Student Creativity Takes the Spotlight at the Knoxville ADDY Awards
Sam Tugman, Delaney Kohlstedt, Ella Merkel and Alex Long pose for a photo during the 2026 ADDY Awards.
Six students in the ŔÖ˛Ą´«Ă˝ received accolades for outstanding work produced in their courses at the Knoxville chapter of the American Advertising Federation’s annual American Advertising Awards, also known as the ADDYs, in late February.
“The graphic design program has received fairly consistent ADDY recognition over the past several years,” said Sarah Lowe, director of the ŔÖ˛Ą´«Ă˝. “The professional recognition is an important acknowledgment of our program’s successes, but it more importantly highlights the phenomenal talent and skill of the students themselves.”
Sam Brott received top acknowledgement from the judges with Best of Show in the student category and a Judges’ Choice award for his cover art in the television campaign design. Brott’s graphics for season two of Nathan Fielder’s series The Rehearsal on HBO Max were created under the constraint that all compositions be made by hand.
“The imagery visualizes the mental health pressures faced by commercial airline pilots,” he said. “Pilots operate under extreme expectations with no margin for error, while often lacking access to emotional support or appropriate medication. These systemic pressures are explored within the themes of the show and are reflected in these compositions.”
Lila Gsanger and Sam Tugman received Judges’ Choice awards for their respective designs Works and History pamphlet in the publication design category and Fizzology in the packaging category.
Gold Awards
- Integrated brand and Identity Campaign: Coastal, Delaney Kohlstedt
Silver Awards
- Out of Home: Big Ole Picnic, Kohlstedt
- Packaging: Fizzology, Tugman
- Publication Design: Critique Book, Alex Long and Ella Merkel
- Publication Design: Uneven Bars, Merkel
- Television Campaign: The Rehearsal Season 2, Brott
The local awards mark the start of a three-tier national competition. Recipients of gold awards are automatically entered into one of 15 district competitions.
This year’s ADDYs were judged by Raul Rios, head of strategy at Saylor; Bjorn Madrid, marketing director at YMCA of the East Valley; and Appolllo Bey, a freelance creative director.