2019 Photo of the Year Finalists

Sept. 19, 2019

National Scholastic Press Association has announced finalists for its 2019 Photo of the Year competition.

From 952 images submitted by high-school photographers from 33 states and three countries, judges selected 40 finalists in the NSPA 2019 photo competition.

Ten finalists each have been selected in four different categories — news/feature photo, sports action photo, sports reaction photo and environmental portrait.

“These images tell remarkable visual stories,” Gary Lundgren, NSPA associate director and contest coordinator, said. “The quality of photojournalism on the high-school level is remarkable and often rivals the work of professionals.”

All finalists will be recognized and the winners announced for the first time at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, Nov. 21-24, 2019 in Washington, D.C. during the NSPA Awards Ceremony on Saturday afternoon.

First through fifth place winners will be announced in each category with the photographers receiving plaques. Five honorable mention winners will receive certificates.

The finalists below are in alphabetical order by state.

News/feature photo

Dina Zeldin
The Lion’s Roar
Newton South High School
Newton Centre, Massachusetts

Elizabeth Chan
The Lion
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas

Everest Maher
El Paisano
Westlake High School
Austin, Texas

Mariana Ramirez
ManestreamNews
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas

Bella Russo
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

Alyssa Purpura
Ledoian
Aledo High School
Aledo, Texas

Gregory James
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

Gracie Davis
The Lonestar
Vista Ridge High School
Cedar Park, Texas

Joe Ng
Caledonia
McLean High School
McLean, Virginia

Julian Whitworth
Talisman
Ballard High School
Seattle, Washington

Sports action photo

Nathan Hayes
The Carillon
Bellarmine College Preparatory
San Jose, California

Alexander Predmore
Reflections
Brighton High School
Brighton, Colorado

Sam Bartlett
Play
Maize High School
Maize, Kansas

Allie Erdner
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Andrew Maier
Eastside
Cherry Hill High School East
Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Aden Lantos
ManestreamNews
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas

Jordyn Tarrant
The Talon News
Argyle High School
Argyle, Texas

Cara Hudson
Kodiak
Bridgeland High School
Cypress, Texas

Everest Maher
El Paisano
Westlake High School
Austin, Texas

Liberty Vela
The Citadel
Claudia Taylor Johnson High School
San Antonio, Texas

Sports reaction photo

Hanna Corny
Madrono
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California

Aidan McCall
The Stampede
J.W. Mitchell High School
Trinity, Florida

Diana Temelkova
Vespa
Hinsdale South High School
Darien, Illinois

Evan Newcomb
The Black and White
Johnston High School
Johnston, Iowa

Abby Ryan
Lair
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas

Andrew Maier
Eastside
Cherry Hill High School East
Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Kaylen Ayres
Northwest Horizons
Northwest Guilford High School
Greensboro, North Carolina

Abney Garcia
The Lion
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas

Abney Garcia
ManestreamNews
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas

Melanie Russell
The Lion
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas

Environmental portrait

Maya Cornish
Odyssey
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia

Kyle Niego
Menagerie
Lyons Township High School
La Grange, Illinois

Nicholas Styers
Lair
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas

Nicholas Styers
Lair
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas

Lukas Gates
The Black & White
Walt Whitman High School
Bethesda, Maryland

Emily Danielsen
The Update
Herbert Henry Dow High School
Midland, Michigan

Michael Melinger
The Globe
Clayton High School
Clayton, Missouri

Deana Trautz
The Wolfpack
Cedar Park High School
Cedar Park, Texas

Laura Amador-Toro
The Sidekick
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas

Carson Becker
The Talon
Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest, Virginia