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 students who won awards in the 2026 NPW High School Communications Contest. A record number of 508  entries were judged in 23 categories. First-place entries advanced to the National Federation of Press Women competition. 

Lincoln Southeast High School accumulated the most points based on contest results and received the Sweepstakes Award. Marian High School was runner up and Elkhorn North High School placed third for the Sweepstakes Award.  All three schools received awards.   

See a list of all state winners.