2023 WKU High School Media Awards

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Broadcasting

 

B1 News story

First place: Kyle Jordan, Sydney Loyd & Isabella Supinski, WBHS 9, Brentwood High School (https://youtu.be/-YoIUfsuaIg)

Second place: Emma Barton & Hayden Rolf, Highlands High School  (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IHjaOqxvv2RUWGuEvtWwFnhxS84r3VH-/view?usp=sharing)

Third place: Lakyn Whitehead, Atherton HS Media Productions, Atherton High School (https://youtu.be/PGiO7ukOoKY)

Judge's comments: Great characters were found in all of the winning entries. Very in-depth coverage with real news elements.

 

B2 Sports story

First place: Anna Raye Jones, FHS Media, Franklin High School (https://youtu.be/IfJNiLiQaZ4)

Second place: Jonah Listerman & Hayden Rolf, Highlands High School Film Department , Highlands High School  (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rW-x6E9GK2gE-nq37MM5Bhbvcq8eKrS5/view?usp=sharing)

Third place: Austin Cook, EC3 Media Arts Pathway, Central Hardin HIgh School (https://youtu.be/0DKTVzbIFlU)

Judge's comments: Some creative takes on sports. Visuals were compelling and the audio worked well.

 

B3 Feature story

First place: Grace Costantine, WBHS 9, Brentwood High School (https://youtu.be/u8d5uAHiWB4)

Second place: Jonah Listerman & Ashton Willis, Highlands High School Film Department, Highlands High School  (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zxWcwWkBdQ7GSJ2Jx6FUJ1LCAwFChhlc/view?usp=sharing)

Third place: Virgil Ramick, Duncan Irwin, Felix Pierce & Sophia Renou, Atherton HS Media Productions, Atherton High School (https://youtu.be/z4F2f3bMXBI)

Judge's comments: Wonderful characters to tell the story. Really solid visuals throughout the pieces. Each one of these is a feature worth telling.

 

B4 News videography

First place: Grace Costantine, WBHS 9, Brentwood High School (https://youtu.be/u8d5uAHiWB4)

Second place: Anna Raye Jones, FHS Media, Franklin High School ( https://youtu.be/4pUADREpMOs)

Third place: Lincoln Campbell, PHS Studios, Page High School (https://youtu.be/UTiJeM3-qOo)

Judge's comments: Excellent shooting. Very informative. On-site audio - not just music.

 

B5 Music video

First place: Hinton Lanier & Ethan Whitfield, FHS Media, Franklin High School (https://youtu.be/vfz-udWL0bs)

Second place: Ashlyn Witt, WBHS 9, Brentwood High School (https://youtu.be/ujgXhDg8aSI)

Third place: Hutson Hargrove, TV & Film Level I, Fairview High School (https://youtu.be/BTjCkgWdnqM)

Judge's comments:

What set the winners apart was their creativity and individualism when it came to telling a story through a visual medium. I was looking for how shot design, composition, lighting, camera movement, and performances all worked together in order to convey a visual story to the audience. I was surprised how the creators were able to use archival footage and animation in some videos to benefit their storytelling and how it helped to convey an emotional message that the music carried through. Telephone Line stood out to me the most due to its performance within the main character and how the shot design helped elevate his performance. The animation used was a unique way to experience this story. For Hayley Zehnder's videos, I found that her shot design seemed very well thought out in terms of what she wanted to show the audience and keep from them. The use of black and white to color was also a strong image and the filters, animation, and shutter speed used for the party music video helped to carry the narrative. On A Night Like This had the best cinematography in terms of lighting and composition out of all the entries. The videographer knew how to use natural light to their advantage and how the light spilled onto the singer's face helped soften her features and gave an angelic type of look to her. The scenery of the surrounding landscapes and ocean were beautiful and they used that perfectly to their advantage.

What set these winners apart was their creativity. In first place, I was impressed and saw that Hinston might have gotten some inspiration from A-ha's single, "Take on Me". In 526, we are given a beautiful backdrop of a cliff and an ocean and stunning visuals. In third place, Huston gave us a feel-good music video that depicts friends having a good time. Something that I was looking for was creativity and I have found it in these videos. What surprised me was the scenery for video second place and the animation sequences in first place.

