Marfa Public Radio has received a National Edward R. Murrow award for the station’s podcast “A Whole Other Country.”
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) on Thursday recognized the station with an award in the News Series, Small Market Radio category for the 2025 podcast, which explored the Republic of Texas standoff in the Davis Mountains in the late 1990s.
The Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious awards in news and, as described by RTDNA, “recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community.”
A Whole Other Country, a production of Marfa Public Radio studios, was reported and produced by Zoe Kurland and edited by Liza Yeager. As of this summer, the show has surpassed 400,000 downloads.
“A Whole Other Country is truly a product of Far West Texas, built from the voices, sounds, and history of this region,” Kurland said. “To be nationally recognized for this work means more than I could ever articulate — I think about those myriad trips up into the mountains, and the meaningful conversations I shared with residents of the Davis Mountains Resort, some of whom are no longer with us. This award recognizes the importance of those voices and the impact of the stories we share.”
Station Manager Travis Bubenik said the award is a testament to the high-quality, rigorous and creative approach to journalism and storytelling that Marfa Public Radio has become naturally known for.
“If you look at some of the other award winners on the list this year, you’ll see how our small team competed against much larger organizations,” Bubenik said. “We’re all incredibly proud of this distinctly West Texas podcast that has already received national acclaim and is a true fan-favorite among our audience.”
The award is set to be presented at the National Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on Oct. 12 in New York City.
Marfa Public Radio is an award-winning, non-profit, listener-supported radio station serving Far West Texas and the Permian Basin. The station has won a total of 9 National Edward R. Murrow awards and dozens of Regional Murrow awards as well. Contributions to support the station’s vital work can be made at marfapublicradio.org/donate.