Mike Murri

The Detroit News has announced their 2025 Michiganians of the Year honors. Every year, the publication selects the "most impressive fellow citizens” to receive the distinction based on nominations by the readers and staff.

Among the 10 picked this year are Mike Murri, Vice President/General Manager of WXYZ and WMYD and Scripps Regional Vice President.  Murri has worked at WXYZ for more than four decades, championing local journalism, fostering community engagement, and promoting thoughtful growth across the stations under his leadership.  Murri's efforts help support community initiatives such as the "If You Give a Child a Book ..." campaign, which helps foster youth literacy, and the annual "Brightest & Best" tribute to the area's graduating high school seniors. He also sits on the executive committee at Forgotten Harvest, which helps feed Metro Detroiters in need, and on the board at Visit Detroit, which promotes Detroit as a tourism and business destination.

"I think being a good community partner starts with listening to identify the issues that are on people's minds. What are people thinking about every single day?" Murri told the Detroit News. "And with that, it can help us develop our plan and what we want to do, and to share positivity and tell great stories."

George Blaha 

Also honored this year is the voice of the Detroit Pistons, George Blaha. The 2024-25 season marked Blaha's 49th year as the Detroit Pistons' play-by-play announcer. Dubbed "The Voice of the Pistons," he has called more than 3,700 regular-season games and more than 260 playoff games. Blaha is a two-time Michigan Sports Broadcaster of the Year from the National Sportscasters and Sports Writers Association (2003 and 2007). In 2008, Blaha — who still calls Michigan State football games — was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. In September, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will induct Blaha as the 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award honoree.

Blaha's contributions to Michigan sports have gone beyond the microphone. In the late 1980s, he was part of a committee that saved Wayne State University's football program. Blaha and his group collaborated with then-Detroit Mayor Coleman Young through several board meetings and fundraisers to address the financial issues.

An awards ceremony was held Thursday night (6/12).