Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.

Hooper grew up reading the Sunday paper with his dad. That’s where he learned the basics of writing while dreaming of one day writing the stories himself. At 16, he knocked on the door of his hometown paper and asked for a job as a reporter. Since then, he's written extensively for the Detroit Free Press -- the same paper he grew up reading.

Since joining WDET in 2017, Hooper has expanded the station’s arts and culture coverage and received numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasting along the way. Nationally, Hooper was awarded a 2020 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting for his story “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?“ In 2018, Hooper was named the Associated Press Michigan Editors Broadcast Rising Star in broadcast journalism. He received the prestigious Crain’s Detroit Business “20 In Their 20s” award in 2014. His commitment to volunteerism was recognized by the State of Michigan in 2007.

His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.

Will Michigan Beer Buyers Boycott Founders After Their Recent Snafu?

WDET Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m.  The 2018 WDET Michigan Beer Bracket...

Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week Wraps Up This Weekend

El Nacimiento Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m. The first-ever Southwest Detroit Restaurant...

“The Third Murder” Brings Gripping Japanese Crime Cinema to the Detroit Film Theatre

Detroit Film Theatre Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m. This weekend, the Detroit...

Genius Detroit Playwright Premieres “Pipeline” at Detroit Public Theatre

Chuk Nowak Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m.  Pipeline made its Detroit debut at the...

2018 WDET Michigan Beer Bracket: Road to the Sudsy 16

Last year, Michigan's beer economy was worth $10.5-billion and created over 30,000 jobs for the Mitten State. That means there's lots of Michigan beer to...

2018 WDET Michigan Beer Bracket: Nominate Your Favorite Beer

  Last year, Michigan's beer economy was worth $10.5-billion and created over 30,000 jobs for the Mitten State. That means there's lots of Michigan beer...

Buried & Forgotten: Why Did This Groundbreaking Black Artist Disappear from Local History?

Ryan Patrick Hooper Click the audio player above to listen to this story. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m. on WDET...

“Love, Gilda” Brings Gilda Radner Home to Detroit

Detroit Film Theatre Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m. This weekend, the Detroit...

Cuba Comes to Detroit: Cuban-Inspired Restaurant Set to Open in Downtown

Via Facebook Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m.  Downtown Detroit seems to be...

Live @ WDET’s Studio A: Fred Thomas Performs Songs from New Album “Aftering”

Miles Larson Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m.  Longtime Michigan musician Fred Thomas just...

Detroit’s Global Role in Design Takes Center Stage During Month of Design

Design Core Detroit Click the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m.  Detroit Design Festival has made...

How Macomb County is Putting Their Public Art Installations on the Map

Macomb County Click on the audio player to listen. CultureShift airs weekdays at 12 p.m.  Public art has become an...