2026 Multimedia Story of the Year finalists
August 21, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS — The Associated Collegiate Press announces finalists in its 2026 Multimedia Story of the Year competition.
The winners will be announced at the ACP Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the National College Media Convention in Kansas City, Mo.
After the winners are announced on Nov. 7, a gallery of the winners and honorable mentions will be shared on this website allowing student journalists and advisers to see all of the entries recognized in the competition.
Congratulations to the finalists in the following Multimedia Story of the Year contests —
Individual Award finalists
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
Please join us at the National College Media Convention Nov. 4-7 in Kansas City, Mo.
Multimedia News Story
Chris Hutton
The Orion, California State University, Chico
Chico State’s Fall 2025 Enrollment Breakdown
Derek Ellis
Beach TV News, California State University, Long Beach
NASA’s Artemis II Splashes Down off San Diego Coast
Sherlyn Rodriguez
Beach TV News, California State University, Long Beach
Torrance Man Arrested Outside White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Emma Baldwin, Amylee Gil, Emma Lazarczyk, Erica Merz
The Kansas State Collegian, Kansas State University
Manhattan Holds a Third ‘No Kings’ Protest
Declan Bradley
The Oberlin Review, Oberlin College (OH)
Oberlin Invested $1.2 Million in Israeli Companies
Roxanne Boychuk, Sydney-Leigh Brockington, Nick Dekaney, Marisa Nunez, Moira Vaughan
NCC News, Syracuse University (NY)
What Happened at Nob Hill?
Nathan Olszewski
The NewsHouse, Syracuse University (NY)
How Federal Job Cuts Threaten the Environment’s Future
Staff
Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
How Budget Cuts Have Impacted UCLA
Staff
Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Are Residence Halls Safe?
Staff
The Daily Texan, University of Texas at Austin
From the Capitol to the Tower
Multimedia Feature Story
Staff
NYCity News Service, City University of New York
How We Love in NYC
Joe Trujillo
The Hornet, Fullerton College (CA)
When Covering the News Becomes Dangerous
Victoria Cuellar
StoryBytes, Miami Dade College (FL)
Walking the Narrow Ridge With Bill Nickle
Staff
The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University (IL)
NU in Bloom
Staff
Penn State Student Media, Pennsylvania State University
Snapshot
Melissa Santos
Penn State Student Media, Pennsylvania State University
Nunca Mas: The Mission of Thousands
Madison Jones, Bethany Kim, Lillian Wu
Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
A Deeper Dive Into Club Recruitment
Samarie Goffney, Dang Le
The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington
Lifelong Friendship
Alexander Cheng, Jesse Hao, Jacob Stoebner
The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University (TN)
The First Year Survey
Corey Lochan, Jacob Stoebner, Vincent Xu
The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University (TN)
How Brain-Rotted Are Vanderbilt Students?
Multimedia Sports Story
Dylan Allen, Trotter McLemore, Ty Soria
Mustang News, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
The Engineering Behind Cal Poly’s Global Roster
Ethan Cohen
Beach TV News, California State University, Long Beach
Dodgers Capture Back-to-Back World Series Titles
Mathias Cubillan
The Battalion, Texas A&M University
The Battalion’s 2026 NFL Draft Guide
Ian Curtis
The Battalion, Texas A&M University
Inside Savannah Bananas’ Record-Breaking Night at Kyle Field
Staff
Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Two Schools, One City
Jasmine Altschul
The Red Line Project, University of Illinois Chicago
What Makes Women’s Athletics a Space for Queer Visibility?
