The Community Media Access Collaborative earned eight awards for local storytelling at the 2026 Western Access Video Excellence Awards, celebrating diverse talents ranging from student creators to seasoned community producers.

The awards, hosted by the Alliance for Community Media West Region, honor excellence in community media across Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Half of CMAC’s eight award-winning producers emerged from the organization’s own training programs, including the Youth Voices program and the multi-nominated Fresno Art Beat project, highlighting a dedication to cultivating local creators, the organization said in a statement.

“Seeing our community recognized at the WAVE Awards directly reflects CMAC’s mission to empower local voices,” said CMAC Executive Director Bryan Harley. “Our WAVE winners reflect the spirit of the Central Valley and we are so proud of each and every one of them.”

Among the standout winners CMAC highlighted were Tony Imperatrice and Claudio Laso, who took home the Experimental (All Producers) award for “Cassini,” a film detailing NASA’s Cassini mission that features an original musical score.

Students Take Home the Gold

Student producer Robert Ceja was honored in the Talk Show/Community Issues/Underserved Voices (Student) category for “Putting the Pieces Together.” The short documentary explores stereotypes surrounding autism and follows Ceja’s personal journey to advocate for respect and inclusion.

Redwood High School students also made a strong showing, contributing to three of the winning student projects.

The full list of CMAC’s 2026 WAVE Award winners:

• Arts, Culture, & Events (Student): “Melody Gone Wrong” – Autumn Batti, Hannah Johnson, and Jared Calvillo, Redwood High School
• Experimental (All Producers): “Cassini” – Tony Imperatrice and Claudio Laso
• Live Format (Community Producer): “Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade 2025” – Fresno Art Beat Crew & Volunteers
• Live Format (Student): “Fresno State Focus Newscast” – Fresno State Focus
• Narrative Film – Short or Feature (Student): “Silent Orbit” – Lily Seargent, Jesus Rivera Lopez, and Hannah Johnson, Redwood High School
• News/Documentary/Magazine Show (Student): “Tony’s Strength” – Hannah Johnson, Tony Thompson, and Eric Navarro, Redwood High School
• Talk Show (Community Producer): “The Munro Review” – Donald Munro and the Fresno Art Beat Crew
• Talk Show/Community Issues/Underserved Voices (Student): “Putting the Pieces Together” – Robert Ceja

—

Connect with Anthony W. Haddad on social media. Got a tip? Send an email.