For the first time in Northwest history, three out of three northwest student media publications placed in the top 10 Best of Show at the 2025 National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) fall convention in Nashville, Tenn. on Nov. 15. With KUGR placing 10th, senior and executive producer Patrick Meiss brought home a superior award in an individual contest for videography.

The Northwest Passage landed 2nd, which is the highest they have placed in over a decade. The Lair placed 8th, which marks the 9th consecutive convention they have placed in the top 10.

“I feel it represents our program and all the hard work people have put in for almost a decade.” senior Sarah Wellman, last year’s editor-in-chief of The Lair said. “When our old advisor retired, a lot of us were nervous to ensure we carried on her legacy so it’s very validating that we’re still able to uphold what she has built.”

Along with their Best of Show award, senior Annabel Hall placed 2nd for the title of Writer of the Year and junior Finn Bedell was named Photojournalist of the Year, becoming the first photographer not only to be a finalist, but to win that title at SMNW. 

“I can’t even comprehend that that is true,” Bedell said. “In the history of Northwest, I feel like we’ve had so many incredible photographers who have done amazing, inspiring work, and it’s so shocking to me that I’m the only one here who has been given this award.”

These awards signify relevance in student journalism and honor the students’ hard work and effort towards the program. While these awards are appreciated, they are not the only representative of the commitment and dedication of these students.

“Awards are a good data point to see how the programs are doing nationally but don’t always reflect how hard people work or the importance of what they’re doing.” Yearbook and Newspaper adviser Chris Heady said. “If the only thing we think about is our awards, then we’re thinking about the wrong things.”