Students from 20 countries and 19 U.S. states were recognized as winners in this year’s Youth Journalism International Excellence in Journalism Contest.

The 2026 contest, the 17th annual competition, recognized some of the great work done by the world’s best young reporters, editors, photographers, artists and cartoonists in dozens of categories ranging from editorials to multimedia news.

“All these entries give me hope,” said retired editor Frank Keegan, one of the judges.

Two students from New Jersey won the First Amendment Award for pressing for student press rights at their high school. The award is presented in partnership with the First Amendment Museum in Augusta, Maine.

Andrew Hum and Kim Hong of Holmdel High School, wrote about their experience for the Student Press Law Center in a piece headlined “Speak up: If we can do it, so can you.”

“This is such an honor,” Hum said. “This is definitely a shock. I’m so happy.”

Competition for the awards is heavy as students demonstrate a lively interest in journalism around the globe.

Mitch Eden, a retired journalism teacher and one of the judges, said he felt inspired “to see these young journalists tackling everything from global democracy and political polarization to the hyper-local ‘battles’ of school logos and college advising.”

Contestants aged 19 and under submitted work published or broadcast in English during the calendar year 2025.

An international panel of about three dozen judges evaluated hundreds of entries.

The nonprofit Youth Journalism International has been educating the next generation of news professionals since 1994. It is a 501(c)(3) educational public charity. Its website can be found at youthjournalism.org.