Six student designers from Belmont’s Watkins College of Art have earned national recognition as winners in the 2025 Graphic Design USA Design Awards, one of the most competitive and respected design competitions in the country.
The 2025 Belmont winners include:
- Grace Allensworth – Editorial Design
- Nate Kammerer – Menu Design
- Will Watts – Package Design
- Kaleb Cruz – Ad Campaign
- Naomi Miles – Ad Campaign
- Rachel Harrell – App Design
Now in its 62nd year, the GDUSA Design Awards — also known as the American Graphic Design Awards™ — celebrate outstanding creative work across all media, including editorial design, advertising, packaging, branding, interactive design and app development. From more than 6,000 entries nationwide, only the top 10% were selected as winners.
“This national recognition really highlights the creativity, skill and big picture thinking our students bring to their work,” said Doug Regen, professor of practice in design. “At Watkins, we encourage students to think boldly, design smart and create with meaning. Having their work recognized by GDUSA on a national level is such an exciting affirmation of their talent and the power of what they're learning here.”
Winning Work
Grace Allensworth – Editorial Design
Nate Kammerer – Menu Design
Will Watts – Package Design
Kaleb Cruz – Ad Campaign
Naomi Miles – Ad Campaign
Rachel Harrell – App Design
The honorees will be featured in the 2025 GDUSA Design Annual Showcase, which will be published in print, online and in digital format in early January.
The national awards follow another major milestone for Watkins: earlier this year, Watkins College of Art was named a 2025 Top Design School in Tennessee by GDUSA, marking the second consecutive year the program has earned the distinction. Notably, Watkins is the only program in the state to appear on the 2025 list.
GDUSA’s annual Top Design Schools list highlights institutions that excel in preparing students with both the technical and soft skills required for success in today’s fast-moving creative industry. Watkins’ design communication program emphasizes visual storytelling, creative problem-solving, user-centered design and professional adaptability.
Together, the individual student wins and Watkins’ statewide recognition underscore Belmont’s growing national reputation for excellence in design education.
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