On Saturday, April 22, the Indiana Daily Student earned top honors at the 69th annual Indiana Collegiate Press Association awards lunch. More than 100 representatives from schools across Indiana attended the event held in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Tudor Room.
The first ICPA conference took place in Bloomington in 1957, and this year, there were more than 800 contest entries and more than 300 awards distributed. ICPA member organizations include news websites, newspapers, literary magazines, news magazines, and yearbooks.
“The awards and conference provide a great opportunity for students and advisers from across the state to gather together, learn from each other and celebrate their accomplishments,” said Ruth Witmer, interim executive director of ICPA and newsroom adviser for IU Student Media.
The IDS won three of the overall titles: Website of the Year, Division I Newspaper of the Year, and Advertising Publication of the Year. Overall, awards are given to the organization with the most points accumulated through individual awards. Students from the IDS and Arbutus yearbook tallied 54 individual awards for writing, photography, social media, design and more.
For the ninth year in a row, the Brook Baker ICPA Collegiate Journalist of the Year award was presented to an IDS staff member. This year, the award was presented to junior Jack Forrest. It was first established in 1999 to honor Baker, an editor at the Vincennes Trailblazer newspaper, who was killed in college. Past recipients have presented an outstanding portfolio of work from the previous academic year that demonstrates a commitment to outstanding journalistic and storytelling quality. Since its inception 27 years ago, 18 IDS staff members have received the Baker Award.
“There’s a long tradition of producing exceptional storytelling at the IDS and Arbutus,” Witmer said. “We’re proud of the work these students do to serve their community.”
Before the awards lunch, students attended conference sessions that featured speakers including Ibby Ahmed, Mirror Indy; Aubrey Wright, Indiana Public Media; Lisa Renze, Free Press Indiana; and Saul Lemerond, Hanover College. IDS Editors in Chief Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller collaborated with Purdue Exponent Editor in Chief Olivia Mapes to lead a session on how to handle adversity in the newsroom.
For a complete list of 2026 winners, visit icpaconnect.org
