2023 Photo of the Year

NSPA honors
top scholastic photojournalism

Photo of the Year

News Photo • Feature Photo
Sports Game/Action Photo • Sports Feature Photo
Environmental Portrait

Nov. 4, 2023

National Scholastic Press Association salutes the winners of its 2023 Photo of the Year competition.

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

Winners were announced during the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Media Convention, on Nov. 4, in Boston.


News Photo

First Place
Tom Fathi
Talisman
Ballard High School
Seattle, Washington
Guns Don’t Lie



Second Place
Maggie Wells
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
If Not Now When

Third Place
Carly Philpott
The Union St. Journal
Cherry Creek High School
Greenwood Village, Colorado
Shout For Choice

Fourth Place
Gabbi Mortellaro
Legend
Wando High School
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Saviour’s Story

Fifth Place
Elina Shah
WordsWorth
Moorestown Friends School
Moorestown, New Jersey
Senior Countdown

Honorable mentions

David Maxwell
The Mix, Monarch High School, Louisville, Colorado
No more silence

Kaiden Yu
The Augur Bit, Georgetown Day School, Washington, D.C.
Celebration of Holi Returns, Offering Platform to Share South Asian Culture

Sydney Matysik
Tabulae, Lyons Township High School, La Grange, Illinois
Your Moment

Alyx Goldensoph
The Torch, Kennedy High School, Swisher, Iowa
Kennedy Students Walk Out Over Women’s Reproductive Health

Olivia Wegmann-Krider
Zephyrus, Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota
Minneapolis drought devastates Minnehaha Creek


Feature Photo

First Place
Eli Weiss
The Boiling Point
Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California
Seniors in Poland: Colors of death



Second Place
Kaya Kinsey
Voice
Vandegrift High School
Austin, Texas
Welding

Third Place
Kylie Chaplin
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Touch Ups

Fourth Place
Julia Farris
Quatralog
Fred T. Foard High School
Newton, North Carolina
From the Stands

Fifth Place
Mary Bahrami
Voice
Vandegrift High School
Austin, Texas
AP Chem

Honorable mentions

Evan Beller
The Boiling Point, Shalhevet High School, Los Angeles, California
Larger than life, portraits in undulating colors now brighten hallways

Aza Khan
Odyssey, Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia
Soprano singing

Sasha Libenzon
Wayland Student Press Network, Wayland High School, Wayland, Massachusetts
Hitting the High Note

Logan Reid
Lions Roar, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, Tennessee
Play With Fire

Joseph Budiselich
El Paisano, Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
Pull Up


Sports Game/Action Photo

First Place
Claire Bauer
The Rock
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
The End of an Era



Second Place
Brooke Bohan
Fusion
Hagerty High School
Oviedo, Florida
Raise the bar

Third Place
Gracia Shao-Xue
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California
Defying Gravity

Fourth Place
Quinn Rudnick
The Union St. Journal
Cherry Creek High School
Greenwood Village, Colorado
The Bubble

Fifth Place
Ezra Victor
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy Upper School
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Full extension

Honorable mentions

Caleb Wong
Viking, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California
Eyes on the Ball

Hiba Issawi
Horizon, Blue Valley Northwest High School, Overland Park, Kansas
Victory 

Erika Giaconia
Tesserae, Corning-Painted Post High School, Corning, New York
Reach for It – Giaconia

Hannah Shook
Quatralog, Fred T. Foard High School, Newton, North Carolina
Lay It Up

Kayla Tran
Scandia, Inglemoor High School, Kenmore, Washington
Racing Against the Weather


Sports Feature Photo

First Place
Macy Crosser
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Loud From the Lane Lines



Second Place
Eva Berkley
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Unfair

Third Place
Claire Bauer
The Rock
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Victory’s Embrace

Fourth Place
Maggie Wells
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Having Fun

Fifth Place
Jackson Haltom
Tiger
Texas High School
Texarkana, Texas
New Beginnings

Honorable mentions

Matthew McGehee
U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Raw Reactions

Teryn DeBey
Brickhouse, Shawnee Mission North High School, Overland Park, Kansas
Caught Baseball

Allison Mallard
Ledoian, Aledo High School, Aledo, Texas
New News Crew

Charlie Partheymuller
The Shield, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas
Sanchez, super sophs lead Knights’ surge to second in district

Haylie Egan
Pantera, Mead High School, Spokane, Washington
Work Hard. Finish Hard.


Environmental Portrait

First Place
Rocco Muich
Central Focus
Francis Howell Central High School
Cottleville, Missouri
Opening the door to our flaws



Second Place
Gabriel Issa
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School
Chicago, Illinois
Sprinting to success

Third Place
Bella Schwinne
Legend
Wando High School
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Sun’s Out, Fun’s Out

Fourth Place
Scarlett Lewis
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Just Browsing

Fifth Place
Carson Marquardt
Reflections
Blue Valley High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Roar

Honorable mentions

Anna Jerolimov
El Estoque, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
Powder and glow

Matt Petres
U-Highlights, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Dashing Daphne

Brandon Shih
Corral, Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield, Missouri
Solo on Wall Street

Gergo Major
The Shield, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas
Cumberbatch wins Black Girl Magic art contest

Karwaan Kotwal
The Legacy, Potomac Falls High School, Sterling, Virginia
Rise Up