The SPARK Awards

Thirteen organizations and individuals will be honored on Monday, December 15 from 8 to 9 p.m., during The SPARK Awards 2025 special televised broadcast on WKNO/Channel 10. The 12th annual televised awards show will celebrate the efforts of individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and schools, in 13 different categories, who are igniting change and making a positive impact in the Greater Memphis community. The show will be hosted by Pat Mitchell Worley (President and CEO of the Soulsville Foundation and Host of Beale Street Caravan) and Rob Grayson (WKNO-FM). The SPARK Awards is produced in partnership by WKNO-TV and cityCURRENT.

Throughout August 2025, the public was invited to cast nominations in each of the 13 categories and recognize the organizations and individuals leading by example and making a difference in the Mid-South. The categories consist of individuals of different ages (youth, college student and adult), nonprofits and corporations of various sizes, then education with a school, teacher, and education leader award. There is also a Legacy Award to honor someone’s efforts and impact over the course of many years or a lifetime.

All nominations were provided to The Midtown Memphis Rotary Club, whose Rotarians served as the independent judges for the awards show. No preference or weighting was given to multiple nominations for the same individual or organization. The criteria for judging was based on taking a leadership role in initiatives or efforts that better the Greater Memphis community, volunteerism, and impact.

Each of the honorees will be featured during the televised awards show on Monday, December 15 from 8 to 9 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10. Viewers will have the chance to learn more about each of the honorees during short 3-minute interviews that highlight their community efforts and celebrate their service. After the broadcast, the special will be available for viewing online at wkno.org, pbs.org, and cityCURRENT.com.

Here are The SPARK Awards 2025 honorees in each category:

Corporate

50 Employees or Fewer – The Marston Group

51-150 Employees – Ring Container Technologies

Over 150 Employees – ALCO Management, Inc.

Nonprofit

Budget under $1 million – Intunity, Housing Foundation of West TN, Inc.

Budget $1-5 Million – Junior League of Memphis

Budget Greater than $5 Million – Porter-Leath

Education

Leadership – Dr. Lewis Reich

Educator – Colby Taylor, Ph.D.

School – Christian Brothers University

Individual

Adult – April Carter

Collegiate – Anaya Bond

Youth – Keiran Barlow

Legacy

Dr. Joann Massey

“We greatly appreciate the community service, the dedication and leadership of each of our honorees,” notes Jeremy C. Park, CEO of cityCURRENT, host of The SPARK, and producer of The SPARK Awards. “It’s inspiring to see students leading the way to help with disaster response and support local nonprofits like American Red Cross of Mid-South; college professors creating innovative programs to help students with autism; business leaders and their teams leading conservation efforts and supporting STEM education through mentoring and school engagement; and nonprofits creating strong support networks for our city and citizens who need our help. Watching and learning their stories helps us see the good taking place not only in the Mid-South, but in our nation and world. It’s chance for us to thank these hometown heroes, learn from them, and inspire more people to become a SPARK that makes a difference. We also thank the viewers and community for supporting our positive programming and affording us the privilege to now reach the 12^th anniversary with The SPARK Awards.”

“One of the things public television does best is to put a spotlight on positive achievement.” said Charles McLarty, WKNO President and CEO. "This is exactly what both our monthly television series, The SPARK, and our annual televised awards show, The SPARK Awards, do. This is all about honoring those who truly make the Mid-South a great place to live, work, and play.”

The SPARK Awards 2025 will be rebroadcast on WKNO-TV Channel 10.1: Tuesday, December 16 at 12 a.m., and Wednesday, December 17 at 3 a.m. The program is also scheduled on WKNO-TV Channel 10.2 on Tuesday, December 16 at 7 p.m. The show also will air statewide on the Tennessee Channel programming block of public television stations across the state later in December (check local listings for air times). Tennessee Public Television stations cover the cities of Memphis, Jackson, Martin, Nashville, Cookeville, Knoxville, Sneedville and Chattanooga.

The SPARK Awards is an extension of the WKNO-TV series, The SPARK, a monthly 30-minute show, hosted by Jeremy C. Park, about business and community leaders who are fueling change and giving back to the Mid-South.  “The SPARK Awards grew from the success of our monthly show, The SPARK, which is now in its thirteenth year on WKNO,” notes Park. “With both shows our goal is simple: to spotlight the GOOD taking place in our city and how we can become a SPARK to make an even greater difference and to help more people.”

Major funding for The SPARK and The SPARK Awards is provided by Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services, along with Delta Dental of Tennessee and Champion Promotion, as additional major funders for The SPARK Awards. Additional funding is provided by The Memphis Zoo, Economic Opportunities (EcOp), United Way of the Mid-South, First Tee Tennessee-Memphis, The Medical Education and Research Institute (MERI – GENESIS), and My Town Movers and My Town Roofing. Event support for The SPARK Awards was provided by ProductionOne.  A co-production of WKNO and cityCURRENT, The SPARK airs the third Friday of each month at 7:30 p.m. on WKNO/Channel 10. 

About cityCURRENT

cityCURRENT connects businesses with community to power the GOOD. A team of partner businesses, comprised of some of the largest employers in the world to mid-size and smaller firms, join forces and funds to make a difference in the Mid-South and beyond by hosting more than 300 free events each year, along with an array of philanthropic initiatives and positive-oriented media to enrich, engage, and impact our community. For more information: www.cityCURRENT.com. 

About WKNO 

WKNO is a non-profit, private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than 65 years. An important community resource, WKNO uses the power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs that inform, entertain, and inspire. For more information: www.wkno.org