 

B6 Narrative film

First place: Chaz Kapfhammer, Trinity Television (TTV), Trinity High School (https://vimeo.com/797456824)

Second place: Linnea Dobay & Anna Kate Soares, WBHS 9, Brentwood High School (https://youtu.be/kzglhC2PxRo)

Third place: Noah Phillips & Robert Arnberg , Highlands High School Broadcasting Program, Highlands High School  (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MR2HW9GFa_WAvfhfJOIhR6PNvdc8StpI/view?usp=sharing)

Judge's comments: What set them apart were the stories that were told in them. In Meta, I enjoyed the story and the cinematography. In Rodango, I was impressed by the stunt/fight sequences between the characters. In one entry, I really liked the inspiration that was pulled from Wes Anderson films. In these short films, I felt moved by every single one. I was especially moved by Meta and Rodango. What surprised me was the fight sequence in Rodango, which was great! The stunts in Rodango were amazing. What I was looking for in these submissions were thematic elements that were kept consistent through the use of cinematography, shot design, performances, and editing. I was surprised by the subject matter that was grappled with in many shorts and how these students were able to convey strong messages through a visual medium. I was also surprised by how professional much of the shot composition seemed. These are students who truly prepared to shoot these films. The shot composition in Snuggles was very well thought out and matched with the performance and editing, it culminated in a tight, well-constructed story. The Wish was also very prepared not only in terms of conveying the thematic elements through shot design and performance, but the lighting also helped to convey the story to the best of its abilities. Lastly, Rodango was a terrific love letter to the western genre. Not only was the production design and the location perfectly tailored to the story, it also used many elements in terms of shot design that the western genre is known for and made for a very entertaining watch.

 

B7 Best high school broadcast

First place: Staff, WBHS 9, Brentwood High School (https://youtu.be/skQGmZmqpR8)

Second place: Staff, Atherton HS Media Productions, Atherton High School (https://youtu.be/uMfX6VYy_YY)

Third place: Staff, FHS Media, Franklin High School (https://youtu.be/obC6UX8QIp0)

Judge's comments: Excellent work on shooting, editing and audio.

 

B8 Most valuable broadcast staff member

Most valuable: Sophia Bowden, Atherton HS Media Productions, Atherton High School

Runner-up: Grace Constantine, WBHS 9, Brentwood High School

 

Newspaper/Magazine/Online

 

N01 News story

First place: Gray Hawkins, Niki Junker, Corbin High school (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/239.pdf)

Second place: Trinity Kays , PLD Lamplighter, Paul Laurence Dunbar (https://pldlamplighter.org/news/2023/02/03/loaded-gun-found-on-pld-campus/)

Third place: Brandon Mudd, Livewire, Bullitt East High School (https://www.belivewire.com/9312/news/what-chinas-new-covid-19-policy-means-for-bullitt)

Judge's comments: All three of these have merit for different reasons. Stories that can help — broadly defined — the audience have the most impact. "Walking uphill" explains why the driver shortage exists and how it might be addressed. The writing is clear, it is well-sourced and structurally sound. It gets the edge over the two other stories, but not by a lot. The loaded gun story is a template for how to cover breaking news abut a serious issue. It is to the point with very efficient writing and solid sourcing.
The new policies story, again, is helpful to the audience and solid explanatory reporting. This was a very tough category to judge — very competitive.

 

N02 Feature story

First place: Trinity Kays, PLD Lamplighter, Paul Laurence Dunbar (https://pldlamplighter.org/features/2023/02/17/has-destigmatism-led-to-desensitization/)

Second place: Milana Ilickovic, Livewire, Bullitt East High School (https://www.belivewire.com/9131/features/supporting-tinelli/)

Third place: Dia Cohen & Lydia Morgan, Manual RedEye, duPont Manual High School (https://manualredeye.com/95336/news/local/lack-of-religious-inclusion-in-the-jcps-calendar-how-does-it-affect-non-christian-students-at-manual/)

Judge's comments: The story on destigmatism addresses an important topic that cannot be reported on too much. It has depth, excellent sourcing and effective structure. The supporting Tinelli story hits on all the emotional heartstrings and focuses on one of the audience's own. As a side note to writers and editors, work on use of direct quotes, Extended direct quotes are difficult to read because when readers encounter them the reading process slows. Use the best parts of the quotes — the parts that reveal personality, provide impact, provide clarity — and paraphrase and attribute the rest. Religious inclusion is an important topic in schools. This story could have placed higher with more development of the issue and sourcing.

