Congratulations are in order for AppState’s student media organizations and Appalachian Weekly News (AWN), the curriculum-based TV program carried on AppTV, for placing in numerous award categories in recent national competitions.
MediaFest25, the national fall college journalism conference hosted by the College Media Association, Associated Collegiate Press and The Society of Professional Journalists, was held Oct. 15-18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. CMA Pinnacle Award winners, ACP Individual Award winners, and ACP Pacemaker Award winners were all announced at MediaFest25.
The Pinnacle Awards are CMA’s flagship national honors, recognizing the best student work in collegiate journalism, media production and organizational excellence. Winners are selected by a panel of experienced media educators. This year, there were 3,358 entries and 1,165 finalists across eight categories.
Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) contests are the most-competitive, most-honored prizes in collegiate journalism. Individual Awards recognize the outstanding achievements of individual students and small teams of journalists.
The prestigious Pacemaker recognizes overall excellence and distinguishes the top student media produced during a particular school year.
College Broadcasters Inc. held its annual National Student Media Convention (NSMC) in Denver, Colorado, Oct. 22-25, 2025. CBI announced the winners of its 2025 NSMC Production Awards at the convention. The CBI NSMC Awards recognize outstanding work in audio, video, news, sports, storytelling, promotion and digital presence in student media.
Below is a comprehensive list of the awards won by The Department of Communication’s student media organizations and Appalachian Weekly News (AWN).
The College Media Association Pinnacle Awards:
The Appalachian:
1st Place, Periodic Newspaper of the Year – Staff
1st Place, Media Website of the Year – Staff
1st Place, Editorial Cartoon – Bobby Carter
1st Place, Podcast – Sully Styles & Trenton Rose
2nd Place, Multimedia Coverage – Staff
2nd Place, Breaking News Photo – Nicole Evans
2nd Place, Feature Photo – Ava Anzalone
3rd Place, Editorial Illustration – Andrew Reagan
3rd Place, Audio Newscast – Sully Styles & Trenton Rose
AppTV:
3rd Place, Video Outlet of the Year – Staff
1st Place, Game Story – Kara Daniel & David Katzenmaier (AWN)
1st Place, Special Event Coverage – David Katzenmaier & Bobby Phillips (AWN)
2nd Place, Sports Feature – Kara Daniel (AWN)
3rd Place, Video Entertainment Program – Up Late Staff
Honorable Mention, Arts & Culture Audio/Video – Ella Snapp (AWN)
Honorable Mention, Feature Package – Ella Snapp (AWN)
Honorable Mention, General News Package – Jenna Guzman & Joseph Webber (AWN)
WASU:
Honorable Mention, Audio Advertisement – Nora Shropp
Associated Collegiate Press Individual Awards
The Appalachian:
3rd Place, Best of Show Lit Mag – The Peel Staff
3rd Place, Editorial – “History Cannot Be Forgotten,” The Appalachian Editorial Board
3rd Place, Editorial Cartoon –”AI Won’t Take Your Job,” Bobby Carter
5th Place, Podcast – “After Helene: Morganton,” Sully Styles & Trenton Rose
9th Place, Best Media Kit – Staff
Honorable Mention, Comic Strip – “Boonie the Bat,” Yakira Garganus
AppTV:
3rd Place, Broadcast Feature Story – ”Small Town Resilience,” Ella Snapp
Pacemaker Finalists:
The Peel
The Appalachian
College Broadcasters, Inc
AppTV:
2nd, Video Channel of the Year – AppTV Staff
1st, Best Live Production – Kyle Karner, Up Late Staff
1st, Best Sports Reporting – Kara Daniel (AWN)
2nd, Best Hard News Reporting – Ella Snapp (AWN)
2nd, Best Feature News Reporting -– David Katzenmaier, Bobby Phillips (AWN)
3rd, Best Feature News Reporting – Ella Snapp (AWN)
4th, Best Sports Reporting – Grace Ellen Callihan, Emma Ficker, A Game
WASU:
2nd, Best Music Audio Production – Corner Concerts, Brock Herring, Jessie Barsky
CBI will hold their National Student Media Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in October 2026. The dates and location for MediaFest26 have yet to be announced.
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About Appalachian Weekly News (AWN)
Appalachian Weekly News is a multi-award-winning news program that covers events, businesses, and stories throughout Ashe, Avery, and Watauga county. Overseen by News Practitioner-in-Residence, Bob Dillner.
About AppTV
Launched on May 26, 2015, AppTV is Appalachian State University’s student-staffed television service. The channel is an activity of Appalachian’s Department of Communication in the College of Fine and Applied Arts. AppTV serves the department, campus and the community through development of original programming and promotion of relevant events. AppTV strives to provide a forum for community organizations and present the broadest range of ideas and issues to its viewers, while also providing a space for students to learn, grow, and challenge themselves everyday. Available on demand worldwide, AppTV is an important outlet for sharing Appalachian’s story with an international audience.
SkyLine Skybest Channel 20/1020, Charter/Spectrum Channel 198, On Campus: Channel 23.3
About The Appalachian
The Appalachian has been Appalachian State University’s independent student-run news publication since 1934. We publish a print publication monthly, and send out twice weekly email newsletters during the regular academic year. We are the recipient of the ACP Pacemaker Award, the CMA Pinnacle Award and the NC College Media Association Best of Show award.
About The Peel Literature & Arts Review
The Peel Review is Appalachian State University’s student-run literature and arts publication. The Peel Review works to cultivate creative expression in the student body and local community by providing an outlet for creatives to express themselves.
About WASU 90.5FM
For over 50 years 90.5 WASU The App has been dedicated to bringing you and the High Country the best alternative rock music! 90.5 WASU-FM is operated by students who fill a wide variety of positions across several departments, including News, Sports, Production, Programming and Sales.
About the Department of Communication
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Communication at Appalachian State University focuses on preparing students to succeed in the varied fields within the communication industry. The department offers five majors – Advertising, Communication Studies, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, Digital Journalism, and Public Relations – and a minor in Communication Studies. Graduates work in a wide range of positions in media, corporate, agency, government, and nonprofit organizations.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,795 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio, and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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