Winona State University alum Tommy Platek ‘13 received the Upper Midwest Regional Emmy® Award in the Photographer: News category, for his videography work at Town Square Television in the Twin Cities.
Platek’s award entry included samples of his videography work on the local News Magazine Insight 7. Other nominees included news photographers from KARE-TV, KMSP-TV, and KSFY-TV. In his acceptance speech, Platek thanked Town Square Television for providing him the opportunity to apply his creative skills in telling the compelling stories of the local community, and applauded community television for its important place in the media spectrum. “I was so honored and thankful to receive this award,” Platek said. “Being recognized among the talent in this market shows the relevance and effectiveness that community media can have in our community.”
Insight 7 Producer Dennis Rafftery lauded Platek’s achievement, who wins the award at the age of 29, describing the award as a “lifetime goal” for news photographers.
Platek, along with Reporter Adam Carter, was also nominated for two other stories from Insight 7, “Cops at the Castle” in the Light Feature News Report category, and “Smiley Sandy” in the Arts & Entertainment: News Single Story/Series category.
The Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a membership organization dedicated to excellence in video and television. It includes more than 600 members across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Western Wisconsin. The 20th Annual Regional Emmy® Awards were presented at a ceremony at the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake, MN, on October 5, 2019.
For more information contact the Winona State University Marketing and Communications office at 507-457-5024.
About Winona State University
Founded in 1858, Winona State University is a comprehensive, regional public university with approximately 8,000 students on campuses in Winona and Rochester. Around half of WSU students are first-generation, meaning neither parent has a four-year bachelor’s degree. The oldest member of the Minnesota State system, WSU offers more than 80 undergraduate, pre-professional, licensure, graduate and doctorate programs in five colleges: Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing & Health Sciences, and Science & Engineering. Winona State is ranked as the second public institution in Minnesota by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges,” has been named among the “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review for 16 years in a row, and has been featured as one of America’s 100 Best College Buys for quality and value for 24 consecutive years. The University generates $447.9 million in annual economic impact. The University’s mission is to enhance the intellectual, social, cultural and economic vitality of the people and communities we serve: a community of learners improving our world. For more information, visit winona.edu.
