April 18, 2026

MINNEAPOLIS – National Scholastic Press Association presented Best of Show awards at the conclusion of the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention, April 18, 2026, in Nashville.

The Best of Show competition honored current student work in two categories posted below —

Individual Recognition

Staff Recognition

See the winners below:

Best of Show
Chelsea Wilhelm
GVTV
Grandview High School
No Thoughts, No Prayers, Just Action

Second Place
Lucas AbuGhazaleh, Will Christensen, Seamus Fergus, Stefan Harris
DPNews
Dos Pueblos High School
Bloody Tuesday

Third Place
Stella Crilley, Havyn Judin
STTV
Staley High School
AI in the Classroom

Fourth Place
Meredith McCue
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Keeping Up With AI

Fifth Place
Sophia Johnson
FHNtodayTV
Francis Howell North High School
Inside Missouri’s Redistricting Laws

Sixth Place
Ashton Belding, Will Christensen, Matias Garcia, Jackson Myers, Zenia Potter
DPNews
Dos Pueblos High School
The Rise of Everyday AI

Seventh Place
Allan Juarez-Alvarado, Weston Howard
Pitt Media
Pittsburg High School
The People Who Feed Our School

Eighth Place
Lucas AbuGhazaleh, Trey Fewell, Xochitl Jolalpa, Jonny Mendez, Conor Saunders
DPNews
Dos Pueblos High School
Santa Barbara’s Community Garden

Best of Show
Stella Crilley, Havyn Judin
STTV
Staley High School
How Much Caffeine Is Too Much Caffeine

Second Place
Micah Barnhart, Tyler McCutchen
DPNews
Dos Pueblos High School
Barbers R Us

Third Place
Suhaila Brundavanam
Portola News Network
Portola High School
Khianas Nails

Fourth Place
Ashton Belding, Erik San Juan
DPNews
Dos Pueblos High School
Let the Training Begin

Fifth Place
Story Connors, Chloe Van Meter
STTV
Staley High School
D1 Dreams, Real Pressure

Sixth Place
Micah Barnhart, Tyler McCutchen
DPNews
Dos Pueblos High School
Miles and Mixes

Seventh Place
Stella Crilley
STTV
Staley High School
Student Volunteers Bridge the Gap

Eighth Place
Stella Crilley
STTV
Staley High School
Driftwood Ceramics a ‘Hidden Gem’

Ninth Place
Natalie Nammavaly, Vanessa Stout
STTV
Staley High School
From Injury to Pro Bowl

Tenth Place
Kane Manfull
FHNgamedayTV
Francis Howell North High School
0-Counting: Waking Up to the Work

Best of Show
Elisa Cormier, Vincent Hsiao, Josie Stout
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
Vibrant by Design

Second Place
Elliott Yau
Bear Witness
Branham High School
Homicide at Branham High

Third Place
Bella Broce
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
A Heartbeat Lives On

Fourth Place
Frank Chen
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
Lost in Redaction

Fifth Place
Dylan Collisson, Noa Muyal, Emmett Spear
Bear Witness
Branham High School
The New Generic

Sixth Place
Sienna Randle, Naomi VanDyne
North Star
Francis Howell North High School
Artists Perform for Local Fans

Seventh Place
Alli Kaufman
The Gold Standard
Hickman High School
The Gold Standard: Spring Edition

Eighth Place
Sophia Brockmeier
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East
High School Let’s Talk About It

Ninth Place
Bridget Hekker
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School
The Tolls of Teaching

Tenth Place
Alli Kaufman
The Gold Standard
Hickman High School
Snooping Around the Halls

Best of Show
Catherine Sullivan
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
No More Twinning

Second Place
Luke Ye
Rambler
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
Week 1

Third Place
Makenna Bendorf, Callie Huffman
Burke Book
Burke High School
It’s About Time

Fourth Place
Jude Boitano, MollyAnn Caulfield, Sharanya Shivashankar
Poverello
Saint Francis High School
Walk of Light

Fifth Place
Marisol Sanchez
The Edge
West Broward High School
Big City Lights

Sixth Place
Nollie Chen, Connor Hsiao, Sophia Trinh
Pride
Portola High School
In the End Zone

Seventh Place
Julia Peterson
Whigrean
Edina High School
Hands Up for HoCo

Eighth Place
Isla Decker
Legacy
Staley High School
Staying Unplugged

Ninth Place
Macy Williams
Brickhouse
Shawnee Mission North High
School Fun Drinks

Tenth Place
Seunghyo Jung
Flashback
Rock Bridge High School
Dribble, Shoot, Score

