Awards & Honors

Group of smiling award finalists posing with certificates and papers at a backdrop event

Academy of Art University is committed to the highest standards of achievement in art and design. From college ranking to academy awards, design awards, and other recognitions and honors, here’s a small sampling highlighting some of the recent accomplishments of our students, faculty, and alumni.

School of Graphic Design	School of Animation & Visual Effects	Schools of Brand Communication and Advertising
School of Architecture	School of Fashion	School of Photography
School of Interior Architecture	School of Fine Art	School of Industrial Design
School of Landscape Architecture

A colorful, collage-style book spread featuring red, pink, black panels with spiral patterns, photos, and text quotes across multiple pages. — **School of Graphic Design**

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Pink praying mantis-like creature looming over a small green turtle on a forest floor. — **School of Animation & Visual Effects**

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Bright cartoon characters with surprised expressions beside a person walking past a colorful mural. — **Schools of Brand Communication and Advertising**

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Architecture Credit For Prior Learning Academy of Art University — **School of Architecture**

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A woman with long blonde hair wearing a red beanie, red sweater, and patterned tights, sitting on the floor with large red boots, looking off to the side. — **School of Fashion**

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Dilapidated, graffiti-covered planes in a desert at sunset. — **School of Photography**

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Interior Architecture and Design Credit For Prior Learning Academy of Art University — **School of Interior Architecture**

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View of a city canal at dusk with illuminated buildings and domed church in the background. — **School of Fine Art**

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Person sketching multiple head and face designs on a digital drawing tablet using a stylus. — **School of Industrial Design**

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**School of Landscape Architecture**

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School of Graphic Design

Vinyl record with red and black sleeve featuring Japanese characters and tree silhouette.

2026 GDUSA Student Awards

We are thrilled to announce our 2026 GDUSA Student Award Winners, a major national recognition in the graphic design field. GDUSA’s student competition highlights the best emerging creative talent from across the country, and this year our students truly shined.

Group of beer bottles with a six-pack, left side.

GDUSA’s 2026 American Package Design Awards

Academy of Art University Graphic Design students won big in GDUSA’s 2026 American Package Design Awards, tying for the most wins by any college or university.

Assorted colorful cleaning product cartons labeled Denefy with wavy patterns and caps

2026 Graphis New Talent Awards

The School of Graphic Design won 38 awards in the 2026 Graphis New Talent Awards, including 1 Platinum Award, 11 Gold Awards, 17 Silver Awards, and 9 Honorable Mentions.

2024’s Students to Watch by GDUSA

Congrats to our students Jingjing Zhao and Madison Hatfield, who have been spotlighted as 2024’s Students to Watch by GDUSA! This prestigious recognition showcases their remarkable talent and dedication to the graphic design field. Join us in celebrating Jingjing and Madison’s exceptional achievements and the bright futures ahead of them.

Learn More About Them

Two portrait photos side by side: left is Jingjing Zhao in black-and-white, right is Madison Hatfield outdoors smiling.

Woman smiling while working on a computer with a digital landscape on the screen.

School of Animation & Visual Effects

Erica Eng Wins Eisner Award Fried Rice Web Comic

Congratulations to our alumna Erica Eng, who won the prestigious Eisner Award for her web comic Fried Rice and is featured in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 in the Media, Marketing, and Advertising category. Fried Rice, a heartfelt story set in Malaysia, beautifully depicts the journey of a young artist. Erica’s work resonates globally, blending her personal experiences with her unique art style.

Check out the article at Forbes – and join us in congratulating Erica on these monumental achievements!

Read the Article

A girl with short dark hair looks up in a garden between houses.

How to Make an Award-Winning Animated Feature

Meet the filmmakers behind Chain, the Academy of Art University student film with 90+ awards and 100+ festival selections.

Oversized mural of bold white text and a chicken character on black wall

Schools of Brand Communication and Advertising

Congrats to All the Student Winners at the 2026 San Fransico Bay Area American Advertising Awards

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students at the 2026 AAF San Francisco Bay Area American Advertising Awards.

With a Best of Show win, multiple Gold ADDYs, and an impressive list of Silver and Finalist recognitions, our students continue to demonstrate what’s possible when bold ideas meet dedicated mentorship and a culture that supports creative growth.

Congratulations to Jamie Baden, William Gustafsson, and Dylan Dewey Widick on earning Best of Show, and to every student, faculty member, and academic leader who helped make this achievement possible. Click below view the full list of winners and the incredible work.

Click Here for Full List of Winners

Grapes-wearing sunglasses character on colorful background along Instagram feed previews

Academy of Art University Dominates the 2025 ADDY Awards!

Our students outshined the competition at the Greater San Francisco Ad Club Awards once again, making AAU the most awarded school with an incredible 71 out of 86 wins!

We swept the competition with 13 Gold Awards, nearly every Silver, and for another year in a row, Best of Show! This victory cements AAU as the ultimate powerhouse for creative excellence in advertising and brand communications.

A huge congratulations to our students and faculty at the Schools of Brand Communications and Advertising for their innovation, hard work, and dedication.

Two men pose for a photo on a black backdrop with adf branding.

2024 Greater San Francisco Ad Club Awards

See the winners from the School of Marketing, Communication & Design at the 2024 Greater San Francisco Ad Club Awards where they won 33 out of 54 wins.

See All the Winners

Long brick building with graffiti-filled mural panels and motorcycles on the wall.

People gather and talk on a wooden outdoor balcony with benches and open roof structure.

School of Architecture

Architecture Students Transform History into Vision with Award-Winning 16th Street Station Designs

Big congratulations to our Architecture students!

