October 28, 2025
Prairie Fire, a magazine program produced by WILL-TV at Illinois Public Media, was awarded five Emmys across five categories at the 2025 Mid-America Emmy Awards, including “Best Magazine Program” in the region.
“Our win for Magazine Program for the second year in a row is a real thrill for the Prairie Fire team” said host and producer Sarah Edwards, “because it really underscores the excellence and thought we put in to making every episode as good as it can be. Prairie Fire represents the best of PBS programming produced at the local level.”
The team, which was nominated for 10 awards, also earned Emmys in the following categories:
- Human Interest – Short Form Content (up to 10 minutes): “Meet Shannon Voss”
- Education/Schools – Short Form Content (up to 10 minutes): “Illinois Hip Hop Camp”
- Entertainment – Short Form or Long Form Content: “Leah Marlene Live”
- Informational/Instructional – Short Form Content (up to 10 minutes): “Fresh Press Paper”
The Prairie Fire Emmy-winning production team includes Edwards, fellow producers Taylor Plantan, DJ Roach, and Tinisha Spain, along with cinematographer Daniel Clarke, and audio engineer and cinematographer James Treichler. (Pictured below: Producers Tinisha Spain, Taylor Plantan, and Sarah Edwards, who also hosts Prairie Fire, with one of five Emmys they won for their program.)
“As producers of the show, we carefully curate and construct the stories of Illinois’s local characters to highlight the very best creatives, small business owners, and innovators our state has to offer,” said Plantan. “The success of the program is a testament to the charisma and talent of the Central Illinois community.”
Spain pointed to the significance of the work done by the Prairie Fire team. “Being honored with an Emmy is a deeply humbling reminder that local storytelling is important—that the stories we tell do matter,” she said.
“We’re incredibly proud of the Prairie Fire team and their dedication to telling authentic, locally grounded stories,” said Moss Bresnahan, Illinois Public Media’s executive director. “These awards reflect the quality, creativity, and heart that exemplify Illinois Public Media’s work.”
About “Prairie Fire”
Reimagined and brought to life once more, Prairie Fire is a new take on WILL-TV’s beloved magazine program from the mid-1990s. Rooted in storytelling, Prairie Fire brings viewers cinematic documentaries, profiles, and performances from downstate Illinois. The show airs on local PBS stations across the state of Illinois, including Nine Network St. Louis and WTTW Chicago.
Illinois Public Media is a not-for-profit public media service of the College of Media at the University of Illinois, enriching people’s lives through programs and services that educate, entertain, inspire, empower, and address community needs and concerns. Additional services include WILL-AM 580, Illinois Soul (FM 101.1) WILL-TV, Illinois Public Media News, and many more.