Gallery • 8 Photos

The Kentucky Kernel staff poses with its awards from the Southeast Journalism Conference Best of the South awards and On-Site competition awards on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Georgia Highlands College Student Center Gym in Cartersville, Ga. Photo provided by Ryan Craig

The Kentucky Kernel won 20 Best of South awards 12 on-site competition awards at the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC). 

SEJC was held in Cartersville, Ga., from Feb. 5 to Feb. 7 this year. Students from multiple universities came to participate in competitions and attend informational sessions. 

SEJC is an academic organization created to encourage greater interest in student journalism, according to the SEJC website. 

Out of the 16 on-site competitions, the Kernel placed in 12 categories. Last year, the Kernel won four on-site competitions.

“I feel like the Kernel is on a high right now,” Kernel Editor-in-Chief Giana Gallo said. “We’re doubling down on all of the awards that we’re getting after the Kentucky Press Association conference.”

Gallo said compared to the previous two SEJCs, the Kernel performed exceptionally well in both the pre-submitted awards and on-site competitions.

Throughout the conference, Gallo said teamwork and collaboration between students were on full display and paved the way to the Kernel’s success.

”This conference really brought us together, we were one unit and we just showed off all the skill and the knowledge and the strong journalistic skills that we have,” Gallo said. 

University of Kentucky Student Media Coordinator Bryce McNeil said this was the third time the Kernel has gone to SEJC to compete and said it was “exhilarating to watch” all the students working in the competition.

“I think good journalism teams are people that are out there in the trenches together and it’s a chance to actually feel a sense of teamwork and accomplishment,” McNeil said. “The actual real accomplishment of journalism is much more about informing people, making a difference in that way, and giving voice to the voiceless.”

McNeil said the conference gave students experiences that are similar to working in newsrooms today, giving them perspectives on what it is like to submit assignments on deadline.

“It’s like I guess when your kids open Christmas gifts and you’re sort of like ‘Oh’ like you’re getting it through your eyes again,” McNeil said. “So it’s like getting to watch them rush up and they’re running up to you like ‘This is what I have to do’ it’s like really like all excitable.”

Seeing such a large group of Kernel members work together as a team was exciting, McNeil said, especially the educational opportunity SEJC provided.

“We compete in all the categories for the most part, there’s like, … we do well-rounded, multifaceted journalism, and I think the results reflect that,” McNeil said.

Alongside the Kernel, KRNL Lifestyle + Magazine won first place for Best Magazine in the Best of South Awards.

KRNL Editor-in-Chief Reaghan Chen said she is proud of the staff, editors and everyone who worked on the magazine.

“KRNL being recognized is a great honor and just really reassuring to all the hard work we do 365 days a year,” Chen said. “As editor, this award and any award is truly for all the staff and editors that have come before us and all that will come after.”

Chen said she is fortunate to have such a dedicated staff and looks forward to the creative journalism they continue to work on.

TikTok Manager Jackson Redish said this was his second year attending the conference and was “thrilled” to win first place in the Arts and Entertainment Multimedia category.

Redish said journalism takes a lot of creativity and his category made him brainstorm several ideas to figure out what he was going to do.

“It was something out of the park, something I’ve never even thought of doing before,” Redish said. “Besides, that’s what it takes to make something that wins and something that stands out is something that’s so creative and out of the ordinary.“

Kernel Managing Editor Kennedy Parker collaborated with Redish for the category. She said it was her first time getting first place at SEJC, having placed second in 2025 for feature writing.

Parker took photos and wrote the print feature for their submission, while Redish took the video component. Parker said they were given their prompt around 6 p.m. Feb. 5 and had their deadline at noon the following day.

“SEJC is always a very stressful competition, but it’s also a very rewarding competition for the Kernel,” Parker said. “I never had that tight of a deadline before, we turned it in with a minute to spare … but it all ended up working in the end and I’m very proud of us.”

Gallo said she hopes those who participated in SEJC will come back next year to reach for higher placements and new students will enter to see what they are capable of.

”SEJC has shown yet again that the Kernel as an organization creates and molds strong journalists and we stick out not only in the SEC region but nationally as well,” Gallo said. “I couldn’t be more proud to be leading this team.”

List of awards:

Best of South Awards

Best Newspaper

2nd Place – University of Kentucky

Best Radio Station

2nd Place – University of Kentucky

Best Television Station

4th Place – University of Kentucky

Best Website

4th Place – University of Kentucky

Best Public Service Journalism

1st Place – KRNL Lifestyle + Magazine

Best Magazine

1st Place – University of Kentucky

Best Video Newscast

4th Place – University of Kentucky

Best Magazine Designer 

1st Place – Ashleigh Jones

Best TV Feature Reporter

4th Place – Olivia White

Best Multimedia Journalist

5th Place – Christian Kantosky

Best Advertising Staffer

1st Place – Jackson Redish

Best Radio Feature Reporter

2nd Place – Marissa Armstrong

5th Place – Sylvia Freire and Gavin Breunig

Best Arts and Entertainment Reporter

1st Place – Chase Myers

Best Magazine Writer

1st Place – Alexandria Landgraf

Best Feature Writer

5th Place – Quezia Arruda Cunha

Best News Writer

1st Place – Laurel Swanz

Best Photographer 

1st Place – Christian Kantosky

Best TV News Reporter

2nd Place – Edward Smith

Journalist of the Year

2nd Place – Laurel Swanz

On-site Competition Awards

Arts and Entertainment

1st Place – Kennedy Parker and Jackson Redish

News Writing

Honorable Mention – Adah Hufana

TV News Reporting

3rd Place – Chloe Bradley

Feature Writing

Honorable Mention – Kennedy Parker

Feature Photography

2nd Place – Brooke Johnson

TV Sports

Honorable Mention – Zach Poat and Devan McClure

Sports Writing

2nd Place – Brett Ramsey

Sports Photography 

2nd – Will Luckett

Podcasting
Honorable Mention – Marissa Armstrong and Bella Lindsey 

Public Relations

Honorable Mention – Laney Harris

Media Law 

Honorable Mention – Autumn King

Current Events

2nd Place – Sylvia Freire