The Television Academy Foundation have revealed the winners of the 45th College Television Awards, recognizing and rewarding excellence in student-produced programs from colleges nationwide.
The 2026 winners were presented awards by top television stars including Samuel Arnold (Emily in Paris), Rhenzy Feliz (The Penguin), Ashby Florence (TikTok influencer), Ezra Frech (Two-Time track and field Paralympian), Robby Hoffman (Hacks), Jenn Lyon (Stumble), Billy Magnussen (The Audacity), Serena Page (Love Island USA / influencer), Dewayne Perkins (The Upshaws; The Studio), Caterina Scorsone (Grey’s Anatomy), Sean Patrick Thomas (Gen V) and London Thor (Gen V).
“Congratulations to the winners whose work reflects the creativity, passion and originality that define the future of our industry,” said Tina Perry, chair of the Television Academy Foundation. “Each year, these remarkable students demonstrate the power of storytelling and the impact of fresh perspectives in television and media. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and grateful for all the celebrities and sponsors who helped make this an unforgettable event for students.”
Categories
Emulating the Emmy® Awards selection process, entries for the College Television Awards were judged by Television Academy members. Top honors and a total of $45,000 in cash prizes went to winning teams in nine categories.
ANIMATION SERIES:
- Love & Gold – Brigham Young University; Jaysen Duckworth, Producer; Connor Van Dyke, Director and Writer
COMEDY SERIES/CHANCE PERDOMO LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP:
- Thanksgiving – Brigham Young University; Ryan Jones, Producer; Austin Lawrence, Director; Abigail Tolley, Writer
COMMERCIAL, PSA OR PROMO:
- Ink Up. Wash Out. – Brigham Young University; Mia Shumway, Writer; Eli Rothas, Producer; Kyle Gilmour, Director
DRAMA SERIES:
- Óménàlà – Savannah College of Art & Design – Atlanta; Sydney Brooks, Producer; Stephanie AdaEze Byron-Ene, Director and Writer
NEWS:
- San Francisco: On the Edge – Montclair State University; Adam Acoff, Writer; Emily Chavarria, Producer and Writer; Izzy Conklin, Director, Producer and Writer; Andrew Cooper, Director, Producer and Writer; Shannon Daly, Producer and Writer; Nino DeNino, Producer and Writer; Peter Guziejewski, Producer and Writer; Bryan Jaimes, Producer and Writer; Brandon Lang, Producer and Writer; Sophia Lazaridis, Producer and Writer; Dani Mazariegos, Producer and Writer; Ivana Ragusa, Producer and Writer; Jennifer Sanchez, Writer; Julia Slevin, Writer; Victoria Smith, Director, Producer and Writer; Sean Thrunk, Director, Producer and Writer
NONFICTION SERIES:
- Unbroken Spirits – New York University; Paulina Ruiz, Director, Producer and Writer
SCRIPTED SERIES:
- Trife – University of Southern California; Christian Yosef, Director and Writer; Neil Zafar Haeems, Producer; Shandaeya Caldwell, Producer
SPORTS:
- SportsDesk | The Magazine Edition | 2024 – University of Miami; Taryn Jacobs, Producer and Writer; Delanie Haddad, Director and Producer; Jacob Lyons, Producer and Writer; Jadyn Cohee, Producer and Writer; Regina Potenza, Producer and Writer; Shea McDonald, Write
Two special awards were also announced during the program:
- The Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Award was presented to Savannah College of Art and Design students Danzheng Chen (producer) and Yangshiyi Liu (director/writer) for their production titled Step Forward. The $10,000 award celebrates student storytellers whose work sheds light on people with disabilities and is underwritten by The Loreen Arbus Foundation.
- The Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award, a $4,000 cash prize given to a College Television Award-winning project that best highlights a humanitarian concern, was awarded to New York University student Paulina Ruiz for Unbroken Spirits. This award was created over 20 years ago by the late entertainment attorney Seymour Bricker.
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