2026 Design of the Year
2026 Design of the Year winners
Newspaper Front Page • Newspaper Page/Spread • Magazine Cover • Magazine Page/Spread • Yearbook Cover • Yearbook Page/Spread • Informational Graphic • Illustration
Nov. 7, 2026
Associated Collegiate Press salutes the winners of its 2026 Design 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 awards
Fall 2026 Pacemakers
Broadcast
Innovation
Magazine
Multiplatform
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
2026 Individual Awards
Story of the Year
Reporter of the Year
Multimedia Story of the Year
Design of the Year
Photo of the Year
Cartoon of the Year
Broadcast Story of the Year
Best of Show
Newspaper/Newsmagazine Front Page
First Place
January 2026 issue
Mark Hoover, Zoey Lawrence, Zoey Morse, Ben Westerhof
Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan University
Second Place
Friday, Jan. 9, 2026
Adaleah Carman
Daily Emerald
University of Oregon
Third Place
The Shot
Grace Davidson
The Daily Tar Heel
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Fourth Place
December 4, 2025
Ilana Zahavy
The Daily Orange
Syracuse University (NY)
Fifth Place
Stronger Together
Mikah Herzberg
The Sunflower
Wichita State University (KS)
Honorable Mention
Thin Ice
Molly Hoglund, Rida Kauser, Jack Schuler
The Daily Barometer
Oregon State University
Newsaper Front Page
Andrea Aladin, Arianna Antillon, Josh Whitehead, Yanelli Zavina Robles
The Southwestern College Sun
Southwestern College (CA)
Cruel Summer
Staff
el Don
Santa Ana College (CA)
Focused: Poe Hall
Nicole Bharrat
Technician
North Carolina State University
Rodeo Roots: Legacy Lives on at Cal Poly
Kennedy Ray
Mustang News
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Newspaper/Newsmagazine Page/Spread
First Place
Imposter Syndrome
Camille LeDuc
The Express
Las Positas College (CA)
Second Place
130 Years Timeline
Zachary Ruth, Taliyah Winn
The Sunflower
Wichita State University (KS)
Third Place
Chancellor Guide
Ilana Zahavy
The Daily Orange
Syracuse University (NY)
Fourth Place
An Outbreak of Peace
Staff
The Southwestern College Sun
Southwestern College (CA)
Fifth Place
Whitmer’s MSU Board Decision Looms
Owen McCarthy, Alex Walters
The State News
Michigan State University
Honorable Mention
In With the New
Zoey Lawrence, Ben Westerhof
Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan University
Keeneland: Day at the Races
Audrey Arnold
Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky
The Heartbeat of UTA’s Running Programs
Haley Walton
The Shorthorn
University of Texas at Arlington
Ellie Garrison
Staff
The Appalachian
Appalachian State University (NC)
Two Schools, One City
Rachel Kristen Lee Yokota
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles
Magazine Cover
First Place
The Avion
Andrew Comparetta, Grace Hamilton
The Avion
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL)
Second Place
Eagle Eye
Rehannah Bartley
Eagle Eye
Tennessee Tech University
Third Place
Drake Mag
Jordan Wyer
Drake Mag
Drake University (IA)
Fourth Place
Year in Focus
Emma Calabro
The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa
Fifth Place
Garnet & Black
Brooklyn Brown, Sofia Milliner, Tara O’Toole
Garnet & Black
University of South Carolina
Honorable Mention
The Auburn Circle
Staff
The Auburn Circle
Auburn University (AL)
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion
Elizabeth Hunter, Ashleigh Jones
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion
University of Kentucky
LGBGTQ+MIA
Julia Campbell, Elizabeth Kristal, Sal Puma
Distraction
University of Miami (FL)
Warrior Life
Sydney Sakamoto
Warrior Life
El Camino College (CA)
Pwatem
Staff
Pwatem
Virginia Commonwealth University
Magazine Page/Spread
First Place
The Stones, the Bones, the Thrones and the Tones
Marlowe Henderson
Roundabout
