The Great Lakes documentary podcast was honored for "Big Abe's Net," the story of an Ojibwe fisherman's fight for tribal fishing rights.
INTERLOCHEN, Mich., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Points North, the documentary podcast from Interlochen Public Radio that explores life in the Great Lakes region, has received a national Edward R. Murrow Award for the second time in three years.
Judges honored the program in the Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category for the episode "Big Abe's Net." The episode follows Ojibwe fisherman Abe LeBlanc and his fight for tribal fishing rights in the Great Lakes. Senior producer Ellie Katz produced the episode and accepted the award on October 12 at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala at Gotham Hall in New York City.
"Big Abe LeBlanc is one of those icons you never learned about in school but should have," Katz said. "The only way to keep these kinds of stories and histories alive is by telling them to others. Points North seeks out these stories, and I'm honored to receive this award and be part of this team."
A story that changed Great Lakes fishing
The episode opens on a calm September day, when LeBlanc set his fishing net in Lake Superior and then contacted law enforcement to turn himself in. What followed reshaped fishing in the Great Lakes for years to come. A two-minute clip of the episode offers a first listen.
Local stories with universal reach
Points North host and executive producer Dan Wanschura said the show's approach is captured in a description shared by one of its listeners.
"We had a listener tell us that Points North is like a stethoscope capturing the heartbeat and breath sounds of life in the Great Lakes," Wanschura said. "That's a beautiful summary of what we try to do in every story: capture local experiences that tie into something universal. We're leaning into stories rooted in our region, and it's really cool to see them recognized on a national level."
Points North by the numbers
- Two national Murrow Awards. The first, in 2024, honored an episode about an Anishinaabe teacher's effort to keep his language alive.
- 2026 International Women's Podcast Award and 2023 Signal Award (Listener's Choice) winner.
- More than 600,000 annual downloads since 2024, with the show on pace to pass 700,000 in 2026.
- New episodes every other Tuesday, produced by a small team at a rural public radio station.
- Nearly 40 live events since 2022, including Points North-themed trivia nights and podcast listening parties.
About Points North
Points North is a window into life in the Great Lakes. Each episode tells a story rooted in the region that ends up being about everyone. Past episodes have followed a smooth-talking stone skipper, a woman forced to sell her family sawmill, and a scientist who stumbles on a tree that shouldn't exist. New episodes arrive every other Tuesday wherever podcasts are available, and Points North is part of the NPR Network. Learn more at www.pointsnorthpodcast.org.
About Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization in northwest Michigan serving students, artists, and audiences through arts education, performances, and public broadcasting. Its programs include Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen Arts Camp, Interlochen Online, and Interlochen Public Radio. For more information, visit www.interlochen.org.
Media Contact
Shore Fire Media, Interlochen Center for the Arts, 1 (718) 522-7171, [email protected]
SOURCE Interlochen Center for the Arts
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