HISTORIC 45: WGN-TV’s Mike Lowe Extends Record Total with Four More Emmy Awards: WGN-TV general assignment reporter Mike Lowe cemented his legacy as a titan of Chicago broadcasting last weekend, taking home four additional Emmy Awards and elevating his career total to an unprecedented 45 wins.
Lowe already held the ultimate distinction of winning the most Emmy Awards by a single on-air talent in the history of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Chicago/Midwest chapter. His latest victories push him further ahead of iconic Chicago broadcasting legends like Walter Jacobson and Bill Kurtis. Throughout his celebrated career, Lowe has amassed more than 145 Emmy nominations.
Yet, despite standing alone at the top of the record books, Lowe was quick to deflect the spotlight from his on-camera achievements to the technical crew operating behind the lenses at Channel 9.
“You see me on stage and on-camera, but the people who really deserve the accolades are WGN-TV‘s outstanding team of photographers, producers, editors, writers, graphic artists, directors, engineers, managers and many others who do the important work of television behind-the-scenes, away from the spotlight,” Lowe said on Linkedin post following his historic sweep.
A Career Defined by Excellence
Lowe’s journalistic pedigree runs deep in the Windy City. A double-major graduate in political science and journalism from Northwestern University, he later earned his master’s degree from the prestigious Medill School of Journalism, where he took home the Harrington Award—the institution’s highest student honor.
His storytelling has frequently crossed international borders. Lowe is a recipient of both the Newton Minow Fellowship and the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship, and was selected for a Fulbright Commission seminar in Istanbul.
Locally, his versatility is unmatched. Lowe has won Emmys for serious military reporting, such as his acclaimed segment “My Flag is Still There,” as well as masterclasses in craft talent, like his deep-dive profiles on Chicago sports icon Coach Mike Ditka and retiring weather legend Tom Skilling. He even gained widespread acclaim for famously reporting a single news story in six different languages—including a localized version of “Chicago-ese.”
The four new Emmys cap off an extraordinary period of professional recognition for Lowe, who was also named the 2024 Journalist of the Year by the Chicago Journalists Association. His trophy mantle also includes five regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and a national Walter Cronkite Award for political journalism.
Triumph On and Off the Screen
Lowe’s recent professional milestones are made even more poignant by his triumphs off-camera. Diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer, Lowe courageously turned his private health battle into a public advocacy campaign on WGN-TV. By sharing his journey, he has used his platform to destigmatize colon cancer screenings and raise awareness about rising diagnosis rates in younger adults.
Now showing no evidence of disease (NED) following treatment at Northwestern Medicine, Lowe balances his relentless newsroom schedule with keynote speaking engagements for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Robert H. Eisenberg Foundation, raising vital funds for cancer research.
With 45 Emmys now to his name and an unyielding commitment to the team that makes it happen, Lowe continues to redefine what it means to be “Chicago’s Very Own.”
