The calendar year 2025, the basis of submissions for the 2026 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards, was a difficult time for the people covering the news and the communities they serve. It was no wonder, then, that many nominated programs and eventual winners across multiple categories focused on two primary topics: the devastation and aftermath of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires and the issues surrounding immigration: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, detention and deportation.
“Every day there are millions of stories unfolding across Southern California, and the people in this room are the ones who make sure that those stories are told,” said host George Pennacchio, ABC7’s Emmy-winning entertainment reporter, in his welcome at the ceremony, held July 25 at the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles.
“In the past year, we’ve seen neighbors helping neighbors. We’ve seen first responders showing extraordinary courage and we’ve seen communities rebuilding with determination after those fires. So, time and again, Angelenos have shown the world what resilience really looks like. And while those events were unfolding, many of you were there and asked the important questions. In an age where we’re constantly bombarded with unreliable information, your commitment to accuracy and integrity has never been more important.”
Mayra Encinas and team from KMEX-TV accepts the Informational Series (More than 50% Remote) Emmy for "Tu Voz L.A." 
Resilience in the face of adversity was a recurring theme in presenters’ comments and winners’ acceptances throughout the ceremony, which recognizes excellence in local programming in news, sports, health and science, the environment, culture and history, entertainment, the arts, crime and social issues and other categories. In addition to fire and ICE, winning topics included climate change; the influence of illness and disability on art; the popularity of 1990s L.A. Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo; and issues facing aging Americans.
For the tenth consecutive year, PBS SoCal won the most awards of the evening — eight — followed by KMEX-TV with seven and KVEA with six. ABC7 and NBC4 tied with four apiece, while Spectrum News 1 and Spectrum SportsNet each earned two and LA36, Spectrum SportsNet LA and USC Football each claimed one.
PBS SoCal chief content officer Tamara Gould recalled how at last year’s event, the station had just lost its federal funding, but, she promised, was not defeated. “And a year later, I’m so proud to say we’re here with 29 nominations,” she said, accepting the award for Short Promo — Programming for climate and environment offerings. “I could not be more inspired by everything that everybody in this room is making.”
Among runner-up KMEX-TV’s awards were back-to-back victories for Informational Series, one more than 50% studio, the other, more than 50% remote. Accepting the latter for Tu Voz LA, producer Maydie Encinas dedicated the win to immigrant parents: “They don’t just come here to better themselves. They go beyond, and help other people just arriving,” she said. “It’s amazing what these people do to help our community. And this wouldn’t happen, thanks to our parents who risked their lives to come here and to make us better, and to prove that we can be better and that we can make a difference in this country. So, thank you.”
Of the three station newscast awards, ABC7 won for regularly scheduled daily morning newscast, while KVEA repeated its last-year’s win for daily daytime newscast and garnered its fourth consecutive statuette for daily evening newscast. Accepting for daytime, anchor Alejandra Ortiz Chagín said, “I believe there has not been a more challenging time for our viewers than this time, and they need us now more than ever. This award goes to each one of our viewers, that make us better journalists every single day. We wake up every day with our unwavering commitment to serve our community. In an era of disinformation and misinformation, in an era of AI, people need real journalists more than ever. Gracias a todos.”
Veteran journalist David Ono received the Governors Award; he is celebrating 30 years as a reporter for ABC7 and also coanchors the 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. newscasts. The winner of 31 Emmys, Ono is known for his national and international, as well as local, reporting. And he is the creator of Defining Courage, an immersive, multimedia stage show inspired by his reporting, which combines videos, interviews and anecdotes with live choral and orchestral music to tell the stories of Nisei soldiers, Americans of Japanese ancestry who served in segregated military units during World War II, while their families were incarcerated in U.S. concentration camps.
ABC7 Los Angeles anchor David Ono with his Los Angeles Area Governors Award 
Having just returned from a performance in Cody, Wyoming, Ono praised his collaborators as he began his acceptance speech. “Together, we have created something that is journalistic, but it’s different. It’s unique, and the reason why I want to tell you about that is that this is what I’ve learned in the industry,” he said. “I hate doing things just like everybody else. I strive to do it differently, and I know you all can relate to this. What I love is, I have a team, and I have a news director, and I have a general manager that accepts my ideas, even though they’re probably going to fail. But they give you the leeway to fail. If you’re a manager out there, I beg you to believe in the people that work for you, and allow them to try new things, allow them to gamble, allow them to fail, because someday they will succeed, and their success is going to be yours.
“As our industry evolves, we have to evolve with it, and in that, as we come up with new ideas, those innovations are the next great thing. There is opportunity for you to dive into what your mind and your heart tell you, and to create. I’ve been given that opportunity, and I thrive because of that. We have to all open our eyes to possibilities.
“Don’t lose track of the value of what you do. It’s easy to forget that we all have that incredible ability to change people’s lives, because we get so caught up in the daily things, we don’t give ourselves enough credit, nor do we push ourselves hard enough to do what we’re capable of doing.
“Most importantly, as we gather here today, I see you guys want to hear it matters. I just want you to know that when I watch what you do, when I see the winner in a category that I might be in, I’m always blown away by that person’s creativity, and I’m suddenly a better reporter because of that. Because I’ve learned something. As we all gather here, I say I’m super proud to receive this Governors Award. But I also say thank you, because it’s because of you, and what I’ve learned from each of you, that has made me a better journalist, a better storyteller. So, as we go forward, I hope we all can innovate in a way that goes far beyond what we think our reach is, far beyond what we think our ability is.
“Drive yourself. If you have a little seed of an idea, develop it. Don’t doubt yourself, because if you can see it, you can make it happen. And that’s what I’ve learned from you. Thank you.”
Greg Taylor and Brian DeCloux are the Television Academy’s Los Angeles Area peer group governors. Bob Bain and Bob Bain Productions executive-produced the ceremony.
A complete list of winners is available here.
