism 101, proving the next generation of public media journalists is still dogged and committed to serving the public. We are fortunate to be able to watch, and be a part of, what will be a remarkable, long-lasting career."
Goodman joined LPM as a breaking news reporter in 2023 and was then promoted to her current role about six months later. She was born and raised in Louisville, attending duPont Manual High School and then going on to graduate from Northwestern University. Before coming back to Louisville, she worked at the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Goodman and two other PMJA individual award winners will be honored at a ceremony later this summer.
Copyright 2026 LPM News
