January 23, 2025
UK School of Journalism and Media students place in top 10 in national Hearst photojournalism competition
Senior journalism students Abbey Cutrer, left, and Matthew Mueller. Photos provided.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 23, 2025) — Two University of Kentucky journalism students have been named top 10 winners in the Photojournalism News and Features Competition of the 2024-25 Hearst Journalism Awards Program. The Hearst Journalism Awards Program recognizes outstanding performance in collegiate journalism and is open to undergraduate journalism majors or minors in a nationally accredited program.
Abbey Cutrer, senior journalism major and editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Kernel, received second place and a $2,000 award in the competition. Matthew Mueller, a senior journalism major and photo editor for the Kernel, was awarded 10th place.
Cutrer and Mueller’s submitted portfolios included photos from Kernel and KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion magazine story assignments as well as their work from the Picture Kentucky Photojournalism Workshop, a four-day immersive visual storytelling course produced by the Kernel with support from the College of Communication and Information and the School of Journalism and Media.
David Stephenson, associate professor in the UK School of Journalism and Media and photo adviser for Kernel Media, shared that Cutrer and Mueller’s awards mark UK’s highest ranking individual and team Hearst photo placements this millennium.
“I’m so proud of these two photographers and what they’ve accomplished at Kentucky,” Stephenson said. “Abbey’s second-place award, and for both our students to earn a place in the top 10, really speaks to where our school is going and I couldn't be more excited for our program and for them.”
Cutrer, who said she was at a loss for words when she learned of her award, expressed her gratitude to Stephenson for sparking her interest in photojournalism and encouraging her along the way.
“Photojournalism is such a joy, and all of the people I photograph mean so much to me,” Cutrer said. “It’s a privilege to document the world we live in and I hope to continue doing this forever.”
After transferring to UK in 2023, Mueller said being able to represent the School of Journalism and Media in the competition’s top 10 is “amazing” and something he’ll cherish for the rest of his career.
“Being a part of something as significant as the Hearst Awards with so many other talented and gifted photojournalists is an incredible honor,” Mueller said.
The full release from Hearst and more information about the competition can be found here.
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