Best of Show
Connor Hsiao
Pride
Portola High School

Second Place
Danica Fugina
FHN Media
Francis Howell North High School

Third Place
Macy Williams
Brickhouse
Shawnee Mission North High School

Fourth Place
Paige Lehman
The Dragon
Johnson High School

Fifth Place
Dominic So
Poverello
Saint Francis High School

Sixth Place
Brooklynn Berumez
Wahawk & Wahawk Insider
Waterloo West High School

Seventh Place
MollyAnn Caulfield
Poverello
Saint Francis High School

Eighth Place
Kristian Lazcano
The Charger Account
Dos Pueblos High School

Best of Show
David Cardwell
The Hawkeye
Mountlake Terrace High School
Flags Over Fire

Second Place
Macy Williams
Brickhouse Shawnee Mission North High School
Drumline

Third Place
Sydney Ortiz
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Tug-of-War

Fourth Place
Kaylin Mort
FNHtoday
Francis Howell North High School
Raise It Up

Fifth Place
Grace Rogers
Booster Redux
Pittsburg High School
Way Down in Hadestown

Sixth Place
Claire Ko
Pride
Portola High School
Staying in Character

Seventh Place
Macy Williams
Brickhouse
Shawnee Mission North High School
NJROTC

Eighth Place
Vivien Glenski
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Exploring the Brain

Ninth Place
Marisol Sanchez
The Edge
West Broward High School
Steps Together

Tenth Place
Kaitlyn Ma
Pride
Portola High School
Showcasing Skills

Best of Show
Anthony Gonzalez
Epoch
Combs High School
Breakthrough Block

Second Place
Max Heinemann
The Image
Dos Pueblos High School
Penalty Push

Third Place
Taylor Griffin
FNHtoday
Francis Howell North High School
Headed Home

Fourth Place
Tyler Russell
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Against the Clock

Fifth Place
Isabella Silva
Pitt Media
Pittsburgh High School
Fighting for Control

Sixth Place
Ty Abel
The Image
Dos Pueblos High School
Blocking Beast

Seventh Place
Molly Scott
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Between Breaths

Eighth Place
Tricia Darcy
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Playoff Goal

Ninth Place
Thomas Salmen
Whigrean
Edina High School
Stretch To Score

Tenth Place
Olivia Kimball
Legacy
Staley High School
Girls Basketball Hypes Up Team

Best of Show
Ava Aldridge, Logan Day
Creek Compass
Caney Creek High School School
Board Bans Teachers From ‘Anti-Patriotic, Anti-American Statements’

Second Place
Charlotte Conway Colthup
Staley News
Staley High School
Auto Students Win International Engine-Building Contest

Third Place
Sloane Henderson
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
A Mental Shift

Fourth Place
Garrett Arendt, Iris Hochstettler
wlhsNOW
West Linn High School
How Protests and Public Perception Shapes Student Safety Concerns

Fifth Place
Mika Glasgow, Kristian Lazcano
The Charger Account
Dos Pueblos High School
Students and Admin Closely Monitor ICE Activity

Sixth Place
Michael Yi
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Powered Down

Seventh Place
Sydney Ortiz
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Students Unite for Peaceful Protest

Eighth Place
Noah Iverson
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School
Early Decision Lawsuit Spotlights College Wealth Bias

Ninth Place
Carly Dyson
North Star
Francis Howell North High School
Missouri Lawmakers Propose Property Tax Reform

Tenth Place
Yujin Cho, Aryella Finkel-Hozer, Elliott Yau
Bear Witness
Branham High School
Students Post Nazi Symbol

Best of Show
Aditi Jha, Saira Kaka
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Students, Staff and Community Lend Support to Those Affected by ICE

Second Place
Christopher Long
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Disintegrating Support

Third Place
Logan Day
Creek Compass
Caney Creek High School
Senior Cross Country Runner Sprints From Trauma

Fourth Place
Sophia Brockmeier
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
A Heartbeat Lives On

Fifth Place
Karissa Cheng
Zephyrus
Edina High School
17 Years of EHS Options Guiding Student Success

Sixth Place
Sydney Ortiz
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Double Lung Transplant Gives Mills New Life

Seventh Place
Elliot Funk, Zadie Swinehart
Cleveland Clarion
Cleveland High School
The New State of Cleveland Wrestling

Eighth Place
Emmy O’Roark
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Gabe Anaya

Ninth Place
Cami Welsh
ID
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
Roll With It

Best of Show
Kae Bee
The Ahlahasa
Albert Lea High School
The Journey to the World’s Toughest Ice

Second Place
Michael Yi
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Cannon’s Journey

Third Place
Claire Rosen
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Shoot Forward

Fourth Place
Dominic So
Poverello
Saint Francis High School
We’re So Back

Fifth Place
Connor Hsiao
Pride
Portola High School
Who Runs the World? Girls!

