FOX News Media Spotlight Awards recognize team members who went above and beyond in 2024
FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott and President & Executive Editor Jay Wallace announced the recipients of the 2024 FOX News Media Spotlight Awards last Wednesday during an end-of-year town hall for employees.
The FOX News Media Spotlight Awards are an annual tradition for the company and management received hundreds of nominations from staff members passionate about celebrating colleagues who earned special recognition.
Fox News Channel’s Shannon Bream explained the nominating process and Bret Baier, Harold Ford Jr., Bill Hemmer, Martha MacCallum and Dana Perino joined Scott and Wallace to share praise about each recipient. FOX News Media executives received 342 nominations, and 185 different employees and departments were recognized across FOX News Media platforms.
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The Unsung Hero Award goes to employees who consistently go above and beyond with work that is vital to FOX News Media but often goes unnoticed. Three winners were selected and Hemmer joked he would continue his tradition of referring to winners as "Unsung" when he sees them around the office.
"Three of our absolutely critical and beloved members of this community," MacCallum said.
Director of technical operations Latoya Lewis
Lewis is known to "own" the control room and is clear, communicative and in command whenever breaking news occurs. Her attention to detail helps the entire department, and she’s also involved with the FOX News Media Career Launch Program.
Director of technical operations Alex Mitchner
Mitchner "believes in people who believe in themselves," according to colleagues. She’s known to provide opportunities for colleagues that they might not have found on their own and often mentors less experienced staffers. Mitchner has also played a key role in helping the team adapt to new technology.
Broadcast engineering supervisor Jason Oster
Oster received a "ridiculous number of nominations" because he often solves problems before anyone else realizes there was even an issue. The tireless professional plays a key role in keeping FOX News Media networks up and running. He’s the longest-serving winner, having started at Fox News in 1999.
The Rising Star Award goes to employees who have shown exemplary work ethic and growth during the early stages of their careers. Four winners were selected and Baier promptly joked they would eventually be running the company.
"Congratulations to our rising stars," Baier said.
Broadcast production engineer Frank Andriola
Andriola was nominated 11 times, indicating he is highly respected by his colleagues while helping maintain FOX News Media infrastructure. He makes it his mission to learn everything about new technologies and then teach it to others.
"America’s Newsroom" booker Giuliana Fogliano
Fogliano started at the Washington, D.C., assignment desk as a freelance guest greeter and quickly made a name for herself, pitching segments and booking guests. Within a few months, she was on the road for political coverage and is now a booker on "America’s Newsroom."
Associate producer Meghan Tome
Tome has learned to manage multiple reporters across multiple live shots and picked up the job so quickly that managers have to keep finding new challenges for the rising star. She often shows up early, stays late and volunteers to help the Capitol Hill team on her days off.
Human Resources coordinator Jordan Wells
Wells is proactive and creative about finding ways to support her colleagues. She is constantly volunteering for projects and has developed a reputation as someone always willing to help.
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This award goes to an employee that has dedicated time and energy to his or her local community and is most active in company volunteer efforts. Three winners were selected this year.
"Thank you for your service to your community," Perino said.
Senior manager of engineering Richard Hernandez
Hernandez has collected and delivered new clothes and toys to children living in orphanages in several Mexican cities. He’s created an annual toy drive at the L.A. Bureau, where his colleagues are inspired by his generosity. Thanks to Hernandez, kids ranging from age three to 17 get gifts each Christmas.
"Varney and Co." senior producer Robert McNally
McNally has been a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary since 2012. He is also a member of the Honor Guard and Color Guard, conducting ceremonies at events, participating in parades and supporting veterans’ funerals.
"Jesse Watters Primetime" producer and supervising writer Scott Sanders
Sanders has raised thousands to help cancer patients by running marathons. A cancer survivor himself, he regularly recruits colleagues to raise money for all sorts of charities.
Human Resources senior vice president Nicolle Campa
This award goes to someone who helps create an environment in which the contributions of others are strongly valued.
"The frontrunner was very clear… it’s Nicolle Campa," Ford Jr. said.
"She’s always there, showing that she cares," he added. "Always leading with kindness and compassion."
In the words of one co-worker, Nicolle really means it when she asks, "How can I help you?"
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Fox Weather senior producer and meteorologist Jordan Overton
This award goes to an employee or team whose dedication and creativity helped FOX News Media hit new heights.
"Jordan is being recognized for his accomplishments in drastically improving FOX Weather’s workflow via technology," Wallace said.
Overton coded a new system to manage all the editorial, graphics, guest bookings and other data that FOX Weather relies on every moment of every day. He has streamlined operations and earned the "Terminator" inspired nickname "Skynet."
The Impact Award goes to a person or department that significantly and positively impacted FOX News Media over the past year. Two winners were selected.
Scott said both groups have had an "incredible impact" on FOX News Media in 2024.
Jerusalem Bureau
The Jerusalem Bureau consists of senior field producer Yonat Friling, photographer David Gamliel, coordinator and producer Yael Rotem-Kuriel, broadcast and sound engineer Yoav Shamir, photographer Yanic Turgeman and chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.
"For more than a year now, these six amazing people have been the core of a team that has told a story of a nation at war. They have brought us constant updates on the hostages, taken us deep into the tunnels under Gaza and reported on the ongoing humanitarian crisis," Scott said.
"And they did it all while living in a war zone, with their homes, their lives, and their loved ones all under constant threat," Scott added. "This is their daily life, journalism during wartimes. We are so grateful for their work."
Field and Production Operations
"These incredibly talented staffers can transform any venue into a compelling set that’s ready for primetime. And they do it better, and faster, than anybody else in the business," Scott said.
"They are the ones who made us look so good this year at debates, town halls, the RNC and DNC, and most recently, last week’s amazing Patriot Awards," she added. "While half the team handles that, the other half focuses on the breaking news demands of all of our platforms. These jobs are not easy. Their levels of coordination and creativity are off the charts, and they are an enormous part of our success."
Lauren Barrese, Samantha Cosme, Rebecca Cuozzo, Stephen Hernandez, Grigory Khananayev, John "Hollywood" Kisala, Pete Regina, Janette Shaw, Tiger Stanley, Samantha Thomas, Morgan Valente and Adreanna Walsh make up the critical department.
"They make it look so easy, and they’re always so positive and happy, we’re really lucky to have you," Scott said.
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Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.