National Scholastic Press Association Names 'Best of Best'
Rusty Anderson
Dec. 17, 2024
MINNEAPOLIS — The nation’s top scholastic yearbooks were recognized today by the National Scholastic Press Association, which announced 59 finalists in its annual Pacemaker competition.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” Executive Director Laura Widmer said. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
Pacemaker finalists will be honored and will receive plaques during a special recognition ceremony on Friday, April 25, at the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
Pacemaker winners will be announced for the first time on Saturday, April 26 at the convention’s awards ceremony.
The NSPA Pacemaker, one of the oldest awards for scholastic journalism, has a rich tradition. The association started presenting the prestigious award to high school newspapers soon after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites, broadcast programs and innovation were added to the competition.
“The yearbooks selected as Pacemaker finalists represent strong visual and verbal storytelling. The judges were highly selective, recognizing approximately 20 percent of the entries,” Associate Director Gary Lundgren said.
Two teams of three judges devoted three days to the judging and studied every entry, discussing its strengths. The status of each entry was agreed upon by at least two of the three judges. In Pacemaker competition, the yearbooks compete against each other and are not scored on a rubric.
The high school yearbooks competed in categories based on the number of pages — 340 or more pages, 337-288 pages, 286-235 pages, 232 or fewer pages. Junior high/middle school yearbooks of all page counts complete in a category.
When the process was completed, 59 finalists were named representing the top 18 percent of all entries. In April, 22 yearbooks will earn Pacemaker awards — representing the top seven percent.
Of the 59 finalists, 11 are from junior/high and middle schools with 47 from high schools.
Yearbooks from 17 states earned Pacemaker-finalist status. Texas set the pace with 15 finalists, followed by Missouri with six and California and Colorado each with six.
Collegiate yearbook Pacemaker finalists will be announced by the Associated College Press, the NSPA collegiate organization, in January.
A “From the Yearbook Pacemaker Judges” panel discussion is planned for JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle. Judges will share what sets apart the Pacemaker-winners and showcase the yearbooks.
An online webinar is also planned for those unable to attend the Seattle convention.
A presentation showcasing the yearbooks will be available for download for classroom use. Selected Pacemaker-winning yearbooks will also be available for download for study and inspiration.