BYU students cleaned up at the student Emmy awards, cementing the university’s status as a national leader in animation, film and advertising.
Eight BYU students claimed awards in three categories at the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards on Saturday night — extending the university’s winning streaks in the animation and commercial, PSA or promo categories.
“Congratulations to the winners whose work reflects the creativity, passion and originality that define the future of our industry,” Tina Perry, chair of the Television Academy Foundation, said.
“Each year, these remarkable students demonstrate the power of storytelling and the impact of fresh perspectives in television and media. We are proud to celebrate their achievements.”
The university won in every category in which it was nominated. The following BYU students were recognized for their work:
Animation Series: “Love & Gold”
- Jaysen Duckworth, producer
- Connor Van Dyke, director and writer
Comedy Series/Chance Perdomo Legacy Scholarship: “Thanksgiving”
- Ryan Jones, producer
- Austin Lawrence, director
- Abigail Tolley, writer
Commercial, PSA or Promo: “Ink Up. Wash Out”
- Mia Shumway, writer
- Eli Rothas, producer
- Kyle Gilmour, director
After 22 student Emmy wins for BYU’s animation program — including last year’s award for the short film “Student Accomplice” — Connor Van Dyke, writer and director of the award-winning animated film “Love & Gold,” said he felt pressure to continue the university’s streak of success.
Van Dyke said he and Jaysen Duckworth, the film’s producer, were “surprised” by their win and grateful to join the ranks of previous winners in BYU’s animation program. He credited the university’s enduring success to steady growth and its commitment to keeping faith at the center.
“BYU films are getting bigger and better every single year, and that’s why we’re still winning these awards, because the program isn’t stagnant,” Van Dyke said.
He added, “When you keep God involved, and when you have an attitude of belief and faith in your work, it extends not only to the way that you’re treating other people, in the way that you interact with Heavenly Father, but I think it’s because that same faith is what gives projects like this new life.”
“Love & Gold,” a film about two thieves who search the same dungeon for an extremely valuable jewel, took roughly two years to complete and involved hundreds of people, many of whom worked several 80-hour weeks and long nights to finish it.
For Van Dyke, the recognition gave him a “really good push” to continue pursuing a career in the animation industry. “I’m excited now. This gives me this breath of fresh air, of like, ‘OK, I can do more. There’s more out there for me.’”
“I still reel at the fact that my name is on the trophy instead of the names of the hundreds of people who helped make it possible,” he added. “This award would mean nothing without them.”
Ryan Jones, who won alongside Austin Lawrence and Abigail Tolley for their comedy series, “Thanksgiving,” did not anticipate the win, noting that BYU had not won a student Emmy for a narrative project in over a decade.
“Thanksgiving,” a humorous short film about a man who dreads Thanksgiving dinner and gets trapped in a time loop with his family, began filming over two years ago with Jones as producer, Lawerence as director and Tolley as writer.
“I’m still in shock and haven’t really processed everything,” Jones said.
“I was fully expecting them to say another project. I kind of thought that we were the odd man out,” he continued. “There’s lots of shock, lots of excitement, and still catching our breaths.”
For their win in best comedy series, Jones, Lawrence and Tolley were awarded $10,000 for the inaugural Chance Perdomo Legacy Scholarship — created by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM for the College Television Awards as a tribute to the late actor Chance Perdomo, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2024.
During their award acceptance speech, the team behind the comedy thanked God “for all the miracles He provided along the way,” Jones said, adding, “Lots of little things allowed us to get this far.”
BYU advertising students claimed three nominations in the best commercial, PSA or promo category, setting the university up for a fifth consecutive win in the category.
Of the three nominations, “Ink Up. Wash Out,” an advertisement for Crayola created by Mia Shumway, Eli Rothas and Kyle Gilmour, took the win.
Shumway credited the university’s advertising school, the Adlab, and its professors for the program’s winning streak at the student Emmys.
“They are the ones who give us the creative freedom and guidance we need to make something worthy an award like this,” Shumway said. “I have no doubt that the Adlab will keep the Emmy tradition alive for years to come!”