Student Media claim top honors, Best Newspaper, Journalist of the Year

Student Media claim top honors, Best Newspaper, Journalist of the Year

Northwest Missouri State University Student Media dominated the Missouri College Media Association and Missouri Broadcast Educators awards ceremony April 11 in Springfield, Missouri, earning more honors than any other state school, including Journalist of the Year and Best Newspaper.

Dakota Oswalt, a senior multimedia journalism major from Atlantic, Iowa, was named the MCMA Journalist of the Year. Oswalt will serve as editor-in-chief of the Northwest Missourian for the 2026-27 academic year.

"Winning Journalist of the Year is one of my biggest accomplishments," Oswalt said. "I was excited to apply, but I didn't necessarily expect to win. I was in shock when I found out - I still am in shock. It's heartwarming to see that all of the hard work I put into the Missourian was recognized by others. I'm also proud of the Missourian staff as a whole for helping us bring home so many awards."

The Missourian was named Best Newspaper in its division, and its staff captured an additional 27 awards.

Hannah Claywell served as editor-in-chief of the Missourian for the 2025-26 academic year and as the student president of MCMA

"The Missourian staff has worked extremely hard this year, and the Missouri College Media Convention showed that work truly paid off," said Claywell, who will graduate from Northwest in May with bachelor's degrees in mass media with a multimedia journalism emphasis and in criminology. "It is so rewarding to receive the honors that we did at the convention, and I am so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful news outlet."

Tower yearbook captured nine awards, while KNWT-TV won seven honors and KZLX student radio captured five.

Student Media earned a total of 50 awards at the convention. A full list of honors appears below.

Missouri Broadcast Education Association Awards

Audio Station Promo

• First Place: Khale Knox, "KZLX Station Promo"
• Honorable Mention: Khale Knox, "KZLX Station Promo"

Video Sports Show

• First Place: Killian Beck, "Bearcat Update Season 76 Ep6"
• Third Place: Reece Hill and Jaden Varner, "Bearcat Update Season 77 Ep7"

Video Sports Package

• First Place: Dante Distefano, "BCU Byron Alexander Player Profile"

Audio Documentary/Public Affairs

• Second Place: Micah Stolley, "Theater Northwest"

Video Multicamera Live Event

• Second Place: Blake Rizner, Katie Ley and Dante Distefano, "The KNWT Minecraft Gauntlet"

Audio AirCheck

• Third Place: Khale Knox, "Dorm Survival Guide"

Audio Play-by-Play

• Third Place: Wiley Ray, "Northwest Men's Basketball vs. Nebraska Kearney"

Video Documentary Film

• Second Place: Kelly Sharp, "Alternatives & Options, Episode 8"
• Third Place: Noah Ferguson, "Staying Current: Axe Murder House Spooktacular"
• Honorable Mention: Avery Andell, "Untold Stories: Raku"

Missouri College Media Association Awards

Northwest Missourian

• Best Overall Newspaper
• Journalist of the Year: Dakota Oswalt
• First Place, Sweepstakes, Division 2
• First Place, Website, Northwest Missourian

News Photography

• First Place: Mitchell Harvey, "9/11 Stair Climb 2"
• Third Place: Nathan Noda, "Charlie Kirk Vigil"

Political/Editorial Cartoon

• First Place: Caden Willmann, "Our View 9/25/25 (political violence)"
• Second Place: Anna Case, "SNAP Our View"
• Third Place: Anna Case, "Sexual Assault awareness month"

Editorial/Op-Ed Page

• First Place: Missourian Staff, "Special Issue: DEI"

Feature Page

• First Place: Missourian Staff, "Love All"

Sports Page

• First Place: Missourian Staff, "The Power Behind the Paw"

Special Section or Supplement

• First Place: Missourian Staff, "ODI Special Edition: We are not your enemy"

Video

• First Place: Clevi Johnson, "Sept. 11 memorial"

Feature Photography

• Second Place: Nathan Noda, "MO Hope 5"
• Honorable Mention: Hannah Claywell, "Coach Mac 1"

Editorial Writing

• Second Place: Editorial Board, "Students deserve transparency during dissolution of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion"

Page One Design

• Second Place: Missourian Staff, "November 20, 2025"
• Third Place: Missourian Staff, "February 13, 2025"

Investigative Reporting

• Second Place: Dakota Oswalt, "Northwest faces over half a million-dollar loss in funding after 2026 state budget passage"
• Third Place: Trey Houchin, "Northwest athletic department talks decline in home sporting attendance"

Advertising Design

• Third Place: Madison Bergan "Wellness"

In-Depth News Reporting

• Third Place: Anna Bailey, Dakota Oswalt, Savannah Athy-Sedbrook and Hannah Claywell, "ODI Dissolution"

Sports Photography

• Third Place: Nathan Noda, "NW Soccer"
• Honorable Mention: Aaron Hare, "NW Softball Filger"

Sports Column

• Third Place: Leah Cox, "Respect is needed for media covering sporting events, they're trying to do their jobs"

Information Graphic

• Third Place: Anna Case, "Food Insecurity Infographic"

Feature Writing

• Honorable Mention: Leah Cox, "Northwest athletes talk faith on the field"
• Honorable Mention: Raiea Salerno, "International students talk communication, friendship struggles while attending Northwest"

Tower yearbook

Yearbook/Magazine Feature Photograph

• First Place: Kendric Briggs, "Fresh Talent Causes Big Impact"
• Third Place: Sarah Bourland, "Glow Fo Show"

Yearbook/Magazine Sports Photograph

• First Place: Gabe Lozano, "Playing for the Paw"
• Second Place: Matt Rapp, "Sticking Strong"

Yearbook/Magazine Profile Story

• Second Place: Kasidy Wilcox, "Joyful Journey"
• Honorable Mention: Jasmine Ford, "8,000 Miles of Growth"

Yearbook/Magazine Feature Photograph

• Honorable Mention: Sarah Bourland, "Winter Divider"

Yearbook/Magazine General Feature Story

• Honorable Mention: Jasmine Ford, "Excellence From the Ivory Coast"

Yearbook/Magazine Spread Design

• Honorable Mention: Alora Bucey, "Tying Cultures Together"