 

N03 Editorial

First place: Lily Valla, Atherton Aerial, Atherton High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/230.pdf)

Second place: Inam Hassan, The Rebellion, Boone County High School (https://bchsrebellion.com/4639/opinion/partisan-redistricting-suppresses-kentucky-voices/)

Third place: Gabi Celani, Manual RedEye, duPont Manual High School (https://manualredeye.com/95014/opinion/opinion-the-double-standard-of-the-ideal-protest-hinders-progress/)

Judge's comments: I wrote editorials throughout my career, and I learned that the best editorials take strong positions on important topics and that they are well-grounded in fact-based research. All of the top three in this category do that. And as a long time advocate for First Amendment rights, editorials that address those strike a chord. The book banning editorial addresses a significant issue in Kentucky and throughout the U.S. These kinds of laws reflect an age-old tradition of suppression and non-inclusion. It is a very strong editorial. The redistricting editorial also addresses a key issue in our country, and it helps educate the audience on the topic. Some of the audience might already be 18 and can vote. The editorial calls for action, and good editorials do that. The protest editorial takes an unpopular position on the constitutional right to assemble and to what length protestors can do that, including civil disobedience. It will stir discussion, and good editorials should do that.

 

N04 Review or column

First place: Iman Hassan, The Rebellion, Boone County High School (https://bchsrebellion.com/4905/opinion/turning-red-reactions-reveal-that-periods-still-off-limits/)

Second place: Aster Bredwell, The Hilltopper Online, Highlands High School  (https://hhsjournalism.com/news/2022/09/27/growing-up-with-a-broken-heart-my-story-with-wolff-parkinson-white-syndrome/)

Third place: Brennan Eberwine, Manual RedEye, duPont Manual High School (https://manualredeye.com/95294/arts-entertainment/review-30-years-on-angels-in-america-still-strikes-a-chord/)

Judge's comments: All three of these entries hit the mark. The first and second place articles deal with tough issues/circumstances and are very relatable and personal, which attracts audience. It was hard to separate the two, but I gave the edge to the "Red" column because it is an issue not often addressed. Both were very well done.
The "Angels" review fits into the traditional "review" category, and it shows good research, a knowledge of the topic and some good insight on the part of the writer.
Based on this review, I would be likely to explore "Angels."

 

N05 Sports story

First place: Eli Thompson, The Central Times, Central Hardin High School (https://chhsnews.com/7141/sports/a-rivalry-for-the-ages/)

Second place: Ava Blair, Manual RedEye, duPont Manual High School (https://manualredeye.com/95414/sports/manual-students-ready-for-volleyball-and-football-to-break-the-gender-barrier/)

Third place: Kaitlyn Ryan, The Hilltopper Online, Highlands High School  (https://hhsjournalism.com/sports/2023/01/17/a-color-change-a-different-game-tonights-rivalry-game-take-a-new-meaning/)

Judge's comments: The rivalry story is a great example of an "advance" story, a preview of an event, that will have high audience interest. Contains a solid news angle.
The story on volleyball shows some solid research and strong writing and is well-sourced. The color change story also is a solid piece of advance work with a narrower foucs than the first-place entry, and is well done.

 

N06 News/feature photography

First place: Matthew Craven, ECHO, Trinity High School (https://trinityecho.com/32933/photo-galleries/)

Second place: David Quintanilla, Purple Gem, Bowling Green High School (https://sites.google.com/bgreen.kyschools.us/purplegem/the-headliners/the-spirit-the-looms)

Third place: Aster Bredwell, The Hilltopper Online, Highlands High School  (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/288.jpg)

Judge's comments: A solid moment and an even better story told in the picture made by the first place winner. Second place needs a crop on the top half of the picture but the expressive faces tell an interesting story about how it feels to win. Third place is photographed well, in close, using the whole frame and a foreground-to-background relationship. Well done winners!

