Shine news

29th June 2026

Shine 2026 – the winners

Congratulations to everyone who came along to the Shine School Media Awards 2026. It was a truly fantastic day, celebrating tomorrow’s talent with an incredible atmosphere and the biggest number of schools entering in many years.

Thank you to everyone who came and joined us and well done to all our winning and highly commended students.

 

Rising Stars

  • AKS Lytham, Lancashire
  • Chichester Free School, West Sussex
  • Dene Magna School, Gloucestershire
  • Falinge Park High School, Manchester
  • Maria Fidelis Catholic School, London
  • Meadowhead School, Sheffield
  • Ripon Grammar School, North Yorkshire
  • St Thomas More High School, Essex
  • Wetherby Pembridge School, London

 

Best Magazine Cover

Winner:

  • The Eagle, St John’s School, Leatherhead

Highly commended:

  • Reign, Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington
  • The Beacon, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls, Birmingham

 

Best Newspaper Front Page

Winner:

  • The Tunstall Times, High Tunstall College of Science, Hartlepool

Highly commended:

  • Hummersknott Academical, Hummersknott Academy, Darlington
  • The Reason, Ermysted’s Grammar School, Skipton

 

Best Illustration and Artwork

Winner:

  • “Detached” by Autumn Rowkinson, Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College

Highly commended:

  • “Front Cover” by Ewan Leatherbarrow, UGS Perspectives, Urmston Grammar School
  • “Together” by Kate Ignatiuk, Two Zero One, Bromsgrove School
  • “Front Cover” by Ewan Leatherbarrow, UGS Perspectives, Urmston Grammar School
  • “The Impact of Ice Training” by Corrie Mayhew, Blue, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith
  • “Dear Vera” by Zin Yang and Lina Hmamly, The Beacon, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls

 

Best Printed Publication

Winner

  • Reign, Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College/strong>

Highly commended:

  • Reveal, Pate’s Grammar School
  • The Eagle, St John’s School, Leatherhead
  • The Reason, Ermysted’s Grammar School
  • IW, St George’s School, Edinburgh

 

Best Design

Winner:

  • The Eagle, St John’s School, Leatherhead

Highly commended:

  • The Beacon, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls, Birmingham
  • EXiA, City of Norwich School
  • The Reason, Ermysted’s Grammar School, North Yorkshire
  • Dovecote, Yarm School, North Yorkshire

 

Best Cartoon

Winner:

  • “Get the Cat” by Xinyan Wang, The Beacon, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls, Birmingham

Highly commended:

  • “The Sunset Series” by Liza Anton, Two Zero One, Bromsgrove School
  • “Evolution Ape” by Ted Camplin, EXiA, City of Norwich School

 

Best Business and Marketing Strategy

Winner:

  • Yarm School, North Yorkshire

Highly commended:

  • The Castle, Reigate Grammar School, Surrey
  • Reveal, Pate’s Grammar School, Gloucestershire

 

Society, Community, Sustainability

Winner:

  • The G & L Times, Godolphin & Latymer School, London

Highly commended:

  • Aspire, Falinge Park High School, Rochdale
  • Dovecote, Yarm School, North Yorkshire

Best Photograph

Winner:

  • “The Reluctant Bride Reclaimed” by Samanthi Shanjeevan, IW, St George’s School, Edinburgh>

Highly commended:

  • “Port Mulgrave” by Corrie Mayhew, Blue, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
  • “Shooting Hand” by Frasier Warren, DM Standard, Dene Magna School


The Peter Day Award for Best Podcast

Winner:

  • “The Revival of British Basketball,” Global Academy, Hayes

Highly commended:

  • “War Babies Series,” The PEAKS Perspective, AKS Lytham, Lancashire
  • “Behind The Algorithm Podcast,” Workington Academy, Cumbria

 

Writer of the Year: Fiction

Winner:

  • “Dear God” by Alice Saxton, EXiA, City of Norwich School

Highly commended:

  • “Where Light Cannot Follow” by Yuhe Tian, Dovecote, Yarm School
  • “Red Haired Rookie” by Harry Watson, Inscapism, Inscape House School, Cheadle

 

Writer of the Year: Non-Fiction

Winner:

  • “What Bombs Could Not Destroy” by Noora AbuHamad, UGS Perspectives, Urmston Grammar School

Highly commended:

  • “Mamdani’s Money Pit – Who Really Pays” by Felix Samuels, The Eagle, St John’s School, Leatherhead
  • “Chaos in the Capital” by Orla Bond, DM Standard, Dene Magna School/li>

 

Best Humour

Winner:

    • “Chaos in the Capital” by Orla Bond, DM Standard, Dene Magna School, Gloucestershire

Highly commended:

      • “My First Year at a British School” by Claire Olajide, The De Astonian, De Aston School, Market Rasen
      • The Beacon magazine, King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls, Birmingham
      • “Facts Corner” by Henry Theobald, CFS Times, Chichester Free School, West Sussex

 

Editor of the Year

Winners:

      • Charlton Cooper, Reveal, Pate’s Grammar School, Gloucestershire

Highly commended:

      • Mallory Abrey-Sims, The De Astonian, De Aston School, Market Rasen
      • Arianna Enserro, The G & L Times, Godolphin & Latymer School
      • Sanya Ahmed, Fidelis Today, Maria Fidelis Catholic School, London

 

Best piece on a designated topic: ‘Abuse of power’

Winner:

      • Flame magazine, Meadowhead School, South Yorkshire

Highly commended:

      • “Abuse of Power” by Darcey Stonehouse & “Eva Braun” by Julia De Abreu, Reed’s School, Surrey
      • “Reclaiming the Canvas” by CJ Arnott & Samanthi Shanjeevan, IW, St George’s School, Edinburgh

 

Most Inspirational Teacher

Winner:

      • Andrew Williamson, Workington Academy, Cumbria

Highly commended:

      • Sarah Peacock, De Aston School, Market Rasen
      • Antonia Breslin, Yarm School, North Yorkshire

 

Scoop of the Year

Winner:

      • “To Vote or Not to Vote? An Interview with Ex-MP Mark Field” by Yasmin Elam Nasser, The G & L Times, Godolphin & Latymer School

Highly commended:

      • “Open Door” by Arthana Pradeep, Dovecote, Yarm School
      • “Leigh-on-Sea’s Eroding Shoreline: When Will the Cliff Edge Reach Residents’ Doors” by Poppy Chambers, More, St Thomas High School for Boys, Westcliff-on-Sea

 

Best Magazine

Winner:

      • Reveal, Pate’s Grammar School, Gloucestershire

Highly commended:

      • The Eagle, St John’s School, Leatherhead, Surrey

 

Best Newspaper

Winner:

      • The Martlet, Abingdon School, Oxfordshire

Highly commended:

      • The Reason, Ermysted’s Grammar School, North Yorkshire
      • The Tunstall Times, High Tunstall College of Science

 

The Terry Mansfield Award for Tomorrow’s Talent

Winner:

      • Annabel Cochrane, The Clocktower, Ripon Grammar School, North Yorkshire

Highly commended:

      • Andrea Yeo, The G & L Times, Godolphin & Latymer School, London
      • Ethan Fletcher, Reign, Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington

 

The Harrison Cup

Winner:

    • Volodymyr Podobiedov, Ermysted’s Grammar School, North Yorkshire