Youth Journalism International (YJI) has announced the winners of its 17th annual competition, recognizing outstanding young reporters, editors, photographers, and artists from across six continents. The 2026 awards highlight exceptional talent from countries including the United States, Sri Lanka, and England, spanning multiple categories such as editing, news reporting, travel writing, and opinion writing.
Kathryn Winters, representing Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, secured First Place in the Editing category for her entry, "Editing humanity: A double-edged sword." In News Reporting, the collaborative effort of Shanish Fernando and Dulmini Mayadunna from Sri Lanka earned them First Place for their piece, "Devastated by Cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka is recovering."
The Travel Writing category saw Gemma Christie of Durham University in Durham, England, claim First Place with her entry, "Enjoying the seashore by watching the penguins play." So Eun Kang from Beachwood High School in Beachwood, Ohio, was awarded First Place in Opinion Writing for her compelling essay, "Narcan Can Save Lives."
Additionally, Aaron Newman, a student at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich, Massachusetts, received an Honorable Mention in the Business/Economics category for his entry, "Black Friday Gives Way to Cyber Monday."
The annual competition, organized by Youth Journalism International, continues its tradition of celebrating youth voices and journalistic excellence on a global scale, fostering the next generation of media professionals.