2021 Holle Award Winners Announced

The College of Communication and Information Sciences has announced the winners of the 2020-21 Holle Awards for Excellence in Creativity and Communication.

The awards are designed to celebrate and reward national student achievement in the areas of book arts, filmmaking, media writing, screenwriting and public speaking. Each of these awards include a $10,000 prize.

• The Holle Award for Excellence in Book Arts was awarded to University of Alabama student Cheri Marks for her piece, “A Case of Equilibrium,” which explores the relationship between cyclical systems that occur, whether by deliberate choices or natural forces, to sustain balance.
• The Holle Award for Excellence in Filmmaking was awarded August of The New School for his work, “Father.” The film was lauded by judges for its remarkable vulnerability and innovative, layered storytelling.
• The Holle Award for Excellence in Media Writing was awarded to The University of Alabama’s Leah Goggins for her pieces titled, “Alabama Healthcare Fails Transgender Students,” “Tuscaloosa Locals Profile the Strip in New Documentary” and “INT. BIRMINGHAM – Film Industry.”
• The Holle Award for Excellence in Public Speaking was awarded to The University of Alabama’s Andrea Lawley, for her persuasive speech describing the science and evolutionary history behind human thinking, and why positive thinking is a better option than negativity.
• The Holle Award for Excellence in Screenwriting was awarded to University of Alabama student, Megan Friend for her work “Merry Chasers.”  Judges praised Friend’s personality for bringing the story to life on every page in a brilliantly woven narrative.

“The 2021 Holle Award winners are bold and exceptional communicators from around the country,” said Dr. Mark Nelson, dean of the College of Communication and Information Sciences. “Their excellence as storytellers and creatives honors the legacy of Brigadier General Everett Holle and well represents the prestige of the awards that bear his name.”

In 2021, the Holle Family Foundation approved two new awards and funded their annual $10,000 prizes in perpetuity. Beginning in the 2021-22 academic year, the Holle Awards will include the Holle Award for Excellence in Forensic Competition and the Holle Award for Excellence in Sports Media.

The Holle Awards are named for Brigadier General Everett Hughes Holle, a 1950 graduate of The University of Alabama who served as an announcer, director, writer and producer during his 40-year career at NBC 13. Holle was a member of the College of Communication and Information Sciences’ board of visitors where he passionately invested in the success of University of Alabama students for years. For more information about the Holle Awards, visit cis.ua.ed/holle.