2026 Multimedia Story of the Year winners

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Nov. 7, 2026

Associated Collegiate Press salutes the winners of its 2026 Multimedia Story 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

Individual Recognition
Staff Recognition

First Place
NASA’s Artemis II Splashes Down off San Diego Coast
Derek Ellis
Beach TV News
California State University, Long Beach

Second Place
From the Capitol to the Tower
Staff
The Daily Texan
University of Texas at Austin

Third Place
Are Residence Halls Safe?
Staff
Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky

Fourth Place
What Happened at Nob Hill?
Staff
NCC News
Syracuse University (NY)

Fifth Place
Oberlin Invested $1.2 Million in Israeli Companies
Declan Bradley
The Oberlin Review
Oberlin College (OH)

Honorable Mention
Torrance Man Arrested Outside White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Sherlyn Rodriguez
Beach TV News
California State University, Long Beach

How Budget Cuts Have Impacted UCLA
Staff
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles

How Federal Job Cuts Threaten the Environment’s Future
Nathan Olszewski
The NewsHouse
Syracuse University (NY)

Manhattan Holds a Third ‘No Kings’ Protest
Emma Baldwin, Amylee Gil, Emma Lazarczyk, Erica Merz
The Kansas State Collegian
Kansas State University

Chico State’s Fall 2025 Enrollment Breakdown
Chris Hutton
The Orion
California State University, Chico

First Place
NU in Bloom
Staff
The Daily Northwestern
Northwestern University (IL)

Second Place
Snapshot
Staff
Penn State Student Media
Pennsylvania State University

Third Place
How We Love in NYC
Staff
NYCity News Service
City University of New York

Fourth Place
When Covering the News Becomes Dangerous
Joe Trujillo
The Hornet
Fullerton College (CA)

Fifth Place
Walking the Narrow Ridge With Bill Nickle
Victoria Cuellar
StoryBytes
Miami Dade College (FL)

Honorable Mention
Lifelong Friendship
Samarie Goffney, Dang Le
The Shorthorn
University of Texas at Arlington

The First Year Survey
Alexander Cheng, Jesse Hao, Jacob Stoebner
The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University (TN)

How Brain-Rotted Are Vanderbilt Students?
Corey Lochan, Jacob Stoebner, Vincent Xu
The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University (TN)

Nunca Mas: The Mission of Thousands
Melissa Santos
Penn State Student Media
Pennsylvania State University

A Deeper Dive Into Club Recruitment
Madison Jones, Bethany Kim, Lillian Wu
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles

First Place
Two Schools, One City
Staff
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles

Second Place
The Engineering Behind Cal Poly’s Global Roster
Dylan Allen, Trotter McLemore, Ty Soria
Mustang News
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Third Place
Head Coach Kirk Ferentz Built Success From a Season of Loss
Matt McGowan
The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa

Fourth Place
Dodgers Capture Back-to-Back World Series Titles
Ethan Cohen
Beach TV News
California State University, Long Beach

Fifth Place
What Makes Women’s Athletics a Space for Queer Visibility?
Jasmine Altschul
The Red Line Project
University of Illinois Chicago

Honorable Mention
The Battalion’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide
Mathias Cubillan
The Battalion
Texas A&M University

Inside Savannah Bananas’ Record-Breaking Night at Kyle Field
Ian Curtis
The Battalion
Texas A&M University

Data ‘Dores: Tiger Kings
Jake Balter, Alexander Cheng, Eli Landers, Dylan Sosinsky
The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University (TN)

Big Ticket, Little Seating
Aaron Coronado, Zach Davis, Tyler Firtel, Nicholas Kingman, Tyler Pullum
The Daily Texan
University of Texas at Austin

Vanderbilt’s Journey Through March Madness
Michael Tung
The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University (TN)

First Place
Beaver Logging in Action
Kiarra Ruff
The Daily Barometer
Oregon State University

Second Place
Rodeo 2026
Amery Gill
Mustang News
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Third Place
Officers Detain Protesters at Eugene Federal Building
Saj Sundaram
The Daily Emerald
University of Oregon

Fourth Place
Horse and Rider Combinations Compete
Kate Bonafede, Isabella Lindsey
Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky

Fifth Place
Weekend at the K-State Rodeo
Cassidy Friend, Grace Parks, Adi Stuhlsatz
The Kansas State Collegian
Kansas State University

Honorable Mention
Eta Omicron Chapter New Member Presentation
Dylan Ribott
Technician
North Carolina State University

Salamanders in Peril
Staff
Flux
University of Oregon

Japanese Skate Rolls Into Long Beach
Diego Perez
Long Beach Current
California State University, Long Beach

Gabriel Lyons Spends Weekend at South Carolina
Jack Bradshaw
The Daily Gamecock
University of South Carolina

EIU Splashes Color at Holi Color Fest
Olivia Clardy
Daily Eastern News
Eastern Illinois University

