The Student Publication Association (SPA) announced the shortlist for the 2026 National Awards on Monday, February 23rd. This year, nine separate Irish publications were shortlisted themselves or had their journalists shortlisted in the individual categories, marking the region (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) the third most represented of the eight SPA regions. The SPA is the largest student media association and represents newspapers, magazines and other publications across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Irish publications have steadily increased their presence in the Student Publication Awards the past couple of years. The region received 25 shortlists out of 250 this year, representing 10 per cent of the total nominations. Ireland and Northern Ireland ranked as the fifth most featured region out of eight, London ranking first with 48 shortlists. For comparison, the region had 21 shortlists in 2024, with seven separate publications being shortlisted, and 23 shortlists in 2023, which included nine separate publications.
This year’s shortlist includes nominees from Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork (UCC), University College Dublin (UCD) and University of Galway (UCG) in Newspaper, Magazine, Specialist Publication and Individual categories. With 10 shortlists, The University Times received the fifth highest number of shortlists across all regions, joint with Concrete from University of East Anglia. The Saint, from St Andrew’s University, topped the leaderboard with 19 shortlists.
According to Jack Walsh, SPA regional officer for Ireland and Northern Ireland 2025/26, 174 entries were submitted in Ireland out of 1404 total entries across the eight SPA regions and from National member publications. 19 publications out of the region’s 42 members submitted for the SPA Awards this year.
Commenting specifically on the uptick in entries and overall Irish and bilingual representation at the SPA Awards, Walsh notes:
”The SPA accepts, and encourages, applications to its awards in English, Irish, and Welsh. During my two terms as regional officer, I have made an effort to attract new member publications from the region who have a specific focus on the Irish language. As an organisation that is both student led and very much driven by its members, the SPA would be amiable to any suggestions about how it could increase Irish language representation.”
In the publication awards shortlist, The University Times were nominated in five out of eleven categories: Best Publication, Best Design (Newspaper), Best Overall Digital Media, Best Website, and Best Sport Publication or Section. Three society publications from UCC were also featured: UCC Fashion Society’s Stíl magazine for Best Design (magazine), UCC Folklore Society as Best Newcomer Publication for their publication Irisín, and the UCC Student Medical Journal in the category of Best Specialist Publication. The Apiary, from Queen’s University Belfast, was also shortlisted for Best Specialist Publication.
While the overall publication shortlists only featured a few Irish publications, the shortlist for individual awards brimmed with Irish talent. In total, 17 individual student journalists were shortlisted, some co-others on one article. Among these were Emma van Oosterhout from Student Independent News at University of Galway shortlisted for Best Feature and nominated for the Billy Dowling Award for Outstanding Commitment. From UCD, Josh O’Connor was nominated for Best Interview and Orla Mahon, deputy editor of the University Observer, was shortlisted for both Best Reporter and Best Culture Writer.
Trinity College Dublin featured firmly in this category as well, with journalists from both Trinity News and The University Times making appearances in multiple categories. From Trinity News, Joseph Heston was nominated for Best Comment Piece; Emma Coyle, Story Pennock, and TN editor, Aoibhinn Clancy, were nominated for Best Culture Piece; and Holly Warren, nominated in the category for Best Newcomer. Ruby Murphy and Emmet Mythen from Trinity News were also shortlisted in the Best Feature category.
Five student journalists from the University Times were shortlisted in the individual categories, including Climate and Environment Editor Deimante Ciparyte and Sci-Tech Deputy Editor Varvara Vasylchenko for Best Newcomer. Deputy Sports Editor Alessandro Biffi was nominated for Best Sports Reporter, and Deputy Photography Editor Kinsey Gentry was nominated for Best Student Photographer. Harper Alderson, Deputy Editor of the University Times, was shortlisted for the Billy Dowling-Reid Award for Outstanding Commitment.
The final awards are presented each year at the Student Publication Association National Convention (SPANC). Since the first national convention in 2013, the award ceremony has primarily taken place in the United Kingdom at universities associated with the member publications. The convention has yet to take place in Ireland. SPANC 2026 will be in Norwich at University of East Anglia from March 27th to March 29th. The winners in each category will be announced on March 28th.
