WHJE 91.3, has once again proven why it stands among the nation’s best high school broadcasting programs. The Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) announced its finalists for the upcoming IBSNYC 2026 Awards, and WHJE earned over 50 nominations! With 32 people from our staff being nominated in total. This spanned nearly every division, including on air talent, talk programs, news, sports broadcasting, production, marketing, podcasting, and management.

These nominations represent the creativity, dedication, and professionalism from WHJE students that we bring to the station every single day. WHJE continues to reflect the standard of excellence IBS seeks to recognize broadcasters across the country.

The Nominees

WHJE’s finalists include both individual students and collaborative teams who produced some of this year’s best radio work

On-Air Categories:

1. Best On-Air Personality : Nick Anderson
2. Best Speciality Music Show : Emo Mixtape – Nick Anderson
3. Best Live Music Broadcast : Tege Holt Live – Tyler Kinsey and Spencer Howard
4. Best Talk Program : Anything But Average – Audrey Paskins 
5. Best Speciality Show (Non – Music) : 
   1. First Drop – Nolan Stuller
   2. Cars & Coffee – Nathan Ward
6. Best Celebrity or Artist/Band Interview : 
   1. Tege Holt – Franklin Virtis
   2. Anthony Calhoun / Emmy Winning Sports Presenter – Alex Cole & Will Engledow
7. Best Radio Drama : Crossroads – Ollie Chesterfield & Sam Falkenstein
8. Best Documentary : Marilyn Monroe – Leah McKay
9. Best Public Affairs Program : The Serial Rundown – MJ Martell
10. Best Morning Show : Morning Show – Alex Cole
11. Best Comedy Program : Ludicrously Improvised Vocal Entertainment Show – MJ Martell, Mia Adkins, Parsa Mahmoudi
12. Best Foreign Language Program : The Gujarati Show – Saryu Kabaria

Sports Categories: Best Play-By-Plays

1. Football : Carmel Greyhounds v Warren Central Warriors – Reilly Sweeney
2. Men’s Basketball : Noblesville v HSE – Will Engledow
3. Women’s Basketball : Carmel v Columbus North – Cooper Sanders
4. Baseball/Softball : Carmel V Cathedral Softball – Gavin Snyder
5. Other : Girls Swimming Sectionals – Reilly Sweeney

1. Best Sports Talk Program : Jack of All Sports – Connell McDonough, Brendan Melby, Jackson Shepard, Ben Kontarzhy
2. Best Sports Interview : Unified Sports Interview – Cooper Sanders
3. Best Sports Pre/Post Game : Carmel v Lawrence Central – Cooper Sanders, Reilly Sweeney, Ben Kontarzhy

New Categories: 

1. Best Newscast : MJ News 9.10.25 – MJ Martell
2. Best Spot News : Swimming World Cup – Alex Cole 
3. Campus or Community News Coverage : Walk of Champions – Chloe Jones
4. Best News Interview : Interview with Andrew Miller Editor IDS – MJ Martell

Marketing: 

1. Best Community Outreach Event : Riley Fundraiser / Tege Holt Concert – Chloe Jones
2. Best Logo : WHJE logo – Franklin Vrtis and Chloe Jones
3. Best Station Promotional Poster : Radiothon – Avaleigh Heldman
4. Best Show Promotional Poster : 
   1. Let’s Be Honest – Avaleigh Heldman
   2. Sample City – Franklin Vrtis & Chloe Jones
5. Best Giveaway : Young Frankenstein Tickets Giveaway – Alex Cole, Ben Halbig, Nick Luther & Jack Cassidy
6. Best Press Release : WHJE Live Shows Are Back! – Avaleigh Heldman

Web/On-Line:

1. Best Website : WHJE – Riley Alderman
2. Best Podcast : The Zed Files : Vampires – MJ Martell & Max Licht
3. Best Social Media Campaign : WHJE Homecoming 25 – Avaleigh Heldman
4. Best Social Media Account : 
   1. Now and Then – Franklin Vrtis & Chloe Jones
   2. WHJE Sports – Charlie Dein & Will Engledow
   3. WHJE – Avaleigh Heldman and Audrey Paskins
5. Best Use of Video in Radio Studio : Road Trip To Trinity – Will Engledow

Production Categories:

1. Best Promo Series : Soundwave Promos – Alex Cole
2. Best Show Promo : Turn Based Show Promo – Parsa Mahmoudi and Ollie Chesterfield
3. Best Show Intro : Sample City Intro – Franklin Vrtis and Chloe Jones
4. Best Public Service Announcement : Academic Dishonesty PSA – Noley Hall
5. Best Use of Sound Effects : Witches Cauldron : Macbeth – MJ Martell
6. Best Liner/Sweeper : Now & Then Sweeper – Franklin Virtis
7. Best Station ID : Multi Voice Station ID – Alex Cole

Management Awards: 

1. Best Student Station Manager (Radio) : Audrey Paskins
2. Best Music Director (Radio) : Sam Falkenstein
3. Best Social Media Director (Radio) : Charlie Dein
4. Best Sports Director (Radio) : Cooper Sanders & Reilly Sweeney

Best High School Radio Station: WHJE

IBS strives to highlight the value of student-led media, honoring stations that have genuine storytelling, skill, and a passion for broadcasting. These nominations reflect not just individual achievements but the collaborative effort that WHJE is known for.

Looking Ahead to IBSNYC 2026

The winners will be announced at the IBS International Conference, in Febuary 2026, in New York City, where finalists from across the country gather to celebrate student media. WHJE will once again be represented by one of the largest finalist groups in the nation, showcasing our awesome talent coming out of Carmel High School for 91.3 WHJE