The Kentucky Journalism Teacher’s Association is proud to announce its award winners for the 2025-2026 school year. Students were rated Superior, Excellent, Honorable Mention or No Award. This is also the second year that we recognized a Best of Kentucky All-State Journalism Team. Those winners are noted at the bottom featuring our 2026 Kentucky/JEA Journalist of the Year Ella Peabody from Fort Thomas Highlands. Thanks to all who entered and we look forward to continuing to grow this contest and journalism in our state.
Larry Steinmetz
President – KYJTA
NEWS/WRITING
NEWS STORY
Superior
Adalyn Armstrong and Eleanor Rogiers Highlands
Excellent
Ella McIntosh Manual
Honorable Mention
Natalie Hall Bullitt East
IN-DEPTH NEWS
Superior
Quinn Cornley Manual
Excellent
Maggie Stone Manual
Alexa Vititoe Bullitt East
FEATURE STORY
Superior
Kinley Manning and Amelia Graves Highlands
Excellent
Hope Darnell and Edy Hobson Highlands
OP-ED
Excellent
Hannah Zilliox and Jillian Alverson Highlands
STAFF EDITORIAL
Superior
Haylee Donovan Bullitt East
Excellent
Haylee Donovan Bullitt East
SPORTS FEATURE
Superior
Xander Bailey Highlands
Honorable Mention
Harper Wade and Phineas Weiss Highlands
SPORTS COVERAGE
Superior
Marissa Herron Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Elise Barresi Bullitt East
Archie Willis Bullitt East
REVIEW
Superior
Piper O’Daniel Manual
Caleb Hurley Highlands
Excellent
Stella Taylor and Natalie Abdon Highlands
Honorable Mention
Emma VanMeter and Brooklyn Mueller Bullitt East
DESIGN/LAYOUT
INFOGRAPHIC
Honorable Mention
Bailey Basham Bullitt East
David Routt Manual
Jane Young Manual
DESIGN AND LAYOUT EXCELLENCE
Excellent
David Routt Manual
Suzetta Fuller Manual
BEST FRONT PAGE
Excellent
Haylee Donovan Bullitt East
Yina Hwang Manual
Jane Young Manual
ILLUSTRATION (ARTISTIC)
Excellent
Jackson Bean Manual
Suzetta Fuller Manual
ILLUSTRATION (COMPUTER GENERATED)
Excellent
Emma Johnson Bullitt East
Advertising Design
Excellent
Addison Akridge Bullitt East
PHOTOGRAPHY
GENERAL NEWS
Honorable Mention
Andrea Suarez Espinosa Highlands
FEATURE
Superior
Kaden Vogel Bullitt East
Excellent
Alecia Cogsville Highlands
Emma Johnson Bullitt East
Natalie Hall Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Eva Smith Highlands
Kinley Manning Highlands
Meadow Lynn Highlands
Lily Hegg Highlands
Lily Hegg Highlands
SPORTS
Superior
Chloe Dalton McCracken
Keira Kobida Highlands
Excellent
Emma Johnson Bullitt East
Andrea Suarez Espinosa Highlands
Luke Deegan Highlands
Zac Crawford Highlands
Lily Hegg McCracken
Honorable Mention
Abigail King Bullitt East
Adalyn Klosterman Highlands
THEMED PHOTO PACKAGE
Superior
Maggie Frimming Highlands
Excellent
Audrina Trauth Highlands
Honorable Mention
Andrea Suarez Espinosa Highlands
CAPTION WRITING
Excellent
Iris Apple Manual
Honorable Mention
Loren Williamson Manual
Ethan Huber Bullitt East
ONLINE COVERAGE
Excellent
Bullitt East
Manual
Highlands
SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
Superior
Livewire Twitter Bullitt East
Excellent
Charged Media Solutions Instagram Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Endeavor Instagram Bullitt East
Livewire Instagram Bullitt East
Livewire Tik Tok Bullitt East
Charged Media Solutions Tik Tok Bullitt East
YEARBOOK
BEST OVERALL
First Place
McCracken
Second Place
Bullitt East
THEME DEVELOPMENT
Superior
Alecia Cogsville and Natalie Hinegardner Highlands
Eleanor Rogiers and Sophia Lippolis Highlands
Excellent
Luke Deegan and Adalyn Klosterman Highlands
Hadley Thompson and Bailey Basham Bullitt East
COVER
Superior
Staff McCracken
Staff Highlands
Excellent
Staff Assumption
FEATURE SPREAD
Superior
Grace Peoples McCracken
Excellent
Emma Higgs Assumption
Grace Rafferty Assumption
Nora Bacon and Hadley Thompson Bullitt East
Sophia Tobbe and Hadley Thompson Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Adalyn Klosterman and Luke Degan Highlands
SPORTS SPREAD
Superior
Madelynn West McCracken
Excellent
Bailey Basham Bullitt East
Allison Ricketts McCracken
Adalyn Klosterman and Abby Gabennesch Highlands
Honorable Mention
Luke Deegan and Keira Kobida Highlands
Remy Hourigan Assumption
PHOTO PORTFOLIO
Superior
Adalyn Klosterman Highlands
Andrea Suarez Espinosa Highlands
Excellent
Kara Laber Highlands
Honorable Mention
Rye Ford Assumption
ALTERNATIVE STORYTELLING
Superior
Madelynn West McCracken
Honorable Mention
Adalyn Armstrong-Cattani and Natalie Hinegardner Highlands
Eva Smith and Alecia Cogsville Highlands
Cydni Martin and Abby Gabbennesch Highlands
Eva Smith and Adalyn Armstrong-Cattani Highlands
Hadley Thompson and Bailey Basham Bullitt East
BROADCAST
Best Overall Broadcast
Superior
Maggie Stone Manual
Best Anchor
Excellent
Bailey Molinari Manual
News Story
Excellent
Wyatt Willis Manual
Honorable Mention
Grace Robinson McCracken
Feature
Honorable Mention
Will O’Shea Manual
Best In-Depth Story
Superior
Zachary Poat McCracken
Best Hype Video
Excellent
Emma Johnson Bullitt East
BEST OF KENTUCKY ALL-STATE JOURNALISTS
Kentucky/JEA Journalist of the Year
Ella Peabody Highlands
Additional Members
Vera Knight Highlands
Savannah Teismann Highlands
Savannah Kellner Highlands
Priscilla Alford Highlands
Maggie Frimming Highlands
Ellie Thorton Highlands
Bailey Basham Bullitt East
Haylee Donovan Bullitt East
Zach England Bullitt East
Emma Johnson Bullitt East
Hadley Thompson Bullitt East
Ethan Huber Bullitt East
Rylin Wall Bullitt East