 

N07 Sports photography

First place: Raegan Jackson, Livewire, Bullitt East High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/303.jpg)

Second place: William Lewis, Xavier News, Saint Xavier High School  (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/204.jpg)

Third place: Nora Morgan, PLD Lamplighter, Paul Laurence Dunbar (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/296.jpg)

Judge's comments: For the first place winner, this is a well shot sports action photograph, a high-quality image made in a difficult technical situation. The second place photograph is a different look at a basketball game, encompassing both the action and reaction in one image. The third place photograph fills the frame and highlights the body language of the swimmer.

 

N08 Editorial cartoon

First place: Angus Zuniga, The Blackman Voice, Blackman High School (https://blackmanvoice.net/2023/01/19/funny-holiday-cartoon-by-angus-zuniga/)

Second place: Robert Butler, The Rebellion, Boone County High School (https://bchsrebellion.com/4639/opinion/partisan-redistricting-suppresses-kentucky-voices/)

Third place: Chrysla Jewell, The Central Times, Central Hardin High School (https://chhsnews.com/6250/opinion/five-fundamentals-for-fresh-meat/)

Judge's comments: I love the holiday cartoon! The creator has some real skills. It is funny, delivers a strong message in a subtle and humorous way, and would likely be an audience favorite. The cartoon accompanying the redistricting editorial is a great complement to the editorial. It is clean and effective artwork.

 

N09 Front page design

First place: Staff, The Central Times, Central Hardin High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/268.pdf)

Second place: Brooklyn Sauer, Livewire, Bullitt East High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/304.pdf)

Third place: Paxson Stodghill, Atherton Aerial, Atherton High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/236.pdf)

Judge's comments: What made the top entries stand out was powerful use of graphics and images. Impact is so important on the cover of a publication. It is the entry point for your audience. Good use of color and typography was also evident in the top work.

 

N10 Inside page/spread design

First place: Audrey Stepp, Livewire, Bullitt East High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/305.pdf)

Second place: Peyton Waymeyer, The Rebellion, Boone County High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/225.pdf)

Third place: Maria Marquez Cordova, Atherton Aerial, Atherton High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/237.pdf)

Judge's comments: The winning choices uses art that dominate the page and plays with text wrapping to make the design more dynamic. The use of font choice is clean and easy to read but also gives hierarchy to specific words with size or bold on the font. The winning design looks professional as a magazine layout. Second place does well in juggling a variety of elements laid out on the page. One way to improve is to limit the number of fonts used on the page. I think I see 5 or 6 fonts.. This makes the visuals very busy since everything looks different. You have great repetition in moving from each category which helps simplify a page with lots of content into an easily digestible design. Third place. I see what you are going for but keep pushing that look. The main body font in bold and larger type becomes harder to read...but is often necessary for it to be printed. Play of the comic look even more. Good concept needs to continue to evolve to push the comic book theme.

 

N11 Multimedia production

First place: Stewarts Creek Television Staff, Stewarts Creek Television, Stewarts Creek High School (https://www.dropbox.com/s/gm5x7tyua1wgedn/298.mov?dl=0)

Second place: Ben Purnell & Ben Howard, Xavier News, Saint Xavier High School  (https://xaviernews.org/7855/multimedia/soccer-sweeps-the-school-with-the-world-cup/)

Third place: Cassidy Overberg, Manual RedEye, duPont Manual High School (https://manualredeye.com/95731/media/senior-signing-ceremony-2/)

Judge's comments: The best entries were stories that really called out for multimedia — where the use of video and audio brings the viewer into the scene. They combined technically sounds interviews with a variety of B-roll to make a complete story.

 

N12 Best high school news publication

First place: Staff, Livewire, Bullitt East High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/306.pdf)

Second place: Staff, On the Record, DuPont Manual High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/215.pdf)

Third place: Staff, Atherton Aerial, Atherton High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/238.pdf)

Judge's comments: All of the top three in this category have similar things going for them: great visuals, a great variety of content that mixes shorter pieces with in-depth reporting, lots of photos and a combination of techniques that give the publications energy and that make them attractive. I would recommend that the designers work on a little more consistency in design from page to page and in use of color. For this reason, the Livewire gets the edge over its competitors. As to all the news/editorial categories, I appreciate all the work the students put into serving their audiences and a big THANK YOU to all the advisers. It is a tough and often thankless job, but it is so valuable to your students and schools.

