Watkins Students Make Waves at 2026 ADDY Awards

Watkins College of Art claims four gold and six silver awards at the 2026 ADDYs

Watkins students and professors at the ADDY awards Nine design students and five alumni from the Watkins College of Art won awards at the 61st annual ADDYs, the American Advertising Federation’s awards show celebrating excellence in the field of brand identity and advertising.

The 2026 awards for Belmont student work were:

Will Watts: GOLD for their Stance Golf Packaging, and SILVER for their Frist Gala branding project.

Grace McNamara: GOLD for her Frist Gala branding project.

Fio Barrientos: SILVER for her Punk Zine.

Alumna Sarah Smith: SILVER for her O’More Fashion Show branding as a student.

Will Aebi: SILVER for his Data Privacy project.

Josephine Rutt: SILVER for her Farmstead Select packaging.

Peyton Giannone: SILVER for her Briscola branding work.

Also of note were students Naomi Miles and Chris Palau, who took home GOLD awards for their contributions to work submitted by Black River Entertainment.

Programs at a Glance: Design Communications and Experiential Design

How do these two programs differ, and which one is right for me? These two programs differ in that Design Communications is rooted in traditional graphic design principles such as typography, branding, print and visual communication, making it the right fit for students who want to master the craft of visual storytelling, while Experiential Design builds on that graphic design foundation but pivots toward interactive and immersive environments, UX/UI, motion graphics and emerging technology, making it the better choice for students drawn to the intersection of art and digital experience.

What degree do I earn in Design Communications at Belmont? The degree you earn in Design Communications at Belmont is a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Design Communications, also known as graphic design.

What degree do I earn in Experiential Design at Belmont? The degree you earn in Experiential Design at Belmont is a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Experiential Design, also called Experiential Graphic Design.

How long does each program take to complete? Each program takes four years to complete as both are undergraduate programs.

Are these programs accredited? Yes, these programs are accredited as both fall under Watkins College of Art, which is a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and Belmont University is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

When are application and portfolio deadlines? The application and portfolio deadlines are December 1 for scholarship consideration, April 1 for incoming freshmen and June 1 for transfer students.

What careers can I pursue with a Design Communications degree? The careers you can pursue with a Design Communications degree include graphic design, art direction, branding, advertising, packaging design and publishing, or you can pursue graduate school.

What careers can I pursue with an Experiential Design degree? The careers you can pursue with an Experiential Design degree include UX/UI design, application development, wayfinding systems design and roles in augmented or virtual reality, projection mapping and the gaming and entertainment industry.

Explore the Watkins College of Art

Learning From the Best

"Winning an ADDY is no small feat — it is a highly competitive, professional competition,” said Lauren Crownover, adjunct professor of design. “I challenge my students to be designers, not decorators: to make work that is intentional and goes beyond the obvious answer. This year, several students pushed the work even further than I asked them to, and I am proud to see it recognized."

Crownover describes good designers as “problem solvers disguised as artists” and animates her classroom with this perspective. Her students showed up to the ADDYs this year with cross-platform work spanning many mediums — from hand-stitched zines to experimental video to physically produced marketing collateral. Each project was built from an initial concept and taken through the design process toyield a final, marketable deliverable that students can use to stand out in the industry.

Doug Regen, professor of practice in design, emphasized the opportunity students find in the ADDYs to make their first forays into the field and be recognized by established talent.

“For many of our students, having work submitted to the ADDYs builds confidence and credibility as aspiring designers,” he said. “It strengthens portfolios, opens doors to internships and employment, and introduces them to a broader creative community.”

This year’s showing at the ADDY Awards from the Watkins College of Art was a bold vision of the future for Nashville’s creative scene.