Sixth Place
Cooper Unruh
Staley News
Staley High School
Hansen’s Heroics Highlight Boys Basketball Senior Night Rout

Seventh Place
Will Lovas
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School
Certified Hitmaker

Eighth Place
Will Jennings
North Star
Francis Howell North High School
North Graduate Becomes Sports Broadcaster

Ninth Place
MollyAnn Caulfield
Poverello
Saint Francis High School
Full Speed Ahead

Tenth Place
Genevieve Lassig, Lynn-Clara Tun
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Boys’ Soccer Team Slides Into State Championship Win

Best of Show
Grace Pei
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Celebrating Their Cultures

Second Place
Preston Hooker
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
A Legacy of Hope

Third Place
Makayla Ilon
Staley News
Staley High School
Finding Identity, Culture, Home in an Immigrant Family

Fourth Place
MollyAnn Caulfield
Poverello
Saint Francis High School
Diverse, but Not Divided

Fifth Place
Ishita Gautam
Southpaw
Rock Bridge High School
DEI Misinterpretation Prevails in Both Educational Policies and Society

Sixth Place
Connor Hsiao
Pride
Portola High School
Breaking the Silence

Seventh Place
MollyAnn Caulfield, Bethany Ma, Dominic So
Poverello
Saint Francis High School
A Leap of Faith

Eighth Place
MollyAnn Caulfield
Poverello
Saint Francis High School
May Contain

Ninth Place
Benjamin Coder
Staley News
Staley High School
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Brings Heroes Back to Life

Tenth Place
Eric Taylor
North Star
Dos Pueblos High School
Finding a Place to Belong

Best of Show
Beyond DP
Dos Pueblos High School
Goleta, California

Second Place
Cougar Roundup
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas

Third Place
PNN
Portola High School
Irvine, California

Fourth Place
Knightly Show
Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles, Missouri

Fifth Place
Warrior Television Newscast
Westside High School
Omaha, Nebraska

Sixth Place
STTV
Bird’s Eye View
Staley High School
Kansas City, Missouri

Seventh Place
FHNgameday TV
Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles , Missouri

Eighth Place
NOISE News
Spectrum High School
Elk River, Minnesota

Ninth Place
GVTV
Grandview High School
Aurora, Colorado

Tenth Place
The Daily Dawg
Brighton High School
Brighton, Colorado

Best of Show
Cub News Network
Franklin Community Middle School
Franklin, Indiana

Best of Show
Menagerie
Lyons Township High School
LaGrange, Illinois

Second Place
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul, Minnesota

Third Place
Voice Box
South Pasadena High School

Fourth Place
Melodrama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School

Fifth Place
IMag
Albert Lea High School

Sixth Place
Odyssey
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas

Seventh Place
Kaleidoscope
West Linn High School

Eighth Place
Labyrinth
Little Rock Central High School

Ninth Place
The Grail
Archbishop Riordan High School
San Francisco, California

Tenth Place
Imago
Lakeside School
Seattle, Washington

Best of Show
North Star
Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles, Missouri

Second Place
ReMarker
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas

Third Place
The Little Hawk
Iowa City High School
Iowa City, Iowa

Fourth Place
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul, Minnesota

Fifth Place
Northwest Passage
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas

Sixth Place
Oracle
Mountain View High School
Mountain View, California

Seventh Place
Winged Post
The Harker School
San Jose, California

Eighth Place
The Huron Emery
Huron High School
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ninth Place
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Tenth Place
Hawkeye
Mountlake Terrace High School
Mountlake Terrace, Washington

Best of Show
The Oracle
Glenbrook South High School
Glenview, Illinois

Second Place
Bear Witness
Branham High School
San Jose, California

Third Place
Wingspan
Nixa High School
Nixa, Mississippi

Fourth Place
The Accolade
Sunny Hills High School
Fullerton, California

Fifth Place
Kingwood Park Times
Kingwood Park High School
Kingwood, Texas

Sixth Place
The Amplifer
West Linn High School
West Linn, Oregon

Seventh Place
The Tiger
Little Rock Central High School
Little Rock, Arkansas

Eighth Place
The Gold Standard
Hickman High School
Columbia, Missouri

Ninth Place
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Tenth Place
The Hoofprint
Walnut High School
Walnut, California

