2025 Cartoon of the Year finalists
Sept. 11, 2025
MINNEAPOLIS — The National Scholastic Press Association has named 468 finalists in its popular Individual Awards competition.
The winners will be announced at the NSPA Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville.
After the winners are announced on Nov. 15, 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. Slide shows featuring the winners will also be available for classroom use.
Congratulations to the finalists in the following Cartoon of the Year contests —
Comic Strip/Panel
listed by state
Callie Lonowski
The Wildcat
Brea Olinda High School, Brea, California
Losing in the Lunch Line
Lucy Jeffers
The Redwood Bark
Redwood High School, Larkspur, California
Student Security
Anwen Chen
The Nueva School
The Nueva School, San Mateo, California
No Thoughts, Just Summer
Claire Therond
The Mix
Monarch High School, Louisville, Colorado
Life Cycle of an Artist
Anna Papanastassiou
Southwords
Maine South High School, Park Ridge, Illinois
Snow Go
Yeju Seol
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School, Iowa City, Iowa
Haunting Headlines
Leon Situ
Zephyrus
Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota
The Forever Election Cycle
Emily Logan
Eagle Nation Online
Prosper High School, Prosper, Texas
Prosper High School by the Hours
Rozalia Finkelstein
Theogony
Alexandria City High School, Alexandria, Virginia
West End Girls
Elena Pozzo
The Puma Press
UPrep, Seattle, Washington
Grade Goals
Editorial Cartoon
listed by state
Marlena Reinshagen
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School, Belmont, California
Battling in Education
Staff
The Campanile
Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California
Executive Order Attacking Birthright Citizenship Crosses Constitutional Line
Penelope Trott
The Redwood Bark
Redwood High School, Larkspur, California
Schools starved from Lack of USDA Funding
Alisa Laura
The Mirror
Van Nuys High School, Van Nuys, California
Trump’s Cruel Immigration Machine
Christine Wang
Central Times
Naperville Central High School, Naperville, Illinois
New Swearing Policy Out of Touch with Social Norms, Reality
Francesca Lorusso
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Shadowed Victories
Annika Kim
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul, Minnesota
Reaffirm Commitment to Diversity to Uphold Values
Chloe Marshall
WordsWorth
Moorestown Friends School, Moorestown, New Jersey
Back to School Shopping
Clara Isom
The Stinger
Emmaus High School, Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Trump Chops Down Department of Education
Sakura Mogami
The Highlander
McLean High School, McLean, Virginia
Stop the Silencing