Adviser Awards
The College Media Association honors excellence in college media advising through a series of annual awards that recognize both emerging talent and longtime leadership. These honors celebrate advisers who have made a lasting impact on their students, programs, institutions, and the field of collegiate journalism.
Below are descriptions of each award:
Distinguished Adviser Award
This award recognizes advisers with five or more years of experience who have demonstrated consistent and exceptional service in support of student media. Recipients have made a significant impact through leadership, mentorship, and dedication to journalistic excellence. These advisers are widely respected by peers and students alike for their commitment to learning, ethics, and press freedom.
Emerging Adviser Award
This award honors advisers in the early stages of their careers—those with fewer than five years of advising experience—who have shown outstanding promise and dedication. Emerging Adviser Award recipients demonstrate strong leadership, an ability to inspire student journalists, and a clear commitment to the values of collegiate media from the very beginning of their advising journey.
Special Honors
CMA’s Special Honors recognize individuals and institutions whose extraordinary service, leadership, or contributions fall outside the scope of our annual awards. These honors are presented selectively—only when someone’s impact truly rises above. From advancing press freedom to shaping the direction of college media nationwide, Special Honors celebrate the visionaries, advocates, and changemakers who leave a lasting imprint on CMA and the student journalism community.
Read More about our Special Honors categories and past recipients.
John A. Boyd Hall of Fame
The CMA Hall of Fame recognizes those members who have, first and foremost, served in significant leadership and service roles in the College Media Association. Hall of Fame members include past presidents, board members or advisers who have taken on significant and long-term responsibilities in the service of CMA.
This is the most prestigious honor given by CMA, recognizing longtime members whose dedication, commitment and sacrifice have contributed to the betterment and value of student media programs of both the campus and nation.
It also pays tribute to members who have devoted extensive and varied service on committees, the board of directors and other leadership roles and have presented insightful, relevant and well-prepared programs and sessions.
Those considered for this award must have contributed to college journalism education for 20 years or more while being an active member of CMA. In addition to service to CMA, recipients will have served as role models and mentors for both students and colleagues, been steadfast in their support for freedom of expression in the student media and willing to assume some risk in defense of that support, consistently supported the codes of ethics of CMA and other related professional associations and been trendsetters in setting standards of advising excellence and achievement.
View members of the CMA Hall of Fame
The HOF committee will review the nominations and will choose nominees. Applications are accepted in May.
Nominations for adviser awards are typically accepted in late spring or early summer. To nominate an adviser, you’ll need to submit:
- A completed nomination form (available during the nomination period)
- A letter of nomination outlining the candidate’s qualifications and impact
- Supporting materials such as additional letters of support, student testimonials, or examples of work (optional but encouraged)
Details and deadlines are announced on CMA’s website and via the member listserv. For questions or more information, please contact CMA HQ.
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