Best of the Best presents the winners of our 17th annual Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition. From more than 600 entries, eleven were chosen as winners that we can’t wait to share. Meticulously crafted and lovingly produced, these stories intrigue, inform and inspire.

This year's program will feature the following stories, and interviews with some these exceptional producers:  

Hour 1

Quiet Revolution, produced by Laura Irving for BIRSt.co.uk
This autobiographical account follows a middle-aged woman embarking on an unconventional new hobby of roller skating.  Is she a fearless warrior against age and gender stereotypes? 

Standing Out from the Crowd at a Trump Rally, produced by Ike Sriskandarajah for Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX
In Myrtle Beach, candidate Donald Trump spoke at a Tea Party convention about banning Muslims: “We don’t know where these guys are from.” At a motorcycle rally outside, producer Ike Sriskandarajah is personally confronted with the same skepticism.

Blink Once for Yes, produced by John Fecile, Steven Jackson and Lizzie Schiffman Tufano for Love + Radio, from Radiotopia
When Mike comes home after an accident, his family is faced with a new reality and an impossible choice.

Heavyweight: Gregor, produced by Jonathan Goldstein with co-producers Wendy Dorr, Kalila Holt, Chris Neary for Heavyweight from Gimlet Media.
20 years ago, Gregor lent some CDs to a musician friend. The CDs helped make him a famous rockstar. Now, Gregor would like some recognition. But mostly, he wants his CDs back.

Emancipation: A Young Man Leaves Foster Care on His Own Terms, produced by Noel Anaya with Brett Myers and Denise Tejada for Youth Radio and NPR’s All Things Considered
When Noel Anaya had his final hearing before aging out of California’s foster care system, he wanted to bring millions into that courtroom with him, where he’d suffered time and time again.  

Majd’s Diary: Two Years in the Life of a Saudi Girl, produced by Sarah Kate Kramer and Joe Richman for Radio Diaries and NPR’s All Things Considered
Majd Abdulghani dreams of becoming a scientist, while her parents want to arrange her marriage.  From the age of 19 to 21, Majd Abdulghani used a microphone to chronicle her life, taking listeners inside a society where the voices of women are rarely heard.

Hour 2

The Discussion, produced by Rosa Gollan for PocketDocs from ABC Radio National
For some friends there's no subject too secret, or content too confronting. Rosa and Ryan have that kind of friendship. But five years after they first met, Rosa realized there was still one discussion left to have, and it wasn't going to be easy.

Los Cassettes del Exilio, produced by Dennis Maxwell for Radio Ambulante
For much of Dennis Maxwell’s childhood, his father was living in exile, communicating with the family via cassette tapes. Dennis found those tapes recently and discovered the true impact of his father’s exile.

The Accidental Gay Parents, Episode 5, produced by Hillary Frank with Kristen Clark and Abigail Keel for The Longest Shortest Time from Stitcher
This is the story of what it’s like to be a pregnant man, and to share that news with your parents, your children, and the world.

S-Town, produced by Brian Reed and Julie Snyder 
S-Town is a podcast that starts as a traditional investigation into corruption and wrongdoing in rural Alabama that becomes something much newer and stranger: a literary profile of one man’s life.

The Traffic Stop, produced by Tracy Mumford with Hans Buetow, reported by Jon Collins and Riham Feshir, for 74 Seconds from Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media.  
On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile was pulled over by Officer Jeronimo Yanez for a broken brake light. How did a routine traffic stop turn fatal in less than two minutes? We break down what happened that night, second by second.

Best of the Best also features interviews with winning producers who give us a glimpse into the art of audio storytelling.

Best of the Best may be presented as a two-hour program or as two one-hour programs. Stations may also air just one hour.