The City of Morganton was among a record 39 North Carolina jurisdictions to earn recognition in the North Carolina City & County Communicators (NC3C) 2026 Excellence in Communications Awards.
“Remembering Helene” won second place in the Videography category. The documentary was created in partnership by Burke County Government, The City of Morganton and videographer Cory Goble with The Idea Complete.
The awards were announced on April 9, during NC3C’s annual conference. A record-setting 266 award program entries were judged by professional communications peers from the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators.
NC3C President Adam Gaub said, “As our organization has grown over the last two decades, the awards contest has become increasingly more competitive each year. This year’s contest saw entries increase by more than 33% from last year’s record-setting amount. Phenomenal work is being done by communicators across the Tar Heel State, and any organization taking home an award this year should be extremely proud of their success.”
Remembering Helene is a documentary tribute to the devastation, heroism and recovery efforts that have culminated one year since Helene ravaged western North Carolina. It highlights Burke County and the City of Morganton and how our community came together in a time when everything seemed to be falling apart.
“We wanted to create a documentary that would cover how Helene affected our community,” said Jonelle Sigmon, Morganton’s public information officer. “In a matter of hours, we saw homes destroyed, businesses underwater, and City parks heavily damaged. The days and weeks after, though, we saw the strength and resiliency of our community. This was a historic moment in our city and county, and we wanted to document as much of it as we could.”
Chris White, Burke County acting public information officer, added, “This project was never just about producing a video. We wanted to create a documentary that honestly captured both the devastation Hurricane Helene brought to Burke County and the resilience that carried our communities through it. At the heart of this award are the stories of our citizens, the families, first responders, volunteers, business owners, and neighbors who stood shoulder to shoulder during some of our hardest days. Their strength, compassion, and determination are what truly define Burke County, and we are honored to help preserve those stories for future generations.”
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About NC3C
The purpose of North Carolina City & County Communicators is to encourage professional development and networking among local governmental communications professionals. The organization was formed in March 2007, and consists of professional government communicators from around the state. For more information about NC3C, visit www.nc3c.com.