A Daysies award may not take center stage in Darren Perron’s ever-growing trophy collection, which already contains his Emmy, nine Edward R. Murrow Awards and 12 Associated Press Awards. Still, Perron says he’s “psyched, very humbled and excited” about capturing the local honor.

Perron, 38, is the first broadcaster chosen as Vermont’s top journalist. The Northeast Kingdom native started as an intern at WCAX in 1994 while still at Castleton State College, then landed a paid weekend gig the following year. Perron makes it look effortless, but admits he’s had his bloopers.

SEVEN DAYS: What’s your most embarrassing broadcasting moment?

DARREN PERRON: It was the day I ran out of breath on air. This was 13 or 14 years ago and I was still a newbie ... I thought I had two minutes to run a tape upstairs because a story was running before mine ... when I heard our producer page, “Darren, get in front of the camera! Twenty seconds!” So I hauled it down two flights of stairs ... My tie was sticking out sideways because the microphone cable got stuck on a chair, and all I could get out was “Good ... morning ... Eleanor.” We got about 10 messages that day asking if the boy who had the asthma attack on the morning show was OK.

—Ken Picard