45th College Television Awards Winners Announced by Television Academy Foundation

The Television Academy Foundation announced the winners of the 45^th College Television Awards, which recognize and reward excellence in student-produced programs from colleges nationwide, last night at a star-studded awards presentation at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California.

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.”

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, Writer

Wrigley Kordt, Writer

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.

The 45^th College Television Awards show is available for video-on-demand viewing at TelevisionAcademy.com/CTA.