Becca Stevens Is Named Nexstar Media Group’s “2026 Remarkable Woman of the Year”

March 23, 2026

Award Comes During a Night of Inspiration and Recognition as Nexstar Celebrates Remarkable Women Across America

NASHVILLE, TN (March 23, 2026) – Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) today announced that it has selected Ms. Becca Stevens as its 2026 “Remarkable Woman of the Year.” In a powerful tribute to resilience, leadership, and unshakable hope, the prestigious honor was announced during an uplifting, star-studded event in Nashville, televised nationwide on The CW Network last Friday evening and hosted by media personality Leeza Gibbons.

Selected from a pool of 125 extraordinary nominees from television markets across the country, Ms. Stevens was honored not only for her transformational advocacy, but for turning personal adversity into a global mission of healing and empowerment. A survivor of childhood trauma, Ms. Stevens transformed her experience into a lifelong commitment to create safe, loving, and economically empowering pathways for women recovering from trafficking, addiction, and exploitation. As the 2026 Remarkable Woman of the Year, Ms. Stevens was awarded $30,000 to donate to the non-profit charitable organization of her choice. Nexstar has also committed to airing public service announcements in support of her chosen charity.

As the founder of Thistle Farms, a $13 million global movement, Ms. Stevens has spent nearly three decades dedicated to women’s freedom from trafficking and exploitation. Since 1997, working alongside survivors, she has built nationally recognized residential recovery communities and thriving justice enterprises providing meaningful employment to women. Her vision helped Thistle Farms expand far beyond its Nashville-based home: Ms. Stevens has founded 13 nonprofits, mentored more than 70 organizations, and raised $90 million to advance mission‑driven work around the world. Through the Thistle National Network and Global Shared Trade, she helps support 92 organizations and 1,400 artisan survivors across 21 countries amplifying a message rooted in dignity, community, and economic freedom.

A celebrated author and speaker, Ms. Stevens continues to inspire audiences globally with her unwavering belief that love is the most powerful force for change.

“I am grateful to Nexstar for honoring the work of the entire Thistle Farms community,” said Ms. Stevens. “What started as a small housing venture for female survivors of abuse thirty years ago has turned into a global movement for women’s freedom. Receiving this award is confirmation that love is the most powerful force for change in the world. I hope shining this light on the justice enterprise work we are doing helps other women find their way home. Thank you!”

Now in its seventh year, Nexstar’s Remarkable Women initiative has generated more than 70,000 nominations nationwide —with 70% submitted of them by other women—proving that greatness is often nurtured in community. Local market finalists and nominees are profiled on Nexstar’s local stations and on the company’s national cable news network, NewsNation. As part of this initiative, Nexstar Media Group has donated more than $1.6 million in cash and in-kind media support to non-profits across the country.

This year’s four other regional finalists stand as living legacies of service and inspiration:

Cass Forkin (Philadelphia, PA) – Founder of the Twilight Wish Foundation, granting more than 7,200 wishes that restore dignity and joy to seniors nationwide.
Elizabeth Dry (Tyler, TX) – Launched Promise of Peace Gardens, building 19 community farms and programs designed to strengthen food security and sustainability across East Texas.
Katie Stagliano (Charleston, SC) – Founded Katie’s Krops, a youth-powered hunger‑relief movement that has grown over 800,000 pounds of produce to feed communities.
Tara Williamson (Raleigh, NC) – Pioneered restorative medical tattooing through Pink Ink Tattoo, transforming breast cancer recovery worldwide while advocating for federal legislation that would ensure fair insurance reimbursement for medically necessary areola tattooing.

This year, for the first time, new awards were presented in the categories of education, healthcare, business and entrepreneurship, public safety/public service, and leadership. The following women were announced as winners:

Sherita Harmon (Houston, TX) for Education – Empowering students through innovative teaching, real-world health science training, and nonprofits that provide mentorship and essential resources, removing barriers to opportunity and success.
Martha Kaley (Greensboro, NC) for Healthcare – Turned her own accidental breast cancer discovery into a national movement for earlier detection, founding the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated to developing a biological test for early identification and helping fund 138 research grants and nearly $5.5 million in scientific breakthroughs through earlier.org.
Shelley Wilson (Honolulu, HI) for Business and Entrepreneurship – Turned personal adversity into Wilson Care Group, a purpose-driven healthcare enterprise generating over $50M annually while creating hundreds of local jobs and delivering innovative, aloha-centered senior care across Hawaiʻi.
Joell McNew (Austin, TX) for Public Safety/Public Service – Created SafeHorns, a community-driven movement that unites students, families, and local agencies to improve safety around the University of Texas at Austin through practical solutions and trust-building initiatives.
Margie Singleton (Savannah, GA) for Leadership – After her breast cancer diagnosis, she championed “Margie’s Law,” requiring healthcare providers to notify roughly 800,000 Georgia women each year about dense breast tissue risks while mentoring patients and advancing advocacy for earlier breast cancer detection.

The “Remarkable Women Across America” telecast was hosted by Leeza Gibbons, former longtime host of Entertainment Tonight, and featured musical performances by Morgan Myles, a past finalist for NBC’s “The Voice,” known for the fastest four-chair turn in the show’s history, and Blanco Brown, an American country-rap artist best known for his viral multi-platform hit, “The Git Up.”

The special aired nationally on NewsNation on Sunday, March 22 at 9:00 AM ET / 7:00 AM PT, and local broadcasts in Nexstar television markets across the country will follow. Visit Nexstar Media Group | Remarkable Women to learn more.

This year’s Remarkable Women awards were nationally sponsored by Olay, J.P. Morgan Chase, Dupixent, and Prevagen.

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About The CW Network
The CW is America’s fifth major broadcast network and is available to 100% of U.S. television households. The CW delivers 15 hours of primetime entertainment programming and three hours of children’s programming per week in addition to almost 690 hours of sports programming in 2026 as the broadcast home to NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series; WWE NXT; college football and men’s and women’s basketball from the ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences; AVP beach volleyball, PBR Team Series; and Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) events. For its smaller market affiliates, CWPlus supplements The CW programming with additional syndicated content to provide 24 hours of programming, seven days per week. The fully ad-supported CW App, with more than 100 million downloads to date, is available for free to consumers on all major platforms and is home to the latest episodes and seasons of The CW’s primetime programming and a library of entertaining film and television content for on-demand viewing. The CW is 81% owned by Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), a leading diversified media company and largest CW affiliate group. For more information about The CW, please visit www.cwtv.com.

About Nexstar Media Group:
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST) is a leading diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. For more information, please visit nexstar.tv.

Media Contacts:

THE CW NETWORK
Beth Feldman
SVP Communications
646/563-8334 or bfeldman@nexstar.tv

NEXSTAR MEDIA GROUP, INC.
Gary Weitman
EVP and Chief Communications Officer
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
(972) 373-8800 or gweitman@nexstar.tv