Student Media claims 28 national finalist awards

Student Media claims 28 national finalist awards

Student media outlets and their staff members at Northwest Missouri State University have been named as finalists for 28 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards, including multiple outlet of the year nominations.

Tower yearbook has been named a finalist for Yearbook of the Year for the fifth consecutive year. Television station KNWT is a finalist for Video Outlet of the Year, and radio station KZLX is a finalist for Audio Outlet of the Year.

In addition to being named a finalist in three organizational categories, Northwest is a finalist for 25 individual awards, leading the nation in its enrollment division.

"We consistently finish in the top in the nation in the CMA Pinnacles, and we are usually the smallest school with the smallest media budget to do so," Steven Chappell, the director of student media at Northwest, said. "Our success is a testament to the strength of our faculty and the talent of students we are able to recruit to our program."

Winners will be announced at MediaFest '25, the joint fall national media convention sponsored by the College Media Association, Associated Collegiate Press and the Society of Professional Journalists, Oct. 15-18, in Washington, D.C.

A complete list of Northwest's finalist entries is provided below. All Pinnacle 2025 finalists are accessible at this link.

KNWT

• Video Entertainment Program: Avery Andell, "Now You Know, Tyrell Childress"
• Feature Package (audio/video): Dante Distefano, "Byron Alexander Profile"
• Video Newscast: Blake Rizner, "Northwest News, Shelby Singleton"
• Game Story (audio/video): Jake Walker and Blake Rizner, "Northwest vs UCM Volleyball"
• Video Sportscast: Killian Beck, "Bearcat Update"
• Video Advertisement: Katie Ley and Emily Rea, "Can You?"
• Video Outlet of the Year: Northwest Missouri State University

KZLX

• Best DJ Personality: Tru Bilharz, "Good Morning Maryville"
• Game Story (audio/video): Jackson Phelps, "Interview with Coach McMenamin"
• Audio Advertisement: Jonathan Rinehart, "KZLX's Got You Covered"
• Audio Outlet of the Year: Northwest Missouri State University

Northwest Missourian

• Newspaper Spread: Julianna Lawrence, "Special Issue: DEI"
• Special Section Cover: Julianna Lawrence, "Election 2024"
• Coverage of Diversity: Missourian Staff, "DEI Special Issue"
• Coverage of Faith: Leah Cox, "Northwest athletes talk faith on the field"
• Investigative Story: Hannah Claywell, "Campus reports show six cases of assault and harassment since Sept. 25, said not to be campus-wide concern"
• Special Section: Missourian Staff, "DEI Special Issue"
• Editorial Cartoon: Anna Case, "Sexual Assault Awareness Month: You are not alone"
• Investigative Sports Story: Trey Houchin, "Northwest athletic department talks decline in home sporting attendance"
• Ad Campaign: Missourian Staff, "NCAA Brackets"
• Advertising Special Section: Missourian Staff, "Cat's Guide and Poster Calendar"
• Print Advertisement: Sydney Cook, "Gray's Truck Stop"
• Rate Card/Media Kit: Missourian Staff, "Northwest Student Media"

Tower

• Headline: Dylan Daugherty, "Pro-Craft-Inating"
• Infographic: Alora Bucey, "Northwest By the Numbers"
• Yearbook Cover: Cassie Ford, "Tower 2025, In Motion"
• Yearbook Spread: Lanie Nehl, "Campus Construction//Student Response"
• Yearbook of the Year: Northwest Missouri State University