The Herald announces the Student Press Awards 2025 shortlist
We are proud to announce The Herald Student Press Awards 2025 shortlist, in association with Weber Shandwick (Image: Newsquest) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald.
In an age of misinformation and fake news, the continuing presence of a strong and independent media has never been more important. With growing security threats, far-reaching power concentrated in the hands of a few, global technology brands and pressures building over finite resources in a world that's rapidly heating up, the role of journalists is becoming more relevant than ever.
Against this backdrop it is essential to identify the next generation of fearless voices and to support those writers, journalists and broadcasters who are willing to seek out the truth and report it with rigorous clarity.
That's the aim of The Herald Student Press Awards 2025 in association with Weber Shandwick, the finalists for which have been announced today. Read more:
The Herald's Student Press Awards are the chance of a lifetime
These awards have been created in order to encourage the highest standards in journalism and to single out talent amongst students at Scotland's further and higher education establishments. The student newspaper has a proud history of free speech and of providing a solid training ground that has given us some of our finest journalists and the shortlist announced today includes contributors not just of print titles, but also of radio stations and digital platforms.
The submitted articles, podcasts, features, reports and sports bulletins have been scrutinised by a panel of experts, led by Herald editor Catherine Salmond and have been selected for their success in providing fresh insights into well-worn subjects; uncovering new facts and providing thrilling accounts of sporting encounters, and for doing it all in language that is unambiguous and, at times highly entertaining.
The winners of the Student Press Awards 2024 with Editor Catherine Salmond at far left, Gemma Forrester from Weber Shandwick, 2nd left and Callum Baird, editor-in-chief, Newsquest Scotland and Northern Ireland (Image: NQ) Amongst the awards being contested are: Best Use of Digital Media; Design of the Year for newspapers and magazine: Scoop of the Year and Student News Brand of the Year.
There are tangible rewards at stake in the shape of one week's work experience with The Herald editorial team for winners of News Writer of the Year, Features Writer of the Year, Sports Writer of the Year and Columnist of the Year categories, while the winner of The Student Journalist of the Year title will receive a four-week paid internship with The Herald this summer.
Winners will be announced during a ceremony that will take place in The Herald offices in Glasgow on Thursday, 15 May and there is an opportunity for anyone connected with the finalists, their publications or digital platforms, as well as for those from the associated educational establishments, to come along and support them on the day.
Full details of how to take part are available online here. Find the full shortlist below: Best use of Digital media Aidan Gilbride, SPFL News Now, Edinburgh Napier University
Amanda Crawford, UWS Newsroom, University of the West of Scotland
Antonella Valente, The Gaudie, University of Aberdeen
Fred Byrne, Gettin' Rowdy with The Gaudie, The Gaudie Design of the Year (Newspaper or Magazine) Clive Davies, The Gaudie, University of Aberdeen
Hannah Hamilton, The Magdalen, University of Dundee
Morgan Woodfall, The Glasgow Guardian, Glasgow University Columnist of the Year Alexander (Sandy) Woodhouse, ENRG, Edinburgh Napier
Emilia Evonne Beatrice Lauder, ENRG & The Broad, Edinburgh Napier University
Hannah Linda Hamilton, The Magdalen, The University of Dundee Features Writer of the Year Carlin Braun, Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling
Kulsum Shabbir, Strathclyde Telegraph, University of Strathclyde
Nina Miller, The Glasgow Guardian, University of Glasgow News Writer of the Year Eva J Milne, The Jute Journal, University of Dundee
Amelia Boag McGlynn and Fred Byrne, The Gaudie, University of Aberdeen
Katherine McKay, Hillhead Review, University of Glasgow
Odhran Gallagher, Hillhead Review, University of Glasgow Sports Writer of the Year Anya Diggines, Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling
Jack Harris, ENRG, Edinburgh Napier University
John Shiels, The Clyde Insider, Glasgow Clyde College
Oliver Kennedy, The Gaudie, University of Aberdeen Scoop of the Year David Forrest, The Clyde Insider, Glasgow Clyde College
Edward Jewsbury, Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling
Katherine McKay, Hillhead Review, University of Glasgow
Odhran Gallagher, Hillhead Review, University of Glasgow Student News Brand of the Year Brig Newspaper, University of Stirling
The Student, University of Edinburgh
The Gaudie, University of Aberdeen
ENRG, Edinburgh Napier University
The Glasgow Guardian, Glasgow University
Hillhead Review, University of Glasgow
Strathclyde Telegraph, University of Strathclyde Student Journalist of the Year To be announced on the night
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist's job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
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