Massive wins 19 awards at the Aotearoa Student Press awards

News, design, and multimedia — this is where Massive shone in 2025, taking home 19 awards at the Aotearoa Student Press awards this weekend.  

Six team members flew down to Dunedin, representing the many hands that created Massive this year.  

The magazine took home the runner-up overall spot for Best Publication. Judge Joel MacManus from The Spinoff said, “Editor Sammy Carter goes from strength to strength with another outstanding year.”

“Massive was anchored by a supremely strong news section, regularly breaking stories of significance to students, extensive coverage of the exec, and even a big and uncomfortable scoop about another student magazine.”  

Here, MacManus referenced editor Sammy Carter’s expose on fellow magazine Salient’s former editor Will Irvine and his sexual assault confession.  

This investigation took out the Best Investigation award, with Stuff’s Sinead Gill saying, “Sammy’s piece had two more things going for it: the real-life impact of the editor resigning, and the fact that mainstream media followed up on the reporting. This was a crystal clear example of great student journalism.”  

Political journo Lyric Waiwiri-Smith said the investigation “struck a perfect blend of what all student magazines should be striving for: an unearthing of transgressions which immediately affect student life/culture, even if the campus isn’t yours”.  

Massive’s newsies were proud to hear Newsrooms’ Fox Meyers comments: “The strength was clearly the news section, which showed an apt focus on student issues told with student voice, probably better than any other mag did in these entries. It backed away from nothing.” 

Overall, Meyers said the magazine was carried by the design and editorial duo — Luka Maresca and Sammy Carter.  

Designer Luka Maresca took out the Best Design award for the second year, with judge Holly Tait calling him a “genius”.  

“My immediate thoughts were; this has amazing taste, execution and wonderful young pure TALENT. It’s bright, bold, communicative and executed sharply and professionally. No notes,” Tait said.  

Prominent designer Matthew Galloway said, “Despite the incredibly high standard of work submitted by all entrants this year, Massive’s design is in a league of its own.”  

Judges praised the magazine for covers and style, something illustrator Olive Bartlett-Mowat and photographer Georgia Andersen nailed, both taking out the individual awards for their prospective categories.  

For the third year in a row, Massive took home the Best Māori Coverage award, edging out Critic for coverage on the ACT party’s bill to take away race-based scholarships. Te ao Māori writer Grace Byrne and Te ao Māori illustrator Tara Griz were the leaders of this win.  

Writer Lee Judi was a clear winner of the Best Personal Essay category, with judge Claire Mabey from The Spinoff saying, “Do Not Click The Link was relatable, concise, well-structured and the sentences were clean as a bone when needed ... This writer matched the intensity and the stakes with the style.” 

Jessie Davidson came runner-up for Best Feature Writer, and peer Maisie Arnold-Barron got runner-up for Best Culture Writer. Both of these writers played parts in winning other categories as well, like Best Sports Coverage alongside Hannah Flacks.

With an increase in online views and videographer Ruby Barr joining the team, Massive won both Best Social Media Presence and Best Multimedia Journalism. 

The infamous Paddy Gower said Massive put the multi into media, “Great and truly multimedia! Innovative, getting to the peeps where they are at. Making shit real!”  

Massive’s art exhibition and music gig were highlights for judges, with TV presenter Robbie Nicol saying, “I really think this is the future of arts journalism; very few people at any level of this business are integrating real world and print media so successfully.”  

First place  

Best Design – Luka Maresca  

Best Multimedia Journalism  

Best Social Media Presence  

Best Investigation – Sammy Carter  

Best Individual Artist – Olive Bartlett-Mowat  

Best Photographer – Georgia Andersen  

Best Māori Coverage  

Best Personal Essay – Lee Judi  

Best Cover  

Best Sports Coverage  

Second place  

Best Publication  

Best News Coverage  

Best Feature Writer – Jessie Davidson 

Best Feature  

Best Culture Writer – Maisie Arnold-Barron  

Best Illustration  

Best Centrefold  

Third place  

Best News Reporter – Claire Taylor  

Best Science Journalism