The Kansas City Press Club hosted its 25th annual “Heart of America” journalism awards Saturday evening at the Downtown Marriott Hotel and the big winners were KCUR’s Frank Morris, Kansas City Star national editor Darryl Levings and TV station KSHB.
Morris (pictured) captured the prestigious 2012 “Journalist of the Year” award judged by a panel of outside judges. The news director of public radio station KCUR (89.3 FM), Morris has led the NPR station’s news department since 1999. In addition to his work on local radio, he frequently is called on to handle reports for National Public Radio’s news programs.
KCUR was also named the “Radio Station of the Year” by the Press Club.
Levings won the “Joe McGuff Lifetime Achievement Award” named in honor of the legendary sports editor/editor at the KC Star and voted on by the Press Club’s Board of Directors. Levings has worked in journalism as a suburban reporter, city reporter, features writer, travel writer, columnist, historian, European correspondent, statehouse reporter, state editor and national editor.
Co-workers who nominated Levings for the award called him an editor with an “unrelenting desire for perfection” with what another called an “intensity and dedication to accuracy and excellence.” Levings also has authored a novel, “Saddle the Pale Horse.”
KSHB-TV, the NBC affiliate station in Kansas City, was presented the “Television Station of the Year” award.
”Newspaper of the Year” honors went to the Sedalia Democrat with The Lee’s Summit Journal winning the ”Non-Daily Publication of the Year.”
Here are all the winners:

Heart of America Awards