CPR's ''Purplish'' Named Best Local News Podcast in 2025

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, October 16, 2025 | 5:25pm CT

Colorado Public Radio

Colorado Public Radio's "Purplish" has been honored with two top awards at the 2025 Signal Awards, earning both the Gold and the Listener's Choice prizes for Best Local News Podcast. Produced by CPR in partnership with the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, Purplish has been delivering deep political and policy reporting for seven years.

Now at 168 episodes - with its 169th dropping tomorrow - the show continues to make state government accessible through thoughtful storytelling and clear analysis.

"Purplish is the product of a team of insanely dedicated public affairs nerds," said CPR Public Affairs Editor Megan Verlee. "Everyone who works on the show wants to live in a state that's well informed, thoughtful and humane in its approach to public affairs, and Purplish is the contribution we make to that goal."

Launched in 2018 by Verlee and reporter Sam Brasch, the podcast is hosted by Bente Birkeland, with Washington correspondent Caitlyn Kim providing national context. Stephanie Wolf serves as producer, and Shane Rumsey handles engineering. Since joining the Colorado Capitol News Alliance in 2024, the show has also featured contributors from KUNC and The Colorado Sun.

"This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of its creators," said Signal Awards General Manager Jemma Brown, noting that this year's competition drew more than 385,000 votes from over 127,000 fans worldwide.

Purplish releases weekly during Colorado's four-month legislative session and biweekly throughout the rest of the year, with expanded coverage ahead of elections. Episodes are available on all major streaming platforms.