Department of Art

Group of six people dressed formally standing together holding AAF awards and smiling at an indoor event. — Students and faculty at the AAF Triangle’s Awards Gala. From left to right: Amy Johnson, Ethan Meyers, Jessica Greenfield, Edward McFarland-Catalan, Mason McCaffety and Chloe Cooke

Students Sweep AAF Triangle Addy Awards

[Raleigh, NC] — Spring 2026 — Students delivered a powerhouse performance at this year’s AAF Triangle American Advertising Awards (ADDYs), one of the most prestigious student creative competitions in the country. Drawn from a national pool of over 40,000 entries, the ADDYs recognize the best creative advertising work across the country — and our students made their mark in a major way, claiming Best in Show, multiple Judge’s Choice awards, and a sweep of Gold and Silver ADDYs

Annie Fairey took home the top honor of the night, earning Best in Show alongside a Gold ADDY for her Ambrosia Kafèneio Rebrand Implementation. Amalie McCracken and Ethan Meyers each earned Judge’s Choice Gold ADDYs for Village Cheese Shanty and Laundromat, respectively — with Meyers adding two additional Gold ADDYs (In the Tube and Fetal), multiple Silvers (Scream, Filling the Tank, Cereal Isle), and an Honorable Mention for Waiting, making him one of the competition’s most decorated entrants.

Annie Fairey’s rebrand design for Ambrosia Kaféneio

Amalie McCracken’s design for The Village Cheese Shanty

Painting of a person sitting in a laundromat, leaning back in a chair under fluorescent lights, rendered in a teal color palette with washing machines lining the walls. — Ethan Meyer’s *Laundromat*

Additional Gold ADDYs were awarded to Lindsay Reece (Plotline App Design), Colby Suchla, and Anna Schwinn.

Hand holding a smartphone displaying the “Plotline” reading app interface with book progress tracking and reading goals. — Lindsey Reece’s *Plotline App*

Bottle of Polish'd Champagne Sugar shimmer body oil shown through a textured surface with dramatic lighting casting a shadow of the bottle. — Colby Suchla’s Gold winning photograph

Can of Collective Project Classic Lemonade with illustrated goldfish on the label, photographed against a bright red liquid splash background with water droplets on the can. — Anna Schwinn’s Gold winning photograph

On the Silver side, Mason McCaffety and Chloe M. Cooke earned a Judge’s Choice Silver for Synergy Lab Brand Identity, while Juliana Maurer received a Judge’s Choice Silver and the prestigious Mosaic Award for Bee Thai Kitchen Brand Identity. Silver ADDYs were also awarded to Charlie Allen (East Meets West), Jonnie Roughton (The Ghost of Virginia Dare), Lulu Nowicki (Put Back Together), Colby Suchla (Hoyle Waterproof Playing Cards), and the collaborative team of Ivy Fortner, Valeria Homayden, and Geovanna de la Torre Trujillo (Appalachian State Dept of Art Viewbook).

Gold and Silver ADDY winners now advance to the AAF District 3 Competition, representing North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, with top performers eligible to compete at the national level.

The AAF Triangle competition — serving the creative community from Wilmington to Greensboro — continues to be a launchpad for exceptional talent in Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Student Graphic Design Photography – Commercial Studio Art