NSPA names top news broadcasts

Prestigious competition recognizes 6 Pacemakers

Nov. 15, 2025

PHILADELPHIA — Honoring the nation’s best, the National Scholastic Press Association has named 6 scholastic news broadcasts as winners in its prestigious Pacemaker competition.

NSPA Pacemaker winners were recognized at the NSPA Awards Ceremony during the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville.

“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” executive director Laura Widmer said. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”

The NSPA Pacemaker award has a rich tradition and the association started presenting the award to high school newspapers a few years after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition.

Earlier this fall NSPA recognized 17 Pacemaker finalists.

Each school entered three programs from the 2024-25 school year. A team of three judges, collegiate broadcast professors and professionals in the broadcast industry, viewed each entry discussing and analyzing its strengths and weaknesses before selecting the finalists and Pacemakers.

“The winning entries stood out for not just their technical quality, but in the stories being covered,” Gary Lundgren, associate director and contest coordinator, said. “The writing, editing, hosting and the willingness to tackle relevant topics make these exceptional newscasts from start to finish.”

For judging, high school shows were divided into live and pre-recorded categories. The frequency of the broadcast was also considered. All middle school/junior high broadcasts competed in a separate category.

“The quality of the broadcasts is incredible and gets stronger each year,” Lundgren said. “It is exciting to watch the growth in broadcast programs in high schools across the country.”

2025 Fall Convention Awards

Fall 2025 Pacemakers
Broadcast
Newspaper/Newsmagazine/ Specialty Magazine

2025 Individual Awards
Broadcast Story of the Year
Cartoon of the Year
Design of the Year
Digital Story of the Year
Photo of the Year
Story of the Year
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Fred Ross Systemic Change Student Journalism Competition
Local Climate Change Reporting
Portfolio of the Year
Best Use of Social Media

Nashville Best of Show
Individual Recognition
Staff Recognition

CCNN Live
Christopher Columbus High School
Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Christopher Gonzalez, Morgan Lewis, Brandon Rodriguez
Advisers: Joseph Busatto, Omar Delgado, Daniella Rodriguez

Raider305
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Staff
Adviser: Zach Garrett

The Odyssey
Somerset Academy Prep
Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Andrew Hernandez, Natalie Marchand
Advisers: Natacha Delgado, Dalisa Robles

Code Blue News
Holbrook Middle-High School
Holbrook, Massachusetts
Producers/editors: Carmen Sautelet, Antoli Theodate
Adviser: Zack Gorman

HTV Magazine
Hillcrest High School
Springfield, Missouri
Producers/editors: Natalie Arbuthnot, Alex Kepler, Camryn Summers
Adviser: Rae Snobl

KCBY
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas
Producers/editors: Sydney Beach, Larry Liu, Jack Mancuso
Adviser: Irma Lazos-Kennedy