 

N13 Best high school news website

First place: Staff, On the Record, DuPont Manual High School (https://ontherecordmag.com/)

Second place: Staff, Xavier News, Saint Xavier High School  (https://xaviernews.org/)

Third place: Staff, Manual RedEye, duPont Manual High School (https://manualredeye.com/)

Judge's comments: Solid LOCAL stories from your community is what kept drawing the attention of the judges. This is what community journalism is so good at, let the national and international stories be told by the media outlets that are designed to do so - feature stories, photos, graphics and videos that represent your community, your school - your sense of place. The sites that had better local coverage and well-done non-fiction narratives about people within your world is a stronger approach to storytelling - it may be harder to rely on your staff to get the "goods" but keep pushing for them to do that. Solid local reporting and visual storytelling is what made our winners shine today.

 

N14 Most valuable newspaper/magazine staff member

Most valuable: Maggie Phelps, The Central Times, Central Hardin High School

 

Yearbook

 

Y01 Sports spread

First place: Staff, The Angeline, Sacred Heart Academy (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/181.pdf)

Second place: Staff, Warren Central High School Yearbook, Warren Central High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/218.pdf)

Third place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/255.jpg)

Judge's comments: All of these submissions were creatively designed yet were visually accessible. There was a good text to image ratio and consistent text styles. Overall, these submissions maintained a balance between being innovative but not too complicated.

 

Y02 Student life spread

First place: Staff, The Crimson, duPont Manual High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/136.pdf)

Second place: Staff, The Wildcat - Out of the Blue, Franklin-Simpson High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/101.pdf)

Third place: Staff, Shamrock , Trinity High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/238-trinity.pdf)

Judge's comments: The winners were set apart by showcasing their creativity without clutter. Featuring student life and culture is a quite a feat, and it's easy to overwhelm your page with graphics, design choices, writing, and photos that span multiple themes. The first place spread found the balance of featuring multiple aspects of student life within a cohesive design; I wasn't lost, overwhelmed or confused by the page. Instead, I was drawn to explore. With all three winners, there was a central story and consistency in design, writing, and photo - key aspects for an audience member's experience with your spread. I went in looking for a spread to grab my attention, to have a sense of cohesiveness, and to have clarity and intentionality in its design, writing, and photo elements. I was pleasantly surprised to find all of these criteria in the winning spreads.

 

Y03 Academic spread

First place: Staff, The Crimson, duPont Manual High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/137.pdf)

Second place: Staff, The Wildcat - Out of the Blue, Franklin-Simpson High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/102.pdf)

Third place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/257.jpg)

Judge's comments: I was looking for intriguing spreads with balanced design, striking colors and a contrast between copy and photography. More specifically, I was looking for cohesiveness within all these aspects. First place had beautiful images of dancers performing various choreographed acts. I liked how well-rounded the story was, as different dancers were featured in the copy, in the photos and on the side of the pages. I also enjoyed the way the spread was designed. Third place contained mostly photos, but I felt I learned a lot about the students from the detailed captions. It is my belief that captions should add to a story, and in the case of this submission, I believe the captions supply enough efficient detail for readers even without a full story to accompany them. I liked the layout of this spread as well. Second place had vibrant colors and provided me with an interesting photo story. I liked that I could feel the students’ love for their class through the copy, the photos and the provided captions. The story felt reminiscent of the high school experience, and for these reasons, I am giving this entry second place.

 

Y04 Organizations spread

First place: Staff, Take Two, Atherton High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/227.pdf)

Second place: Staff, Warren Central High School Yearbook, Warren Central High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/221.pdf)

Third place: Staff, The Angeline, Sacred Heart Academy (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/184.pdf)

