High School Contest

Nebraska Press Women (NPW) holds an annual high school communications contest that is open to male and female students across the state. Entries are accepted in 23 categories that focus on writing, photography, design, broadcast, video and yearbook.

First-place entries in the NPW contest advance to the National Federation of Press Women competition, the nationwide communications competition for high school students. Entries at both state and national levels are judged by communications professionals, with constructive feedback provided on each entry.

The 2026 contest opens October 15, 2025, and the deadline to submit entries is noon on February 18, 2026. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 15, 2025. There’s a $5 fee per entry.

Winners are announced at the NPW spring conference, usually held in April. All state winners receive a certificate. The school that accumulates the most points, based on contest results, receives the Sweepstakes Award, which comes with a $100 cash prize for the school’s journalism program.

Additional information on the contests is available online at NFPW.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Nebraska Press Women High School Communications Contest. Gretna East High School won the sweepstakes award. Millard North High School in Omaha was runner-up, while Millard South High School, also in Omaha, placed third in the sweepstakes contest. Students from 16 schools won individual awards in the 23 categories of news, opinion and column writing, photography, graphic and page design, video production, radio and television broadcasting, and yearbook writing, photography and layout.

First-place entries in the state contest advance to the National Federation of Press Women contest.