MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Milligan College students earned five ADDY Awards and a Judge’s Choice Award at the annual American Advertising Federation Northeast Tennessee (AAF NETN) awards banquet held on Saturday, Feb. 29.

The American Advertising Awards honor the best and most creative advertising work from students and professionals in advertising. Awards are presented in three levels: local, district and national. Winners in each level are qualified to compete in higher levels.

Senior Taylor Williams, of Greeneville, won a Gold ADDY for cinematography and a Judge’s Choice Award for his short film “Worthless Idea.” The Judge’s Choice Award is an optional award given to entries the judges feel deserve recognition beyond the Gold ADDY. Williams is a fine arts major in cinema.

“Being recognized for this project was really special to me, and I think the subject matter is relatable to anyone who’s struggled with the worth of their creative ideas,” shared Williams. “Many of the filming techniques in this video were taught to me in my classes at Milligan, and overall, I am proud of the final result and message of my video.”

Senior Amy Shumaker, of Bristol, was awarded a Gold ADDY for her social media graphic series designed for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Va. Shumaker also received a Silver ADDY for her design work for the 50th anniversary of Milligan’s humanities program. Shumaker is a double major in graphic design and fine arts in photography.

Junior Sydney Rhoton, of Gray, won two Silver ADDYs. She earned an ADDY for color photography and for a poster design created for Milligan’s 2019 “Short Film Festival.” Rhoton is a graphic design major with minors in public relations and fine arts in photography.

“I am so proud of our students and their success in this year’s competition,” said Art Brown, assistant professor of communications. “It’s rewarding to see their creative work recognized by the judges, and it’s an important opportunity for advertising and creative professionals in our region to see their work. Their successes also reflect the strength of our communications, fine arts and graphic design programs at Milligan.”

As one of the industry’s largest creative competitions, nearly 35,000 professionals and students enter the America Advertising Awards competition each year.

Milligan offers an array of academic programs in the performing, visual and communicative arts, including communications, fine arts, and graphic design. For more information, visit milligan.edu.