Matt McGowan
The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa
Head Coach Kirk Ferentz Built Success From a Season of Loss
Aaron Coronado, Zach Davis, Tyler Firtel, Nicholas Kingman, Tyler Pullum
The Daily Texan, University of Texas at Austin
Big Ticket, Little Seating
Jake Balter, Alexander Cheng, Eli Landers, Dylan Sosinsky
The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University (TN)
Data ’Dores: Tiger Kings
Michael Tung
The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University (TN)
Vanderbilt’s Journey Through March Madness
Photo Slideshow
Amery Gill
Mustang News, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Rodeo 2026
Diego Perez
Long Beach Current, California State University, Long Beach
Japanese Skate Rolls Into Long Beach
Olivia Clardy
Daily Eastern News, Eastern Illinois University
EIU Splashes Color at Holi Color Fest
Cassidy Friend, Grace Parks, Adi Stuhlsatz
The Kansas State Collegian, Kansas State University
Weekend at the K-State Rodeo
Dylan Ribott
Technician, North Carolina State University
Eta Omicron Chapter New Member Presentation
Kiarra Ruff
The Daily Barometer, Oregon State University
Beaver Logging in Action
Kate Bonafede, Isabella Lindsey
Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Horse and Rider Combinations Compete
Staff
Daily Emerald, University of Oregon
Officers Detain Protesters at Eugene Federal Building
Saj Sundaram
Flux, University of Oregon
Salamanders in Peril
Jack Bradshaw
The Daily Gamecock, University of South Carolina
Gabriel Lyons Spends Weekend at South Carolina
Interactive Graphic
Erica Lee
The Union, El Camino College (CA)
A Guide to Free Workout Spots in the South Bay
Matthew Burkhart
Technician, North Carolina State University
Here’s Who Voted Early in Talley Student Union
Noah Hrung, Chloe Kim, Liam McGlynn
Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
A Data-Driven Look at UCLA’s Food Trucks
Leo Feng, Gabriel Schwinden, Sydney Tomsick, Lillian Wu
Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Can Students Eat Healthy at UCLA’s Dining Halls?
Isabelle Foland
The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa
Immigration
Isabelle Foland
The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa
Iowa Midterms
Giana Gallo
Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Residence Hall Safety Timeline
Brigit Pierce, Shruthi Ramireddy
The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Crossword
Staff
The Daily Texan, University of Texas at Austin
From the Capitol to the Tower
Grace Hall, David Hernandez, Jesse Hao, Eli Landers, Henry Oelhafen
The Vanderbilt Hustler, Vanderbilt University (TN)
2026 March Madness Bracket
Social Media Reporting
Alex Brewer, Savannah Ford, Christina Ikhbeis, Sophia Monson, Rylie Painter
The Baylor Lariat, Baylor University (TX)
Coverage of TPUSA and All Are Neighbors Events
Staff
Mustang News, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Proposition 50 Election Coverage
Ryan Ottignon
Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University (IL)
Border Patrol Covertly Filmed Protesters With Meta Smart Glasses
Staff
The Pepperdine Graphic, Pepperdine University (CA)
The Pepperdine Graphic
Staff
The Daily Orange, Syracuse University (NY)
Syracuse University Closes or Pauses 93 Programs for ‘Portfolio Review’
Jackson Redish
Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Are Dorms Safe?
Davis Cuffe, Sofia DiStefano, Giselle Jimenez Del-Carmen, Wes Packham
Niner Times, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Customs and Border Control Coverage
Angelina Handris, Corey Hoffman, Ana Paramo, Ysabella Sosa, Saj Sundaram
Daily Emerald, University of Oregon
Instagram Reporting
Staff
The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington
The Shorthorn’s Approach to Covering Redistricting
Staff
The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington
Black History Month
Podcast
Finalists will be announced soon.
Blog
Christopher Gonzalez
Inside Fullerton, Fullerton College (CA)
Dyslexia Is Not a Leadership Deficit
Courtney Standley
The Hornet, Fullerton College (CA)
My Journey to Coming Out as an AMAB Nonbinary Person
Maren Fagan, Paulina Inglima, Aamir Jamil, Evie Steele, Ajani Stella
The Hoya, Georgetown University (DC)
Groves Testifies Before House Committee
Jackson Roberts, Maddie Taylor
The Hoya, Georgetown University (DC)
Following GU Men’s Basketball in the Transfer Portal
Halee Provost
StoryBytes Media, Miami Dade College – Kendall Campus (FL)
Half Thai, Fully Lost
Maria Victoria Almarza
StoryBytes Media, Miami Dade College – Kendall Campus (FL)
The Erasure of Black Girlhood
Evangeline Jorjorian
KBVR-FM, Oregon State University
The Core of the Big Apple
Sylvia Freire
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
The Light She Left Behind
Adelaide Cahill
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Ale-8-One’s Formula to Success
Staff
The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania
Penn Recoups $175 Million in Frozen Funds