Judge's comments: When looking through the entries, I was looking for a clear and intentional organization of the content, copy/writing to explain the visuals, as well as proper use of design elements/principles. The first main element I was looking for was if the spread was easy to follow and read. All of the winners' spread was easy to read and follow and was organized in a visually appealing way. In addition to organization, it was important that there was content to explain the organizations mentioned in the spread. Whether that was a short blurb explaining the content or quotes from organization members that explained their experiences. All of the winners made excellent use of copy to accompany the visuals. Finally, I was looking to see if the overall design was cohesive, using the same fonts, type size, spacing, and color palette. It is important that the design is consistent throughout the entire spread so that everything looks intentional and it is aesthetically pleasing to readers. The first-place winner, entry 227, had a great layout where they had a blurb to explain the content in the images, as well as detailed captions that explained who and what was happening in the images. This entry also had a consistent style and design throughout the page and had a creative title for the spread. The second-place winner, entry 221, though they did not have a blurb to explain the organization itself, they made great use of quotes from the members of the group to explain the organization. From this entry, I really enjoyed the organization of the content and the design. Though there are a lot of pictures and quotes it is organized in such a way that it is easy to follow, and the color palette and consistent fonts made it aesthetically pleasing. Finally, the third-place winner, entry 184, had a great layout of content that was easy to read, as well as a good use of the basic elements of design. This entry had beautiful visuals and great use of quotes from the people involved in the organization.

 

Y05 Division page spread

First place: Staff, Take Two, Atherton High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/228.pdf)

Second place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/259.jpg)

Third place: Staff, The Redhound, Corbin High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/160.pdf)

Judge's comments: In judging I looked for the candidates attention to clarity but also pushing the boundaries in page layout. The winners displayed a cohesiveness in overall design which allowed the eye to flow around the page easily while also keeping my interest piqued. I liked the concepts and design ideas behind most of the division spreads, but the top three shone just a little brighter than the rest.

 

Y06 Candid feature photo

First place: Ashley Norvell, The Redhound, Corbin High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/161.jpg)

Second place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/260.jpg)

Third place: Khushi Vaidya, The Wildcat - Out of the Blue, Franklin-Simpson High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/105.jpg)

Judge's comments: Overall, I was happy to see that so many of the entries included genuine reaction photos and I can tell that photographers were looking for moments happening around them. When judging the photos, I looked for emotion and/or interaction between subjects. The winning photo captured an exciting moment and showed strong technical skills through its use of shallow depth of field, making the subject stand out from the crowd around him. While all of the photos entered for this category showed great moments, I'd encourage photographers to move closer to the action and know your place– you are there to take photos, so don't be afraid to take up space when covering events!

 

Y07 Sports action photo

First place: Ashley Norvell, The Redhound, Corbin High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/162.jpg)

Second place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/261.jpg)

Third place: Hayley Barton, The Raider, Warren East High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/211.pdf)

Judge's comments: First - This is the definition of peak action. The shot is both interesting and unique. I wish the referee wasn't there, but because you had a nice depth of field our focus is on the player. Second - I love the expression on her face and the shallow depth of field so there are no distractions. I think her being centered in the frame works really well in this photo. Third - This is a good peak action shot. I would have loved if there was a tighter crop on this photo so our attention focuses only on the boy in the center. I do love his overall facial expression.

 

Y08 Feature story

First place: Maddee Brown, The Angeline, Sacred Heart Academy (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/188.pdf)

Second place: Quinn Nickell, Shamrock , Trinity High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/244.pdf)

Third place: Bailey Wilson, The Wildcat - Out of the Blue, Franklin-Simpson High School (https://www.wku.edu/khsmi/contests/2023-winners/107.pdf)

Judge's comments: All of the entries in the feature story category were great reads! It is clear in your writing that each of you has a passion for uplifting the stories within your schools and communities. This is especially true for the submissions from Sacred Heart Academy, Trinity High School and Franklin-Simpson High School. Firstly, these feature stories covered topics that were interesting and relevant to their specific audiences. By writing stories over topics that are engaging and relevant to their specific schools, these stories achieve the goal of yearbooks as a whole: to highlight the memorable experiences and characteristics of the schools they belong to. Additionally, these stories had strong writing and minimal grammatical errors. Through using clear, descriptive language and proper grammar, these writers painted a rich picture of the experiences within their stories and immersed the reader in those experiences. Congratulations to Sacred Heart Academy, Trinity High School, Franklin-Simpson High School, and all of the schools who submitted entries! 