North Carolina State University
Second Place
International Student
Mason Fischer, Phoebe Jerome, Matt Polk, Kasey Schuler
Beaver’s Digest
Oregon State University
Third Place
A Home Reduced to Rubble
Ella Monte
Currents
Pepperdine University (CA)
Fourth Place
Against the Current
Staff
Flux
University of Oregon
Fifth Place
Isabel Hermann
Aviv Kesar, Linnaea Marks
The Peak
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Honorable Mention
Homeless at 16, Crowned at 20
Landyn DeSpain
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion
University of Kentucky
Moth — Flytrap Moon
Mattie Buckner
Windhover
North Carolina State University
To Touch the Stars
Monica Gill
The Brookhaven Courier
Dallas College Brookhaven (TX)
We Are Still Here
Nemo Reveron
Foghorn News
Del Mar College (TX)
Mountain Sightings
Chloe Schmitz
Roundabout
North Carolina State University
Yearbook Cover
First Place
Flourish
Alora Bucey
Tower
Northwest Missouri State University
Yearbook Page/Spread
First Place
Humans of the Den
Delaney Birkett
The Tower
Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Second Place
Forged for Greatness
Allison Schnelle
Baylor Roundup
Baylor University (TX)
Third Place
Setting the Standard
Martina Kiss Meyerfreund
The Tower
Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Fourth Place
By the Horns
Madison Coulter, Zara Thomas
Royal Purple
Kansas State University
Fifth Place
The Eye of the Storm
Jake Sperling
Ibis
University of Miami (FL)
Honorable Mention
Victory Frames
Haylee Haslett
Royal Purple
Kansas State University
Ambassadors Take the Stage
Allison Verhulst
Tower
Northwest Missouri State University
Probates
Samaria Dowling
Agromeck
North Carolina State University
Art2Wear
Kennedy Knight
Agromeck
North Carolina State University
What Would You Tell Your Freshman Year You?
Ella Sparks
Baylor Roundup
Baylor University (TX)
Informational Graphic
First Place
Artemis Orion Capsule Explainer
Derek Ellis
Beach TV News
California State University, Long Beach
Second Place
What’s on Your Plate?
Leah Bahamonde
Distraction
University of Miami (FL)
Third Place
6 Screenless Ways to Kill an Hour
Aaliyah Gholamipour
The Express
Las Positas College (CA)
Fourth Place
History of Disc Golf
Hannah Kichline
The Clarion
Sinclair Community College (OH)
Fifth Place
A Guide to Going Out Safely
Kate Mann
SCAN
Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta (GA)
Honorable Mention
These Jewelry Trends Might Be Here to Stay
Reaghan Chen, Deklyn DeSpain, Lily Foster, Ashleigh Jones
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion
University of Kentucky
Remarkable Rookie Season
Haley Walton
The Shorthorn
University of Texas at Arlington
PAC 12
Blake Leschber
The University Star
Texas State University
Baylor’s Basketball Player Map
Jackson Posey
The Baylor Lariat
Baylor University (TX)
Propositions and What They Mean
Malak Elkady
Richland Chronicle
Dallas College Richland (TX)
Illustration
First Place
Embracing the Culture
Celeste Munoz
Warrior Life
El Camino College (CA)
Second Place
Greenwood Care’s Executive Director Resigned
Lily Ogburn
Daily Northwestern
Northwestern University (IL)
Third Place
Feed the Soul
Rae Hanzlik
Ponder
Black Hills State University (SD)
Fourth Place
Section Pages
Rae Hanzlik
Ponder
Black Hills State University (SD)
Fifth Place
Before You Go
Aaliyah Gholamipour
The Express
Las Positas College (CA)
Honorable Mention
Papa’s Treasure
Ashleigh Jones
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion
University of Kentucky
Dannye Powell
Caitlin Hanson
Niner Times
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Penn Electric Racing
Amy Luo
The Daily Pennsylvanian
University of Pennsylvania
Hookup University
Ella Wyman
The Nubian Message
North Carolina State University
Enchantment
Nikki Yunker
Warrior Life
El Camino College (CA)