Best of Show
The Cougar Star
Clague Middle School
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Second Place
The Paw Post
Franklin Community Middle School
Franklin, Indiana

Best of Show
ID
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri

Second Place
The Mane Idea
Oviedo High School
Oviedo, Florida

Third Place
Focus
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas

Fourth Place
The Harbinger Photo Magazine
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Fifth Place
Spotlight
Sunny Hills High School
Fullerton, California

Sixth Place
KHQ
Kickapoo High School
Springfield , Missouri

Seventh Place
Westview Wire
Omaha Westview High School
Omaha, Nebraska

Best of Show
FHNtoday
Francis Howell North High School
Saint Charles, Missouri

Second Place
Harker Aquila
The Harker School
San Jose, California

Third Place
The Little Hawk
Iowa City High School
Iowa City, Iowa

Fourth Place
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul, Minnesota

Fifth Place
The Ahlahasa
Albert Lea High School
Albert Lea, Minnesota

Sixth Place
The Crusader
Archbishop Riordan High School
San Francsico, California

Seventh Place
The Huron Emery
Huron High School
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Eighth Place
Ladue Today
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri

Ninth Place
ReMarker
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas

Tenth Place
Knight Errant
Benilde-Saint Margaret’s School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Best of Show
KPTimes
Kingwood Park High School
Kingwood, Texas

Second Place
The Accolade
Sunny Hills High School
Fullerton, California

Third Place
Creek Compass
Caney Creek High School
Conroe, Texas

Fourth Place
The Charger Account
Dos Pueblos High School
Goleta, California

Fifth Place
Berkeley High Jacket
Berkeley High School
Berkeley, California

Sixth Place
The Portola Pilot
Portola High School
Irvine, California

Seventh Place
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School Mount
Pleasant, South Carolina

Eighth Place
Wahawk Insider
Waterloo West High School
Waterloo, Iowa

Ninth Place
Staley News
Staley High School
Kansas City, Missouri

Tenth Place
Tiger News Online
Little Rock Central High School
Little Rock, Arkansas

Best of Show
Bulldog Bugle
Animo Jefferson Charter Middle School
Los Angeles, California

Second Place
The Cougar Star
Clague Middle School
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Best of Show
Reflections
Brighton High School
Brighton, Colorado

Second Place
felis Tigris
Junction City High School
Junction City, Oregon

Third Place
Green and Gold
West Linn High School
West Linn, Oregon

Fourth Place
Rampages
Casa Roble High School
Orangevale, California

Fifth Place
Talon
The Harker School
San Jose, California

Sixth Place
The Wahawk
Waterloo West High School
Waterloo, Iowa

Seventh Place
The Guardian
Gretna East High School
Omaha, Nebraska

Eighth Place
Millers Log
Springfield High School
Springfield, Oregon

Ninth Place
Epoch
Combs High School
San Tan Valley, Arizona

Tenth Place
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul, Minnesota

Best of Show
Brickhouse
Shawnee Mission North High School
Overland Park, Kansas

Second Place
Scandia
Inglemoor High School
Kenmore, Washington

Third Place
Fusion
Hagerty High School
Oviedo , Florida

Fourth Place
The Ovedian
Oviedo High School
Oviedo , Florida

Fifth Place
Rambler
Ladue Horton Watkins High School
St. Louis, Missouri

Sixth Place
Lykos
Woodcreek High School
Roseville, California

Seventh Place
Lion’s Roar
Christ Presbyterian Academy
Nashville, Tennessee

Eighth Place
The Preserve
Sage Creek High School
Carlsbad, California

Ninth Place
Details
Whitney High School
Rocklin, California

Tenth Place
Excalibur
Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles, Missouri

Best of Show
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas

Second Place
Pantera
Mead High School
Spokane, Washington

Third Place
Cayuse
Walnut High School
Walnut, California

Fourth Place
The Edge
West Broward High School
Pembroke Pines, Florida

Fifth Place
Lone Star
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas

Sixth Place
Flashback
Rock Bridge High School
Columbia, Missouri

Seventh Place
The Lair
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas

Eighth Place
Hornet
Bryant High School
Bryant , Arkansas

Ninth Place
Pride
Portola High School
Irvine, California

Tenth Place
The Prowler
Westmoore High School
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Best of Show
Ingenium
Greenfield Junior High School
Gilbert, Arizona

Second Place
The Round-up
Woodland Junior High School
Fayetteville, Arkansas