Miami Dade College student publications, AXIS, Miambiance, and Storybytes have been named finalists for the College Media Association’s organizational Pinnacle Award.
AXIS and Miambiance are finalists in the Two-Year College Literary Magazine of The Year category and Storybytes is a finalist for Media Website of the Year.
The awards honors excellence in student-work published during the 2025-2026 school year.
Winners will be announced Nov. 6 at the Fall National College Media Convention in Kansas City.
Storybytes, which was founded in 2024, is the youngest publication of the three to be recognized. It’s a multi-media platform that amplifies student voices through podcasts, broadcast media, blogs, films and documentaries.
The publication is also a finalist for 26 individual awards, including categories such as Creative Film, Comic, Infographic and Audio Public Service Announcement.
“It’s kind of like seeing your baby grow up,” said Victoria Cuellar, who served as editor-in-chief of Storybytes during the 2025-2026 school year. “To see those works recognized just filled my heart with joy and happiness because it truly is a collective effort.”
Miambiance, Kendall Campus’ literary magazine was founded in 1989. It has been a Pinnacle finalist in the Two-Year College Literary Magazine of the Year category in four of the past seven years. The publication won a first-place organizational Pinnacle last year.
It’s also a finalist in three individual categories: Literary Magazine Cover, Photo Illustration and Portrait. The publication’s volume 36 explores themes such as grief, self-reflection, acceptance and discovery.
“We spent quite some time really developing this volume, so to be nominated for the Pinnacle Award, it means a lot,” said Alexander Polo, who served as co-editor-in-chief of volume 36.
AXIS, the creative arts and literature magazine at North Campus was founded in 2004. It’s also a finalist in two individual categories: Literary Magazine Cover and Literary Magazine Spread.
The publication’s theme for volume 23 was: Descent into Madness. It dove into a variety of topics such as murder, heritage, guilt and change.
“It was exciting news, seeing all of our hard work that we spent putting into making this magazine get appreciated by being named a finalist,” said Karen Zamora, who served as the publication’s co-editor-in-chief this past year.
Miambiance and AXIS are also Associated Collegiate Press finalists for the coveted Pacemaker Award. Storybytes is an Innovation Pacemaker finalist. Winners for those awards will be announced at the 2026 ACP Awards Ceremony on Nov. 7.
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