2025 Photo 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 Digital Story of the Year contests —
News Photo
listed by state
Kensie Pao
Verde
Palo Alto High School
Verde, Palo Alto, California
Raging Grannies
Jay Deegan
Central Times Naperville
Central High School, Naperville, Illinois
Harris Nomination Celebration
Olin Nafziger
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
DNC Celebrity Selfie
Ellis Calleri
U-Highlights
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Super Splash
Kara Simpson
Northwest Passage
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Shawnee, Kansas
Memorial
Lily Chen
The Spoke
Conestoga High School, Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Proposed Arena Faces Controversy
Max Dearinger
The Rider Online
Legacy High School, Mansfield, Texas
Alumna Picked in WNBA Draft
Sofia Celio
The Shield
McCallum High School, Austin, Texas
Voters Approve Austin ISD’s Prop A
Jakeman Strelitz
Featherduster
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
Business Incubator
Feature Photo
listed by state
Simon Vaang
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Chemical Concentration
Colin Wehrle
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School, Iowa City, Iowa
Sky High in a Suit and Tie
Anders Benson
The Free Press
Free State High School, Lawrence, Kansas
Chemical Spectrometry
Macy Williams
Brickhouse
Shawnee Mission North High School, Overland Park, Kansas
Asher Walker Drumline
Caroline Kraft
Odyssey
Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville, Missouri
Smile High
Stacey Vo
The Howl
Southwest Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
LOL
Laine Edwards
Legend
Wando High School, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Just One More Wave
Alexis Bailey
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Unbelievable!
Jennifer Pham
The Afterthought
Anderson High School, Austin, Texas
Eyes on the Prize
Flynn Yoshinobu
Showcase
UPrep, Seattle, Washington
Believe It
Sports Game/Action Photo
listed by state
Chloe Farson
Black & Gold
Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Black & Gold Sports
Jose Carlos Diaz
CCNN Live
Christopher Columbus High School, Miami, Florida
Soaring
Nathan Friedman
The Free Press
Free State High School, Lawrence, Kansas
Mud Volleyball
Andie Berg
Northwest Passage
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Shawnee, Kansas
Javelin Throw
Amelia Raziq
Central Focus
Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville, Missouri
All She Does Is Win
Matteo Ventresca
The Panther Press
Strath Haven High School, Wallingford, Pennsylvania
Baseball Wins Fourth Straight Game
Cohen Peterson
The Afterthought
Anderson High School, Austin, Texas
Airball!
Talbot Sentell
Tiger Cry
Dripping Springs High School, Dripping Springs, Texas
DZK Skatepark
Jakeman Strelitz
El Paisano
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
Spike
Jakeman Strelitz
El Paisano
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
Diving for the Ball
Sports Feature Photo
listed by state
Riley Doherty
Reflections
Brighton High School, Brighton, Colorado
Santana
Henry Benton
U-Highlights
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Water Break
Tyler Shane
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School, Iowa City, Iowa
State Champion Celebration
Miles Beaty
The Free Press
Free State High School, Lawrence, Kansas
Volleyball Victory
Nathan Friedman
The Free Press
Free State High School, Lawrence, Kansas
Cutting the Net
Lily Chen
The Spoke
Conestoga High School, Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Field Hockey Wins State Championship for First Time
Zachary Ford
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood, Texas
Postseason Party
Sapphira Valdez
The Talon
O.D. Tompkins High School, Katy, Texas
Coming in Hot!
Jakeman Strelitz
El Paisano
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
Caught Up in the Moment
Jakeman Strelitz
Featherduster
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
He scores
Environmental Portrait
listed by state
Maya VanVleet
The Mix
Monarch High School, Louisville, Colorado
Torn Apart
Delaney Connell
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Totally Hooked: Mia Lane
Miles Beaty
The Free Press
Free State High School, Lawrence, Kansas
Marching to the Beat
Daniel Jacob
The Communicator
Community High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Coils of Strength
Kamryn Twitty
Odyssey
Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville, Missouri
The Root of Things
Vincent Hsiao
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri
Triple Threat
Santi Bernal
The Comet
Austin High School, Austin, Texas
Imperfections
Rhea Choudhary
The Sidekick
Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas
Lakeside Elementary Carnival Creating Educational Opportunities
Aradhya Bharti
Replay
Rouse High School, Leander, Texas
Revels in Kuchipudi
Drake Dickey
Featherduster
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
Luke Riezebeek