Nomination Deadline Extended:
2024 PBS Reno Spotlight Awards & Auction
RENO, NV (APR 15, 2024) — The deadline to nominate a deserving student, individual, educator, community group, and local business for a PBS Reno Spotlight Award has been extended to Friday, April 26, 2024.
Sahib Sharma, currently a high school freshman from Sparks, won the Spotlight Award for Extraordinary Student in 2023. Sahib and his family immigrated to the United States from India. Unfortunately, he endured bullying from his peers, gained weight, and experienced depression. With the support of his parents, Sharma switched schools and excelled academically, and improved his health after meeting a supportive and encouraging coach. Sharma said winning the Spotlight Award for Extraordinary Student reaffirmed his love for helping others.
“When PBS Reno announced the names of the three finalists for the Extraordinary Student category, it felt like time was slowing down,” explained Sharma. “I had a million thoughts flying through my head: Will my efforts be worth it; will my story be heard and help others? Then I heard the words ‘Sahib Sharma’ as my name was announced as the winner. I went up on stage and saw the faces of people who care about change; the people who heard my voice. I felt that my words had touched the feelings of others. To this day, I tell everyone to speak up to help those around you.”
“The PBS Reno Spotlight Awards are a great way to honor extraordinary people in our community,” said Joy Foremaster, PBS Reno Director of Education. “I am blown away every year to learn about the amazing individuals who surround us and what they do to make our community the wonderful place that it is.”
Nominations for the 2024 PBS Reno Spotlight Awards can be made online in the following five categories:
Extraordinary Student
This award recognizes a student who has distinguished themselves through their inspiration, dedication, motivation, or acts of kindness regardless of grade or age.
Extraordinary Individual
This award recognizes an individual who has distinguished themselves in northern Nevada through their inspiration, dedication, motivation, or acts of kindness.
Extraordinary Educator
This award recognizes an educator who has distinguished themselves in their community; by going above and beyond the regular duties of an educator to truly make an impact on a school, district, college, or community.
Extraordinary Community Group
This award recognizes an organization that has offered outstanding service, guidance, knowledge, emotional or physical support, and/or mentorship to their community.
Extraordinary Local Business
This award recognizes a business whose dedication and contributions have had a tremendous impact on their communities.
Eligible nominees must be located in PBS Reno’s northern Nevada and northeastern California viewing areas. Eligible community groups and businesses must have on-the-ground operations in PBS Reno’s northern Nevada and northeastern California viewing areas. Businesses do not have to be locally owned.
Nominations will be narrowed down to three finalists in each category. The community can vote weekly online beginning July 1st through July 31st. The winners will be announced on September 20th at the PBS Reno Spotlight Awards & Auction at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino’s Grande Exposition Hall. During the event, PBS Reno will honor Rick Reviglio, President and General Manager of Western Nevada Supply, as the 2024 Extraordinary Philanthropist.
The PBS Reno Spotlight Awards & Auction has recognized more than 60 local businesses, nonprofits, educators, and individuals since 2020
2023 winners and finalists
2022 winners and finalists
2021 winners and finalists
2020 winners and finalists
About PBS Reno
As of February 2024, PBS Reno is enjoyed by more than 288,000 monthly viewers in northern and central Nevada and northeastern California across several platforms including three broadcast channels (PBS Reno 5.1, Reno Create 5.2, and PBS KIDS on PBS Reno 5.3), a YouTube channel, YouTube TV, online, livestreams, and digital platforms. PBS Reno provides PBS national programming and award-earning, locally-produced content, with many local segments posted weekly to PBS Reno’s YouTube Channel. PBSReno.org provides engaging interactive content, including the video portal at watch.PBSReno.org that streams all locally-produced content and most PBS national content. PBS Reno serves students, teachers, parents and caregivers through immersive educational services including Curiosity Classroom Workshops that bring classroom lessons to life with standards-based lessons and activities. Through the support of local corporations and foundations, as well as thousands of individual members, PBS Reno has been delivering public television and educational services to the communities it serves since September 29, 1983.
Contact us:
Membership Questions: membership@pbsreno.org
Programming Hotline: programming@pbsreno.org
Phone: 775.600.0555
Address: 1670 N. Virginia St. • Reno NV 89503