Podcast The Tribe Wins Two Signal Awards
The Fredericksburg Free Press podcast, which explores the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, earned Gold and the Listener's Choice Award.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Native American
The Tribe, an original Fredericksburg Free Press podcast produced by Kromatic Media, received Gold in the Local News category and the Listener's Choice Award at the fifth-annual Signal Awards. The seven-part investigative series explores the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia.
Why it matters
The awards recognize investigative audio reporting focused on a Virginia tribal community based in the White Oak area of Stafford County. The Listener's Choice Award, decided by public vote, reflects audience engagement with the series.
The Tribe won two awards at the fifth-annual Signal Awards, a Gold in Local News and the public-voted Listener's Choice Award. The seven-part series centers on episode 5, "The Two Bills, Part 1: Night Owl," which earned the winning entry.
The players
Fredericksburg Free Press
The Fredericksburg Free Press is a local news outlet in Fredericksburg, Virginia, which produces The Tribe podcast.
Kromatic Media
Kromatic Media is the production company that produced The Tribe podcast for the Fredericksburg Free Press.
The details
The Tribe previously placed third for the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism and was a finalist for the Institute for Nonprofit News Insight Award for Explanatory Journalism. The Academy selected the Gold award, while the Listener's Choice Award was determined by public vote.
Timeline
Nov. 9: The Tribe will be officially recognized at the Signal Awards Winners' Party in New York City.
Culture Shift
The Tribe's recognition at the Signal Awards follows its earlier third-place finish for the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism, adding to a run of honors for the series' examination of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe. Together these awards show audio journalism giving sustained public attention to a Virginia tribal community's history and identity.
Listeners in Virginia can find The Tribe through the Fredericksburg Free Press, which makes the investigation of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe accessible in audio form. The seven-part format lets audiences take in the series one episode at a time.
The takeaway
Investigative audio can document a tribal community's history in depth, and public listener voting shows that such work reaches and resonates with audiences beyond specialist circles.
Further reading
Explore more Native American coverage tied to Virginia's tribal communities.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fredericksburg Free Press.
