NYU Student Nominated by Television Academy for 45th College Television Awards

New York University student Paulina Ruiz has been nominated for the Television Academy Foundation’s 45th College Television Awards. Ruiz received a nomination in the “Nonfiction Series” category for a project she wrote, produced and directed titled Unbroken Spirits.

Unbroken Spirits focuses on an Indigenous community in Mexico, the Wixárika, who are displaced by drug cartels and the struggles they face to preserve their traditions in a new location. Their fight for identity, dignity and belonging, amid violence and displacement, is revealed in the project.

Ruiz is a 2025 graduate of NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with a master’s degree in News and Documentary.

Open to undergraduate and graduate students, the College Television Awards are regarded as one of the most distinguished and high-profile steppingstones for careers in television and media. Emulating the Emmy Awards selection process, College Television Award entries are judged by Television Academy members. Criteria for the awards reflect industry standards of excellence, imagination and innovation. Nominees were selected from over 185 entries from colleges nationwide by Television Academy members for the 2026 awards.

The annual awards show recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs. Winners in the competition will be announced by television stars at the red-carpet awards ceremony on March 28, 2026, at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California.