2026 Cartoon of the Year

2026 Cartoon of the Year winners

Nov. 7, 2026

Associated Collegiate Press salutes the winners of its 2026 Cartoon of the Year competition.

ACP’s Individual Awards are among the top prizes in collegiate media, and the awards are a showcase of journalistic excellence.

Winners were announced during the National College Media Convention Nov. 7 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Fall 2026 Pacemakers

2026 Individual Awards

Best of Show

Individual Recognition
Staff Recognition

First Place
Distorted Devotion
Jeanelle Ocampo
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles

Second Place
Job Market
Ryleigh Hood
The Shorthorn
University of Texas at Arlington

Third Place
Alex Petti
Brandon Mendoza
The Brookhaven Courier
Dallas College Brookhaven (TX)

Fourth Place
Just Say You’re Racist
Melissa Grobleski
The Appalachian
Appalachian State University (NC)

Fifth Place
Anatomy of a SCAD Student
Owen McGuire
SCAD District
Savannah College of Art and Design (GA)

Honorable Mention
Woke Curriculum
Izzie Webb
The Collegian
Tarrant County College (TX)

What Trump’s Venezuela Strategy Reveals About US Power
Shea Tepstein
The Los Angeles Loyolan
Loyola Marymount University (CA)

Political Violence Doesn’t Just Harm One Voice, It Harms All
Michaela Gabriel
The Los Angeles Loyolan
Loyola Marymount University (CA)

Let Them Eat Cake
Izzie Webb
The Collegian
Tarrant County College (TX)

Vroom Vroom
Brianne DuBose
Foghorn News
Del Mar College (TX)

First Place
Overheard at Northeastern
Sree Kandula
The Huntington News
Northeastern University (MA)

Second Place
Alternative Things to Do With the Dead Horse Comic Strip
Amelie Stein
The Los Angeles Loyolan
Loyola Marymount University (CA)

Third Place
Pepper & Crumbs There is No Planet B
Hailey Romero
News-Register
Dallas College North Lake (TX)

Fourth Place
Point Green Halloween
Robert Verdiguel
The Et Cetera
Dallas College Eastfield (TX)

Fifth Place
Stress Is Not a Crisis
James Ellis
The Baylor Lariat
Baylor University (TX)

Honorable Mention
Chaz Vacation
Aliya Ibrahim
The Brookhaven Courier
Dallas College Brookhaven (TX)

Emergency Defense
Alexa Frederick
StoryBytes Media
Miami Dade College – Kendall Campus (FL)

Slacking Off in San Fran
Owen McGuire
SCAD District
Savannah College of Art and Design (GA)

The Next Generation
Henoc Dossou
The Nubian Message
North Carolina State University

That Was Fast
Gabrielle Lashley
Long Beach Current
California State University, Long Beach