150th Anniversary, 2025 Rivalry Week Branded Series Win Big

Alabama A&M University has earned five national honors in the 47th Annual Telly Awards, including two Gold Telly Awards, continuing the University’s rise as one of higher education’s most recognized brands in digital storytelling and creative media.

AAMU’s 150th Anniversary: Love the Future campaign video received a Gold Telly Award in the Educational Institution Branded Content category in an exceptionally competitive field that included nationally recognized institutions such as the University of Oklahoma, University of Colorado, Syracuse University, Rutgers University, Michigan State University, Texas Christian University, and the University of Arizona. The video, voiced by AAMU Alumnus Craig Mitchell, helped set the stage for the historic anniversary celebration. 

The University also earned a Gold Telly Award in the Educational Institution Social Video category for its 2025 Rivalry Week Series, a category featuring outstanding work from Stanford University, TCU, UC San Diego, and Middle Tennessee State University. For the second consecutive year, AAMU’s Rivalry Week storytelling, which celebrates the energy and tradition surrounding the nation’s largest HBCU rivalry, was recognized among the top educational video series in the country.

In addition to the two Gold honors, Alabama A&M received:

• A Silver Telly Award for Overall Social Video for the 2025 Rivalry Week Series 
• A Silver People's Telly Award for Overall Branded Content for the “Love the Future” 150th Anniversary campaign 
• A Bronze Telly Award for Commercials for the 150th Anniversary project 

The Telly Awards recognize excellence in video and television across all screens and platforms. The competition annually attracts thousands of entries from major brands, agencies, universities, production companies, television networks, and media organizations around the world, making it one of the industry’s most respected honors in digital content, branded storytelling, and social video production.

“Everything we create is rooted in telling the story of this institution at the highest level possible with the goal of building pride, deepening affinity, and influencing brand choice among students, alumni, supporters, and partners,” said Aaron Thompson, Assistant Vice President for Advancement and Branding. “In today’s landscape, how you tell your story matters, and recognition like this shows that Alabama A&M is competing creatively on a national stage while staying authentic to who we are.”

The honors follow seven wins for AAMU in last year’s Telly Awards. In recent years, the University has also earned recognition through the MarCom Awards, Collegiate Advertising Awards, and Shorty Awards while building a national reputation for cinematic storytelling, innovative branding, and culturally relevant digital engagement.

Earlier this year, Alabama A&M also won multiple honors in the 2026 Collegiate Advertising Awards, including three Gold awards tied to the University’s 150th Anniversary campaign and Rivalry Week content series. The University has additionally received Emmy recognition and multiple national distinctions connected to its institutional branding and creative campaigns.

“These honors reinforce the caliber of work and the national level at which our team is competing,” said Jamal Ali, Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Advancement. “Every campaign is an opportunity to tell the story of this institution in a way that connects emotionally with audiences while also strengthening awareness of the University’s impact, legacy, and bold future.”

Additional information on 2026 Telly Award winners can be found at The Telly Awards.