“Prairie Fire” nominated for nine Mid-America Emmy® Awards
WILL-TV’s “Prairie Fire” has been nominated for nine National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Mid-America Emmy® awards. The popular magazine show, which first debuted in 1992 and ran until 2009, was rebooted in 2023 by Illinois Public Media.
In 2024, “Prairie Fire” won a Mid-America Emmy® for best Magazine Program for the first season of its reboot, which premiered in May 2023. “Prairie Fire” is honored with another nomination in the Magazine Program category this year for its second season, which included eight episodes that ran September 2024 though May 2025. The third season of “Prairie Fire” debuted on Thursday, September 18th, and new episodes premiere on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7:30pm on WILL-TV.
Other nominations include:
BEST DIRECTOR — SHORT FORM OR LONG FORM CONTENT
Taylor Plantan is honored with a nomination for her contributions to “Prairie Fire” during season 2.
INFORMATIONAL/INSTRUCTIONAL — SHORT FORM CONTENT
Located in Champaign IL, Fresh Press Paper utilizes agricultural waste and transforms it into handmade paper and paper art. Associate Professor of Graphic Design Eric Benson walks us through the process, and we pull our own sheets of paper with studio managers and artists e. ainsley and Meredith Hislope.
Taylor Plantan, DJ Roach, and Tinisha Spain
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT — SHORT FORM CONTENT
Established in 2011, Fire Doll Studio is an artisan chandlery, crafting beautiful, health-conscious candles of all shapes and sizes while celebrating bold, rich fragrances. Owner and artist Kayla Brown has always loved candles but struggled to find a commercial candle that didn’t aggravate her asthma. Most commercial candles are created with synthetic fragrances and chemical waxes that release airway irritants when burned. So, Brown decided to make them herself, using natural materials including soy wax, beeswax, and essential oils.
Taylor Plantan, DJ Roach
ENTERTAINMENT — SHORT OR LONG FORM CONTENT
In March of 2023, singer Leah Marlene met five-time Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Graham Edwards and songwriter John Pennell at The Doghouse Studio in Nashville to record what would become the theme song for the PBS show "Prairie Fire". Marlene, a native of Normal, IL, was already well-known nationally from season 20 of "American Idol." She makes a stop to the WILL-TV studio for a very special live-performance of the song.
Sarah Edwards, DJ Roach, Taylor Plantan, Daniel Clarke, and James Treichler
EDUCATION/SCHOOLS — SHORT FORM CONTENT
Meet the young creatives at the Illinois Summer Youth Music Hip Hop Camp. Each summer, students spend a week building community with each other while learning from music educators and professionals how to produce beats, write lyrics, engage a crowd, and tap into their creative spirit. Prairie Fire documents a week at camp as it unfolds, highlighting the history and hallmarks of hip-hop culture and showcasing the talent of the up-and-coming generation of artists. Here, the kids are the experts. University of Illinois professors, music educators, and music professionals come together to create a space that centers on each one of the camper's talents, experiences, and interests.
Taylor Plantan, DJ Roach, Daniel Clarke, and James Treichler
HISTORICAL CULTURAL — SHORT FORM CONTENT
Experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony at the Japan House, located on the campus of the University of Illinois. Ritualized over the centuries, the Japanese tea ceremony is an art form and practice that takes years to master. Kimiko Gunji, Professor Emeritus, performs "Ryurei with Misonodana," which loosely translates to a table-style tea ceremony.
DJ Roach, Taylor Plantan, and Tinisha Spain
HUMAN INTEREST — SHORT FORM CONTENT
Born in Chicago, Shannon Voss battled childhood homelessness and poverty but overcame and graduated from high school as Valedictorian. His life changed forever when as a sophomore at the University of Illinois when he was violently attacked and sexually assaulted. The attack and ensuing illnesses left him with severe brain injury, heart damage, paralysis and the inability to speak. During the next two years of therapy, Shannon found a second family in his therapy team, relearning how to walk, how to use an assistive communication device, and how to perform daily tasks. After four more years of extensive therapy and rehabilitation, Shannon continued his education and enrolled at Parkland College, earning a 4.0 grade point average, and delivered the commencement address in 2024. Today, Shannon is a poet and motivational speaker, who inspires people nationwide to set goals and keep them no matter the circumstances.
DJ Roach, Tinisha Spain, and Taylor Plantan
LIFESTYLE — SHORT OR LONG FORM CONTENT
The New York Times named the Scratch Brewing Company, located deep in the woods outside Ava, Illinois, one of the best 25 places in the US to eat pizza. But their homemade pizza is just one ingredient to their success. Scratch has built a unique reputation in the world of brewing because the small staff forages for ingredients in the land surrounding their brewery. The earthy, fragrant and totally unique flavors of the beer (and pizzas!) bring enthusiasts to Southern Illinois from all over the world. In this cinematic short documentary, the owners tell the story of how they started and how they stay true to doing beer the natural way as we see the foraging, cooking and baking process from start to finish.
Sarah Edwards, Taylor Plantan, and Daniel Clarke
