Arkansas students earned top honors in the 2026 National Federation of Press Women High School Communications Contest, receiving first-, second-, and third-place awards as well as honorable mentions in categories ranging from writing and photography to broadcast journalism and video production.
Students from Bentonville West, Little Rock Central, Bryant, Lakeside, Fayetteville, Har-Ber, and Heritage high schools were recognized for their outstanding work at the national level after advancing from the Arkansas Press Women High School Communications Contest. Arkansas students received a total of 20 awards in the national contest.
“Arkansas students continue to impress us with the quality, creativity, and professionalism of their work,” APW High School Contest Director Maryanne Meyerriecks said. “These awards reflect not only the talent of the students, but also the dedication of the teachers and advisers who support student journalism and communications programs across the state.”
Arkansas students captured four first-place national awards.
- Angelica Healey of Bentonville West High School earned first place in News Story for “Nine Weeks of Bell to Bell, No Cell.”
- Asha Carter of Little Rock Central High School won first place in Double-Truck Layout for “Stage Lights.”
- Megan Dyberg of Lakeside High School in Hot Springs received first place in Video Feature Story for “The Making of Xandu.”
- Jayden Gribble of Bentonville West High School also earned first place in Yearbook Photo for “Landon Price.”
Students also earned several second- and third-place national finishes, along with honorable mentions in competitive categories. Here is a complete list of Arkansas winners in the NFPW High School Contest:
2026 NFPW High School Communications Contest Arkansas Winners
First Place
- Angelica Healey, Bentonville West High School, Centerton — News Story, “Nine Weeks of Bell to Bell, No Cell”
- Asha Carter, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Double-Truck Layout, “Stage Lights”
- Megan Dyberg, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs — Video Feature Story, “The Making of Xandu”
- Jayden Gribble, Bentonville West High School, Centerton — Yearbook Photo, “Landon Price”
Second Place
- Alex Duhon, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Columns or Blogs, “Make the Change”
- Asha Carter and Isabella Wall, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Environment, “Coming Together for Community”
- Caroline Baker and Sharlotte Davis, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Single Page Layout, “Lattes and Biscoff”
- Matthew Anderson, Mady Calhoun, Kaitlyn Ridgell, and Isai Perez, Bryant High School, Bryant — Best Newscast, “The Bryant Buzz – November 2025”
- Brooke Anderson, Har-Ber High School, Springdale — Yearbook Layout, “Making the Grade”
Third Place
- Ava Davenport, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Feature Story, “Sparking Thought”
- Sloan Austin, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Reviews, “An Animated Allegory”
- Asha Carter, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — News or Feature Photo, “No Kings”
- Saer Hollingsworth, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Cartooning, “Conrad vs. Jeremiah”
- Mady Calhoun, Isai Perez, and Carson Jones, Bryant High School, Bryant — Video News Story, “Construction Update”
Honorable Mention
- Fajr Abdeldayem, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Editorial, “Silenced by Violence”
- Makiah Perkins, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Opinion, “New Year, Same Me”
- Asha Carter, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock — Sports Photo, “Celebrate Football”
- Carsyn Coleman, Heritage High School, Rogers — Graphics/Photo Illustration, “Gameday vs Bentonville”
- Ross May and Tate Barnes, Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville — Radio or Television Interview/Talk Show, “Bulldog Buckets Coaches Show”
- Mady Calhoun and Taylor Lease, Bryant High School, Bryant — Video Sports Story, “#DoltForE”
The National Federation of Press Women High School Communications Contest recognizes excellence in student journalism and communications nationwide and provides students opportunities for national recognition of their work.