Kokopelli was named a national finalist and ultimately received an honorable mention in the 2020-2021 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards competition for Evan Hughes' podcast, “This Week in LoFi.”

Hughes' selection marks the first time an NMSU student or student media outlet has ever been named a finalist for a Pinnacle Award, which is often referred to as the "Pulitzer Prize" of collegiate journalism honors. 

Other finalists in the Best Podcast category included University of South Carolina, University of Hawaii and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Hughes' work was officially recognized at the national CMA convention in New Orleans last month.