NSPA honors
top scholastic photojournalism

Nov. 12, 2022

National Scholastic Press Association salutes the winners of its 2022 Photo of the Year competition.

NSPA’s Individual Awards are the top prizes in scholastic journalism, and the awards are a showcase of journalistic excellence.

Winners were announced during the Fall National High School Journalism Convention, Nov. 10-13, in St. Louis.

NSPA awards archive

NSPA awards info

First Place
David Maxwell
The Mix
Monarch High School
Louisville, Colorado
Mulberry Street

Second Place
Emmakate Squires
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Women’s Rights

Third Place
Murphy Jones
The Talon News
Argyle High School
Argyle, Texas
Love Knows No Borders

Fourth Place
Malcolm Taylor
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School
Chicago, Illinois
We are here to learn, not to die

Fifth Place
Alexis Kelly
Brickhouse
Shawnee Mission North High School
Overland Park, Kansas
A welcome surprise

Honorable mentions

Gauri Manoj
El Estoque, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
Forever remembered

Tanvee Sai
The Prospector, Cupertino High School, Cupertino, California
Abortion Ban Protest

Bella Brouilette
KnightMedia, Prospect High School, Mount Prospect, Illinois
My body, my choice

Jordan Wilt
The Spectator, Liberty High School, Liberty, Missouri
Changing Minds

Elena Ulack
The Shield, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas
Parents of trans youth protest at Capitol

First Place
Rachel Bingham
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Therapy Window Painting

Second Place
Madi Hermeyer
Odyssey
Francis Howell Central High School
Cottleville, Missouri
Fans Never Left

Third Place
Sydney Endicott
Fusion Online
Maize Career Academy
Wichita, Kansas
Bull Rush focus

Fourth Place
Tom Fathi
Talisman
Ballard High School
Seattle, Washington
Tech Theater

Fifth Place
Kennedy Weatherby
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas
Forged by fire (fighting)

Honorable mentions

Gavin Weiskopf
Castle View Student Media, Castle View High School, Castle Rock, Colorado
David Parks rehearses

Andrew Burke-Stevenson
U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
All about that bass

Laney Turner
Regal Red, Maize High School, Maize, Kansas
Welcome home

Claire Bauer
Rockmedia, Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Photosynthesis

Kevin Vazquez
The Blaze, Indian Trail High School & Academy, Kenosha, Wisconsin
All Together

First Place
Morgan Winner
Illumination
Blue Valley West High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Air Ball

Second Place
Alicyn Logue
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Kingwood, Texas
Close Play

Third Place
Catherine Biggers
The Lair
Leander High School
Leander, Texas
Head Above Water

Fourth Place
Hiba Issawi
Horizon
Blue Valley Northwest High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Kickin’ It to State

Fifth Place
Maggie Merckens
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Sunset Soccer

Honorable mentions

Andrew Burke-Stevenson
U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Final push

Carter Smith
Fusion Online, Maize Career Academy, Wichita, Kansas
Cross-city tension

Avery Jerina
The Marquee, Marcus High School, Flower Mound, Texas
Throwing to new distances

Nicole Novak
The Arena, Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas
Scramble Drill

Eva Berkley
Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Thinking Through it

First Place
Evan Johnson
The Lair
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas
Game Plan

Second Place
Phoenix Fisk
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Holding Each Other Up

Third Place
Sophia Stalter
Mosaic
Monarch High School
Louisville, Colorado
Buzzer beater bombshell

Fourth Place
Randi Mendolia
Ledoian
Aledo High School
Aledo, Texas
Varsity Upset Short of State

Fifth Place
Diego Hernandez
Shield
Thomas Downey High School
Modesto, California
The final stretch

Honorable mentions

Sofia Valladares
Voice, Vandegrift High School, Austin, Texas
Kicking Under Pressure

Mia Gomez
The Knight, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas
Revelling in a playoff victory

Maggie Merckens
The Harbinger, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Senior Nerves

Tristan Hernandez
Tracks, Cedar Park High School, Cedar Park, Texas
I Know You Get Deja Vu

Lainey Hogg
Pioneer, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri
Frisco Bell

First Place
Elliott Taylor
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School
Chicago, Illinois
Sunny Neater, antiracist art teacher

Second Place
Maggie Merckens
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Loyalty Grills

Third Place
Riley Wania
Central Focus
Francis Howell Central High School
Cottleville, Missouri
Unpacking

Fourth Place
Yasmine Khoury
The Blaze
Indian Trail High School & Academy
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Getting some leg room

Fifth Place
Payton Johnston
Excalibur
Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles, Missouri
Makeup Artist

Honorable mentions

Andrew Burke-Stevenson
U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Mark Clements, torture survivor

Nandini Muresh
The Sidekick, Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas
Anandkumar whirling her way forward

Caroline Crump
Madisonian, Madison High School, Rexburg, Idaho
Turn It Up

Ella Rosewarne
The Communicator, Community High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Coming Into Confidence

Reesi Nesbitt
Lions Roar, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, Tennessee
Batch Made in Heaven