May 7, 2025, SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — New England Public Media reporter Nirvani Williams has won first place for excellence in audio: news reporting from the Religion News Association, a leading journalism organization covering religion.
Williams shared the honor with NPR’s Daniel Burke and Sarah Ventre for their story, “‘Now I feel complete’: One man’s journey to reunite with children amidst Trump immigration crackdown,” which aired locally on 88.5 NEPM and nationally on NPR.
The organization’s Excellence in Religion Reporting Contest recognizes work across print, audio, video and digital platforms, with entries judged by current and former journalists and journalism educators. Religion reporters from around the world were recognized April 25 at the awards banquet during the Religion News Association’s annual conference.
Williams’ reporting follows a father’s effort to reunite with his children he reluctantly left behind in Afghanistan after trying to escape the Taliban. He came to the United States under the U.S. refugee program. The story illustrates the broader challenges immigrants and refugees face under the Trump administration today.
“Nirvani is an incredibly gifted reporter with an ability to connect with and earn the trust of the people she interviews,” said Elizabeth Román, executive editor of NEPM News. “This story goes beyond one family’s journey into the U.S. but represents the difficulties faced by many immigrants and refugees who have made a life for themselves and their families in Massachusetts.”
The award-winning story reflects NEPM’s ongoing collaboration with NPR.
“Collaborating with NPR’s editorial team gave a much larger platform for Nirvani to share this story of resilience. I’m grateful for our continued partnership,” Román said.
Williams covers socioeconomic disparities for NEPM and joined the newsroom in June 2021 through Report for America. She is also a member of NPR’s religion reporting team. This is the first time a member from NPR's religion team has received an award.
"This story, initially, had all of the heartbreak and chaos seen in the current administration’s destruction of the U.S. immigration system today,” Williams said. “This was supposed to be a sad story. But this family’s particular triumph, against all the odds, inspired me deeply. I'm honored to be recognized by the Religion News Association and am so happy to have had the support of my editors, Sarah Ventre, Daniel Burke, and Elizabeth Román, who talked me through every difficult element and saw this story through to the end with me."
Before joining NEPM, Williams was associate editor at Seema, an online publication focused on stories about women in the Indian diaspora. She also interned at WABC-TV, WSHU public radio and La Voce di New York.
Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Stony Brook University, where she was executive editor of the student-run culture magazine The Stony Brook Press.
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