 

Y09 Cover design

First place: Staff, The Crimson, duPont Manual High School

Second place: Staff, The Beacon, Bowling Green High School

Third place: Staff, The Redhound, Corbin High School

Judge's comments: I was looking for a cover with a creative concept and a visually cohesive design that also effectively reflects the theme and content of the book. Covers that were the most visually cohesive used elements and principles of design well, had an effective use of typography and overall were high-quality and paid attention to detail. The first place design used elements and principles of design well such as unity and variety, balance, white space, and emphasis. The design also has contrasting typography by using a serif font paired with a sans serif font. The second place design has a unique, creative concept and pays attention to detail well. Paying attention to things such as alignment and consistency among line width, typography, and shape sizes is super important when it comes to minimalistic designs like this one. The third place design also has a creative concept and uses elements and principles of design well. It has an appropriate color palette and uses appropriate typefaces that reflect the overall style and theme. 

 

Y10 Overall layout/design

First place: Staff, The Crimson, duPont Manual High School

Second place: Staff, Take Two, Atherton High School

Third place: Staff, The Beacon, Bowling Green High School

Judge's comments: I believe what set the winners apart was that among all three winners, there was a consistent identity/voice used throughout each yearbook. What I was looking for while judging was a clean, yet enticing layout – one that would make me want to read more about what happened during the year at each school, but not too busy to where I couldn't tell what was happening. With this criteria in mind, I believe The Crimson from DuPont Manual High School did this the best. The visual elements such as the shapes they used made each page "pop" and highlight the events of the year. One spread that surprised me was the fold-out spread from The Crimson where the reader had to interact with the pages to see what happened during their "Red and White Week". I found this to be playful and enjoyed the interactive aspect within it. Another spread that surprised me was the "Fill In" interactive spread from Take Two from Atherton High School. If I was a student at Atherton, I would definitely write down my favorite memory and add my photos from the year. I thought this was a nice way of making their yearbook even more personable to their audience.

 

Y11 Theme development

First place: Staff, The Angeline, Sacred Heart Academy

Second place: Staff, The Raider, Warren East High School

Third place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School

Judge's comments: The strongest themes were the ones that go deeper than just a cover and an introduction page but continue on, tying the book together. Some of the theme choices showed up in design elements and headlines. The theme in the first place yearbook went further, influencing the stories that were told and the questions that were asked in a way that really allowed the staff to get to the heart of the school year.

 

Y12 Advertising

First place: Staff, The Crimson, duPont Manual High School

Second place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School

Third place: Staff, Take Two, Atherton High School

Judge's comments: This year's Yearbook Advertising competition was tough. During the judging process I asked myself questions such as: Is the design and layout coherent? Is there a consistent theme to the advertisements? Can I read everything clearly? Are the photos used in a way where they only add to the ad, not take away or distract me? Was it evident that time and thought was put into the design and layout? A clean and simple design/layout will always win. Below are a few things that set the winners apart:

Font Usage:
. Using only two or three fonts maximum 
. Consistent sizing of font throughout the advertising section
. Do the fonts play well with one another? Do they distract from one another or signify a hierarchical flow?
. Text did not interrupt the photo (text did not appear on the photo in a way that made it hard to read and/or took away from the photo)

Photos:
. Photos were used and placed in a way that if multiple photos were used, then the photos flowed from one to the next one well
. Sometimes less is more. A few quality photos are better than many photos with varying quality.

Layout:
. The eye was able to flow from title (person's name) -> photos -> text without one element distracting from the other, either from within an individual advertisement or from a separate advertisement
. Each ad had its own space. The ads were not cramped together.
. Negative space (blank or white space) was pushed to the outside

Graphics:
. Not pixilated if provided by business

 

Y13 Best overall yearbook

First place: Staff, The Angeline, Sacred Heart Academy

Second place: Staff, The Crimson, duPont Manual High School

Third place: Staff, The Trojan, Barren County High School

Judge's comments: The yearbooks that really stood out were the ones that used a combination of strong photography, writing and design to come together to tell stories. The top books took every opportunity to tell stories, not only in traditional written formats, but also with strong photos captions and captivating quotes throughout the books. When it comes to design, they presented a cohesive look while allowing enough flexibility and variety to keep the reader interested. They also covered stories beyond the basics of what might be expected.

 

Y14 Most valuable yearbook staff member

Most valuable: Su Meh, Warren Central High School

 

James L. Highland Media Adviser of the Year

Alice Orange, Warren Central High School