AC Media Celebrates Best of Show, Gold Win at AAF Amarillo Awards

Amarillo College students earned top honors at the Amarillo chapter of the American Advertising Federation’s 2025 Advertising Awards last month. “The Current,” AC’s student-run magazine, won Best of Show and a gold Addy award for its 2024 spring edition. 

“I was incredibly honored to receive this prestigious award from the AAF,” Hayden Splawn, a graphic design major and co-art director of the magazine, said. “For all the countless hours of work we put in on top of our regular classes, it really shows how much a student-run team can accomplish when they have their priorities straight.”

AC graduate and former Student Media staff member Lance Hooper was excited to receive the news about the recent win while working on homework at Texas State University.

 “All my time spent in Student Media was so rewarding on so many levels,” Hooper said. “Hayden and Valerie's idea for ‘The Current’ was so fun and original. It was fun being part of a team and bringing the vision to light, the final product was beautiful. All the momentum I gained at AC has been such a torch to carry forward in every new interview or meeting.”

“The Current” is published once a semester and focuses on arts and media in the community. Each semester, the editor and staff take a different direction with stories and design. 

“I have been advising ‘The Current’ for eight years now, and it’s always such an honor when our students are recognized for their talent and hard work,” Maddisun Fowler, student media coordinator and mass media instructor, said. “There’s really nothing like watching the entire process come to life—from the first story idea to holding the final product in hand. Their success reflects the passion and effort they put into their work, and I could not be prouder of the staff.”

Other staff members for the spring 2024 Current were Valerie Salas, co-art director; Mia Flores and Nick Garcia, graphic designers and Hooper, designer, and writer. 

Each issue of the Spring 2024 magazine is art. The staff at the printer, Marketing.com, ripped every cover for all 1,500 copies by hand, making each one slightly different. And each magazine is numbered on the back cover. 

“What an honor it is for these students to be awarded this level of attention and dedication in developing ‘The Current,” said John Brixen, Student Media adviser. “I continue to be amazed by the students' creativity, skills, and hard work. This year's magazine pushed the graphic design envelope while staying consistent in their overall design concept. They will remember winning this recognition and award while students at Amarillo College for the rest of their lives.” 

The local tier of the American Advertising Awards is hosted every February by the Amarillo chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Local winners can move up to district and national levels with their work.