The KUNC podcast ‘The Colorado Dream: Ending the Hate State” is a recipient of a 2025 Excellence in Journalism award from NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists. The five-episode series won the Broadcast Award for Excellence in Podcasts last month.
The Colorado Dream: Ending the Hate State podcast explores how Colorado went from the moniker “the Hate State” in the early 1990s to one of the safest and most progressive states for LGBTQ+ people today. In the lead up to the 2024 General Election, the podcast investigated the current local, state, and national political climates facing LGBTQ+ communities while examining the work that still needs to be done.
“At its best, journalism helps us understand where we’ve been, how we’ve changed, and where we still need to go,” said Michael Arnold, KUNC’s Chief Audience and Content Officer. “This series does exactly that — it’s thoughtful, well-researched reporting that has earned well-deserved recognition.”
Ending the Hate State is the fourth season of The Colorado Dream podcast. The podcast is hosted by KUNC Senior Managing Editor-Reporter Stephanie Daniel. This season was reported by Daniel, Senior Editor-Reporter Leigh Paterson and Investigative Reporter Scott Franz. Executive News Director Sean Corcoran edited the series. The podcast was also honored this year with two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for Podcast and Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
KUNC is NPR News, Colorado Stories, kunc.org. Broadcasting at 91.5 FM and a network of 19 stations and translators around the state — including 91.7 in Denver and west metro; 102.7 FM in Boulder, 88.5 FM in Steamboat Springs, 90.7 FM in Breckenridge, 99.7 FM in Eagle, 90.9 FM in Vail, 88.1 FM in Dillon and 91.9 FM in Grand County, as well on smart speaker, via KUNC mobile app, and streaming at kunc.org. You can support KUNC at KUNC.org/donate.