Each year, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting recognizes outstanding journalists and projects as part of the Edward R. Murrow Awards program named for the legendary CBS news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow. And this year, Shawna Mann, a native Deltonan and a graduate of Deltona High School, won a Murrow Award for her and her team’s self-produced documentary The Grand Ole Guitar.

Mann attended college at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she graduated this past May. There, she studied journalism and ultimately discovered a love of documentaries.

Mann began making documentaries as part of her degree program, studying under the tutelage of legendary Nashville journalist Demetria Kalodimos. She later took up making documentaries as personal projects for the love of the journey.

“I think what draws me to documentaries is being able to be a catalyst for telling other people’s stories, and getting to shine a light and amplify their voices,” Mann said.

She worked on four major documentary projects during her studies, and ultimately ended her college career with a bang as she and three classmates co-wrote, filmed and produced their now award-winning documentary. This short film follows a historic piece of Nashville history as it intersects with baseball: The Grand Ole Guitar scoreboard, and how it has been cherished and preserved through the ages.

“It started with a question… this question about the historic guitar-shaped scoreboard. This historic sign is like a nod to Nashville, not just for the baseball scene, but the music scene too, and how it’s been a pillar and focal point of Nashville. So, I would say the curiosity [about it] fueled this project,” Mann said.

They never planned to enter their documentary into any competitions, but as The Grand Ole Guitar got closer to completion, Mann and her team realized that they had something special on their hands.

The documentary went on to be featured during this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame symposium, so the group decided to try their luck with the Murrow Awards, specifically the division for video documentary projects. It’s a high honor in the field of journalism, Mann explained: “very similar to an Emmy, but specifically for excellence in journalism.”

Sure enough, the group took home a win in the student video feature reporting category.

“It’s been a huge, huge honor. I would have never expected this kind of bow that wraps up this project that we put together nearly a year ago. It’s really a dream come true,” Mann said, later adding, “I feel honored to have told the stories of the Nashville sound culture and [all] these people.”

These days, Mann is putting her skills to good use as a communications coordinator and video content creator for the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, where she interviews and films artists about their work on display, among other things. She has no intention of not returning to her love of documentary production though.

“I’m still brainstorming what my next documentary will be. I’m just kind of keeping an ear to the ground, as one of my old professors likes to say, and just staying vigilant to what’s out there,” Mann said.

She credits part of her success to her upbringing in the West Volusia area and the opportunities that it afforded her.

“I feel so honored to have had the experience that I had growing up in Florida being surrounded by awesome artistry, awesome journalism, awesome communications,” Mann said. “Growing up, I didn’t realize that was forming me into who I am today. I just really feel grateful to Deltona, my hometown… and I just can’t wait to share the next project with you all.”

Check out the award-winning documentary online at: https://lipscombmedia.com/the-grand-ole-guitar/