Brittini Ward is a multi-media artist and the founder of EYE N EYE LLC. It’s a creative studio, using storytelling for healing, care and cultural preservation in the city of Detroit.  

The Emmy-winning artist has been featured in The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Detroit Institute of Arts, Motown Museum and has partnered with local organizations like Black Bottom Archives and Plowshares Theatre Company, just to name a few.  

Ward graduated from The University of Michigan Flint and has her masters in Social Justice and Community Organizing from Prescott College. 

Today, her work builds on her educational pursuits, allowing her to bring people together around art. Through her exhibitions, she’s intentionally creating spaces that hold community stories.  

Listen to the episode and learn more about Detroit based artist Brittini Ward.

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building. Its goal is to showcase Detroit’s creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Tune into The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming On-demand. Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

Brittany Epps, known in Detroit’s creative circles as Nerd, is the founder of House of Both Rows. The sustainable fashion house is built on a simple but radical idea: nothing is truly thrown away. Old items are simply waiting to become something new. 

Nerd takes thrifted clothing and transforms it into completely original pieces, giving forgotten garments a second life as wearable art.

House of Both Rows has quickly grown in presence in the city. Nerd and team have brought designs to the runway at fashion shows across the city, building a reputation as one of the names to watch in Detroit’s sustainable fashion movement. Nerd also hosts events at The Ether, the brand’s shared creative space. 

When Nerd isn’t in the studio crafting new pieces, they’re in the community, running workshops for young people that go beyond fashion basics. They’re offering real-world experience in what it actually takes to run a creative business.

The through-line for their idea is a simple goal—to create legacy pieces. Nerd wants to do away with disposable fashion, and rebuild healthy relationships with garments that hold meaning. They want to craft items to be passed down for generations.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building. Its goal is to showcase Detroit’s creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Subscribe to Container on The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Detroit born and raised singer/songwriter Niko Noir lives and breathes music. 

As a graduate of Detroit School of Arts, Niko builds on those technical vocal skills to create her own sound. She released her first EP “Blame Niko” in 2021. In 2025, she released her first full album “Who Can Blame Niko.” In 2026, Niko has taken a leap of faith and has dived right into her career. She quit her full-time job to pursue her goals. 

Niko blends traditional R&B with hip hop and soul, as her vocals flow over the track with words she’s written from the heart. 

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building to showcase Detroit’s most promising creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Ice Cream Detroit is a seven-year labor of love turned premium, sometimes boozy, ice cream shop.

Ice Cream Detroit is run by Ysahai Honor-Marie and Kiaira May. They offer unique flavors From Red Faygo to pop rocks. Every scoop is made from scratch, with an optional liquor-infused twist.

The store started as a pop-up, but has had its own permanent home on Second Ave in Midtown since September 2025.

As the duo continues to grow, gaining loyal customers, the new clientele hasn’t changed who the shop is for. It’s for the community. Ice Cream Detroit offers discounts, which aims to connect to all members of the neighborhood.

Whatever’s next—a trailer, an ice cream bar, a second grand opening, it’s safe to say they’re doing it for the culture. They’re doing it for Detroit.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

CONTAINER On The Metro is a WDET produced storytelling series that brings Detroit’s creative heartbeat to the airwaves. 

CONTAINER is a program created by The Love Building. It’s goal is to showcase Detroit’s creative talent across music, fashion, fine arts and food. Done in collaboration with WDET Public Radio with major support from the Gilbert Family Foundation.

After another year of standout reporting, storytelling and music programming, WDET has earned more than 40 awards from some of the industry’s most respected journalism and broadcasting organizations.

Leading the honors is a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, one of broadcast journalism’s most prestigious recognitions. WDET also received awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the Society of Professional Journalists, Public Media Journalists Association and the National Headliner Awards.

The awards reflect the scope of WDET’s work, recognizing excellence in journalism, music programming, digital content and community storytelling.

Local-interest series such as “Citizen Vox Project,” “CuriosiD” and the culture-focused “Container on The Metro” were among the recognized projects, alongside award-winning reporting from programs including “The Metro,” “All Things Considered: Detroit” and “Morning Edition Detroit.”

Pat Batcheller wins the Region 7 Murrow for ‘Morning Edition Detroit’ newscast

The award-winning 7 a.m. broadcast of “Morning Edition Detroit” on Oct. 16, 2025, featured coverage of Detroit’s mayoral debate and residents’ reactions, city beautification efforts and other local news from across the region.

As in all of his broadcasts, Batcheller navigates seamlessly between news, weather and traffic, demonstrating the skill and versatility of a seasoned host and trusted reporter.

This marks his first Murrow Award.

Local Awards

Society of Professional Journalist awards

The Society of Professional Journalists honored WDET journalists with first place in several reporting categories, such as arts, auto, investigative, education, sports and more. Stories documenting ICE detention and global conflict from local perspectives spoke to the key issues of today, earning The Metro several awards.

Michigan Association of Broadcasters

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters recognized WDET’s work in the social sphere and gave a nod to music shows like Waajeed’s The Boulevard and Mike Latulippe’s The Detroit Move— a great send off to the latter show, which retired this past winter. 

National Awards

National Headliner Awards

Founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the National Headliner Awards are among the oldest and most respected journalism competitions in the country. Earning national recognition in the contest is an achievement in itself, and WDET received two awards this year.

Public Media Journalists Association

The Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) champions journalistic excellence across public media, honoring journalists whose work informs, engages and empowers their communities. The national awards program recognizes some of the best reporting and storytelling from stations across the country. This year, WDET earned five PMJA awards, highlighting the impact of its journalism and community-focused programming.