First Place
A Data-Driven Look at UCLA’s Food Trucks
Noah Hrung, Chloe Kim, Liam McGlynn
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles

Second Place
A Guide to Free Workout Spots in the South Bay
Erica Lee
The Union
El Camino College (CA)

Third Place
From the Capitol to the Tower
Staff
The Daily Texan
University of Texas at Austin

Fourth Place
Crossword
Brigit Pierce, Shruthi Ramireddy
The Daily Tar Heel
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fifth Place
Residence Hall Safety Timeline
Giana Gallo
Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky

Honorable Mention
Immigration
Isabelle Foland
The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa

Here’s Who Voted Early in Talley Student Union
Matthew Burkhart
Technician
North Carolina State University

2026 March Madness Bracket
Grace Hall, David Hernandez, Jesse Hao, Eli Landers, Henry Oelhafen
The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University (TN)

Iowa Midterms
Isabelle Foland
The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa

Can Students Eat Healthy at UCLA’s Dining Halls?
Leo Feng, Gabriel Schwinden, Sydney Tomsick, Lillian Wu
Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles

First Place
Proposition 50 Election Coverage
Staff
Mustang News
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Second Place
Coverage of TPUSA and All Are Neighbors Events
Alex Brewer, Savannah Ford, Christina Ikhbeis, Sophia Monson, Rylie Painter
The Baylor Lariat
Baylor University (TX)

Third Place
Syracuse University Closes or Pauses 93 Programs for ‘Portfolio Review’
Staff
The Daily Orange
Syracuse University (NY)

Fourth Place
Customs and Border Control Coverage
Davis Cuffe, Sofia DiStefano, Giselle Jimenez Del-Carmen, Wes Packham
Niner Times
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Fifth Place
Instagram Reporting
Angelina Handris, Corey Hoffman, Ana Paramo, Ysabella Sosa, Saj Sundaram
The Daily Emerald
University of Oregon

Honorable Mention
The Shorthorn’s Approach to Covering Redistricting
Staff
The Shorthorn
University of Texas at Arlington

Are Dorms Safe?
Jackson Redish
Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky

Border Patrol Covertly Filmed Protesters With Meta Smart Glasses
Ryan Ottignon
Daily Northwestern
Northwestern University (IL)

The Pepperdine Graphic
Staff
The Pepperdine Graphic
Pepperdine University (CA)

Black History Month
Staff
The Shorthorn
University of Texas at Arlington

First Place
Deadline Democracy
Phoebe Gulsen
The NewsHouse
Syracuse University (NY)

Second Place
To Bee or Not to Bee
Mayla Fass, Aedan Seaver
Flux
University of Oregon

Third Place
People of UT
Rhea Chowdhary, Annelise Garrison
The Daily Texan
University of Texas at Austin

Fourth Place
Live From the West End
Henry Oelhafen, Tristan Rutman, Dylan Tovitz
The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University (TN)

Fifth Place
Brewery at Foster and Baylor Esports Title
Makenzie Grizzard, Jacob Stowers
The Baylor Lariat
Baylor University (TX)

Honorable Mention
Bad Midwest Feminist
Caroline Siebels-Lindquist
Urban Plains
Drake University (IA)

Beyond the Flock: Will Straton
Russell Taber
Daily Emerald
University of Oregon

Featured Artist: Magehela Requejo
Sofia Sanchez
Miambiance
Miami Dade College – Kendall Campus (FL)

Becoming That Girl: Sienna Sacco Unfiltered
Jamison DeLaine
The Miami Hurricane
University of Miami (FL)

Voces Latinas
Melanie Ochoa
Golden Gate Xpress
San Francisco State University (CA)

First Place
Penn Recoups $175 Million in Frozen Funds
Staff
The Daily Pennsylvanian
University of Pennsylvania

Second Place
The Light She Left Behind
Sylvia Freire
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion
University of Kentucky

Third Place
Half Thai, Fully Lost
Halee Provost
StoryBytes Media
Miami Dade College – Kendall Campus (FL)

Fourth Place
Groves Testifies Before House Committee
Maren Fagan, Paulina Inglima, Aamir Jamil, Evie Steele, Ajani Stella
The Hoya
Georgetown University (DC)

Fifth Place
Ale-8-One’s Formula to Success
Adelaide Cahill
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion
University of Kentucky

Honorable Mention
The Erasure of Black Girlhood
Maria Victoria Almarza
StoryBytes Media
Miami Dade College – Kendall Campus (FL)

The Core of the Big Apple
Evangeline Jorjorian
KBVR-FM
Oregon State University

Dyslexia Is Not a Leadership Deficit
Courtney Standley
The Hornet
Fullerton College (CA)

Following GU Men’s Basketball in the Transfer Portal
Jackson Roberts, Maddie Taylor
The Hoya
Georgetown University (DC)

My Journey to Coming Out as an AMAB Nonbinary Person
Christopher Gonzalez
Inside Fullerton
Fullerton College (CA)