DECATUR, Ill. – Millikin University Art and Creative Media students earned major recognition at the 2026 American Advertising Awards, winning seven Gold ADDYs and eight Silver ADDYs across regional and district levels.
The American Advertising Awards, also known as the ADDYs, are one of the advertising industry’s largest creative competitions, attracting nearly 35,000 professional and student entries annually through local club competitions. The awards recognize and reward creative excellence in advertising, with Gold ADDY winners advancing from local and regional competitions to district-level judging.
Millikin students competed in the Southern Illinois chapter at the regional level, and gold-winning entries advanced to the district competition, where students competed against work from Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.
Among Millikin’s top honorees were junior Film majors Kenley Dufresne and Dallas Wuoremna, who earned multiple Gold ADDY awards for projects that showcased their storytelling, photography, and filmmaking skills.
Dufresne earned regional Gold ADDYs for his short film “Adagio” and still photography series “On the Run.” Both projects went on to receive Silver ADDYs at the district level.
“Adagio,” created during a Cinematography course, follows someone trying to find themselves after a devastating breakup and a broader sense of emotional disconnection. Dufresne wrote, directed, edited, and acted in the film and composed the music.
“It was pretty much a whole semester process of building the script, finding the right actors, and a whole editing process,” Dufresne said. “And I made the music for it too, so that was a whole thing of its own.”
The project was filmed entirely on Millikin’s campus, with Dufresne building the set in a room at 1901 Productions. Directing himself added another layer of challenge.
“It helps because sometimes if you know how you would like the character to be portrayed, it’s very easy in comparison to someone else,” Dufresne said. “But when directing the whole crew, that’s when it becomes different because sometimes you need to see things from an outside point of view.”
His award-winning photography series “On the Run” was created for a Storytelling assignment and depicts a stylized 1990s-inspired crime scene. The series was built through careful prop selection, lighting, and self-portrait photography.
“It was just picking those things out that fit the story the best and scrambling in a way,” Dufresne said. “I think that’s what (Film and Art Instructor) Johnny Power was really wanting to get from us — was like, ‘Tell a story.’”
Wuoremna earned three regional Gold ADDYs in still photography for her “Maggie” projects, including single-image and series entries. The work featured model Maggie Brockland in a range of styled scenes.
“It was for my Commercial Photography class, which I took last fall, and we had the same model all year, and her name is Maggie,” Wuoremna said. “I didn’t know what to call them, so I called them Maggie.”
Wuoremna described the images as portraits of Maggie in striking costumes and visual settings, including a bridal-themed shoot with smudged makeup and a noir-inspired portrait.
Photography has been a longtime interest for Wuoremna, who said she was drawn to visual composition at a young age before later developing a love for film, storytelling, and media.
“I’ve always known how to frame something,” Wuoremna said. “Film came from my love of movies. I’ve always liked media.”
Both Dufresne and Wuoremna credited Millikin’s hands-on approach and faculty guidance for helping them develop their creative work. The two are also involved with 1901 Productions, Millikin’s student-run film production company, where Wuoremna has served as First Assistant Director and Dufresne has worked as a First Assistant Camera and Camera Operator.
Dufresne said working on film crews through Millikin has helped students learn by doing and problem-solving in real time.
“It’s easy to sit in the class and have someone lecture you about the different film theories and things like that, things to avoid, things not to do,” Dufresne said. “But when they actually happen, and avoiding those, it’s a whole curve of its own. So I think it really gives us a head start when we graduate.”
Wuoremna said her experience in 1901 Productions has also helped her discover new strengths, particularly in production organization and coordination.
“I much more enjoy the intensity of scheduling and working out the puzzle of how am I going to get everyone at this location at the same time?” Wuoremna said.
Dufresne also received recognition for a still photograph titled “Solstice,” which he captured while photographing a School of Theatre and Dance performance. The image was the highest-scoring student photo in the competition.
“I was happy that I was able to catch that,” Dufresne said. “A couple of weeks before, I changed how I started capturing events. Before, I was really trying to chase moments down, moving and finding angles, but I told myself, ‘Let’s settle and let’s watch and capture the moments as they happen.’”
In addition to Dufresne and Wuoremna, several Millikin students and student-produced projects were recognized with ADDY awards, including students from Millikin Creates winning for their design for Millikin’s student publication Burst Magazine.
Millikin’s 2026 American Advertising Award winners
Gold ADDY Awards
Dallas Wuoremna — Elements of Advertising, Still Photography, Maggie single
Dallas Wuoremna — Elements of Advertising, Still Photography, Maggie series
Dallas Wuoremna — Elements of Advertising, Still Photography, Maggie single
Colby Wygal — Online/Interactive Advertising & Promotion, Character Posters: Otto’s Adventure
Kenley Dufresne — Elements of Advertising Film, Video, Sound, Adagio film
Kenley Dufresne — Elements of Advertising, Still Photography, On the Run series
Madelyn Beck, Maryn Kasza, Willow Black, and Audrey Soetermans — Cross Platform Integrated Brand Identity Campaign, IP for The Wisp & the Wanderer
Silver ADDY Awards
Colby Wygal — Out of Home & Ambient Media, Brand Poster, Benevolent Sin
Kayla Hanson — Film, Video & Sound, VESPERS radio promo
BURST 2025 magazine — Sales & Marketing Magazine Design
Kameron Zurzolo — Online/Interactive Apps, Yeti Mountain Rush
Kayla Hanson — Elements of Advertising, Still Photography, Nutcracker Ballet
Kenley Dufresne — District Silver, Elements of Advertising Film, Video, Sound, Adagio film
Kenley Dufresne — District Silver, Elements of Advertising, Still Photography, On the Run series
Madelyn Beck, Maryn Kasza, Willow Black, and Audrey Soetermans — District Silver, Cross-Platform Integrated Brand Identity Campaign, IP for The Wisp & the Wanderer
Dufresne’s district Silver-winning pieces, and the group project by Beck, Kasza, Black, and Soetermans, will be reviewed at the National competition later this spring.
For Dufresne, the recognition reflects both the growth he has experienced at Millikin and the support of faculty who push students to strengthen their craft.
“They do so much for students and really push us in the direction to learn,” Dufresne said. “Johnny Power’s insights are always great, and he really does a lot to really push students.”
Wuoremna echoed that appreciation.
“He really cares about the craft,” Wuoremna said. “He just wants other people to care, and I think that he really succeeds in that with his students.”
