College Media Association and the Student Press Law Center are excited to announce the 2026 Louis E. Ingelhart award recipients.

Applications open today for our Louis E. Ingelhart First Amendment Program, which provides money for advisers to plan programs for Student Press Freedom Day in 2026.

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 professors and educators. The 2025 Pinnacle Awards were presented at MediaFest25, October 16-18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. This year, we had a total of 3,358 entries and 1,165 finalists across 8 categories.

Congratulations to the 2025 recipients of CMA’s annual Adviser Awards! A total of 15 advisers will be honored this year during special ceremonies at MediaFest25 next month in Washington, D.C.

The College Media Association will honor the memory and legacy of beloved colleague Kelley Lash, longtime adviser of the Rice Thresher and a past CMA president, with her posthumous induction into the John A. Boyd Hall of Fame during a special ceremony at MediaFest25 next month in Washington, D.C.

We know how much work goes into producing student media that is meaningful to our communities, and we commend everyone for putting in the time and effort it takes to submit contest entries this year. A complete list of finalists can be viewed here.