For the second year in a row, Academy of Art University B.Lab students have earned the AIASF Leadership Award, this time for their community-centered design proposals reimagining Oakland’s historic 16th Street Train Station.

Their work honors the station’s legacy while envisioning bold new futures rooted in preservation, care, culture, and connection

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Group of students holding awards at a graduation ceremony.

A model walks on the runway at a fashion show, wearing a dramatic, shiny red outfit with large, sculptural sleeves, while the audience watches and takes photos.

School of Fashion

2025 International Design Award Winner

A huge congratulations to Academy of Art University student Hannah Kim for her Gold Award win at the 2025 International Design Awards. California Dreamin’ is a powerful reflection of creativity and dedication.

Group of people wearing colorful bohemian robes standing in a grassy field with trees.

School of Fashion Alum Earns Bronze Medal in International Fashion Competition

Huge congratulations to Haydee Quesedo, recent School of Fashion alum, for earning the Bronze Medal in the International Fashion Competition , Craft the Leather, sponsored by the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale.

We were the only U.S. fashion school invited to compete, a major global recognition.

Her piece, Your Life and Your Scent on My Skin, was exhibited and judged at Lineapelle in Milan and now continues to APLF in Hong Kong.

Orange carved ceramic vases and jewelry displayed on black velvet stands and mannequin.

Man leaning on a truck loaded with stacked hay bales on a rural road.

School of Photography

Rachelle Steele Named International Portrait Photographer for Third Consecutive Year

Our alumna Rachelle Steele has been named International Portrait Photographer of the Year for three consecutive years. Here she shares her incredible journey from her studies at the Academy to her global photography projects in California, Nepal, and Morocco — and how her education equipped her with the skills and inspiration to achieve international recognition.

Older man with long beard and vertical forehead markings sits on steps in robes, garlanded staff beside him.

Living room with neutral furniture and large glass windows showing outdoor greenery.

School of Interior Architecture

School of Interior Architecture and Design Students Reach Top 10 in Accor Design Awards

Our talented students, Madison Leighty, Talya Parmaksiz, Cheyla Marrero, and Npatchanan Sasiworasad (Bee) from the School of Interior Architecture and Design made it to the top 10 in the prestigious Accor Design Awards!

Their groundbreaking Demantin Hotel concept blends Parisian elegance with Icelandic culture, reimagining luxury hospitality.

Read the full article on their concept and to learn more about the Accor Design Awards

Modern glass-walled building with dark wooden framing under the northern lights.

Academy of Art University Students Honored with 2026 Julia Morgan Awards

What does it mean to design with intention, atmosphere, and a strong sense of place?

Two Academy of Art University students are being recognized by the prestigious Julia Morgan Awards for work that explores exactly that through interior architecture, fine art, and classical design principles.

From a hotel concept inspired by Oakland’s cultural identity to a series of paintings capturing the quiet presence of artisanal spaces in Sonoma, Shweta S. and Mark McDowell are creating work rooted in storytelling, craftsmanship, and experience.

Read more about their award-winning projects and creative process

Cross-section lobby elevation with ornate chandeliers, arches, and green walls.

People working on skeletal sculptures in a classroom or workshop setting.

School of Fine Art

MFA Student Wins Best in Show

Congratulations to MFA student Quan Wang on receiving Best in Show in Fusion Art’s Urban Landscapes 2026 international art exhibition for his work, SEINE SOLITUDE.

Out of 332 entries from artists around the world, Quan’s work was selected for the top honor in the competition. We’re proud to see his work recognized on an international stage and excited to celebrate this achievement.

Person with a bicycle overlooks the river in front of historic buildings and the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

A bright orange sports car speeds along a dark highway at night. What Is Industrial Design Social Share.

School of Industrial Design

Congratulations to the 2024 Phil Hill Scholarship Winners, Milos Delic and Kelsy Avalos-Feehan

The Academy of Art University’s School of Industrial Design congratulates the 2024 Phil Hill Scholarship winners, Milos Delic and Kelsy Avalos-Feehan. They were announced at the Patron’s Dinner at Casa Palmero during Monterey Car Week.

Academy of Art University students will be showcasing projects from our collaborations with Audi and Lucid Motors at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance’s Concours Village. If you are attending, please visit us to learn more about our Transportation Design and Automotive Restoration programs. We look forward to seeing you!

From left to right: student Rafael Ceron, Director of the School of Industrial Design Antonio Borja, Phil Hill Scholar Milos Delic, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Chairman Sandra Button, Phil Hill Scholar Kelsy Avalos-Feehan, President of Academy of Art University Dr. Elisa Stephens, and Executive Director of the School of Industrial Design Tom Matano.

School of Landscape Architecture

Landscape Architecture Students Represent at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

This Earth Day, we applaud our Landscape Architecture students who stood out at the SF Flower & Garden Show, winning accolades as the only students among seasoned architects! Their innovative approach to sustainable design won both the Bronze Medal and the APLD Award.

People pose with a wooden abstract sculpture in a workshop.

Abstract illustrated figure with geometric shapes, dots, and bold colors on black background.

Nicolás Villareal

Nicolas Villareal, alumni and Executive Director of Visual Development, 2D Animation & Illustration, broke the Guinness World Record for Most Awards Received by a Short. His short film ‘On/Off’ has received over 1,125 awards since its launch in 2020, the first short to receive over 1,000 awards in history.

Abstract painterly composition with warm reds, oranges, and yellows, dark vertical streaks.

Christine Hanlon

Congratulations to Christine Hanlon on her first place win for her piece “Conflagration.”

The show was titled Color: Bold and Bright, juried by Natalie Hargreaves, a multi-media artist who works as curator of collections, and art education at the Coos Art Museum.