MDS students recognised globally and locally with Anthem + Student Axis Award finalist spots

Media Design School students Jae Kim and Liza Plyshevsky have been named finalists at the Anthem Awards in New York, while Josephine Tahapehi and Alyssa Henderson have been announced as Grand Finalists for the 2026 Student Axis Award.

Sister to the Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards celebrating work from people, companies and organisations worldwide that exemplify the power of creativity and technology in shaping environmental, health, diversity, and human rights outcomes.

KathScan, a project by creative advertising students Kim and Plyshevsky from Media Design School at Strayer, previously received an Anthem Award Scholarship to enter the awards. The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences have also just named KathScan as a finalist in the Best Use of AI in the Sustainability, Environment & Climate Category.

Says Kate Humphries, programme leader of Media Design School’s AdSchool: “This means Kathscan is now also in contention to win an Anthem Community Voice Award. So, if you wanted to show some love for the only finalist from Aotearoa in the Anthem Awards this year (and one of only two student-led projects in its entire category), you can now vote for it here. After registering to vote, all you need to do is search Media Design School, and you’ll be able to vote.”

KathScan is based on the insight that the millions of tourists who come to NZ annually to see its natural beauty, take and post thousands of photos daily. Photos that KathScan, with the help of an AI trained on thousands of invasive plant species,  can screen for invasive plants. With invasive plants currently costing our economy an estimated $1.2 billion per annum, it’s a project that meets the Anthem Awards goal of supporting ‘projects that tackle climate change by connecting big picture environmental work to local community impact.

Says Humphries: “As well as urging you all to vote for an idea that Liza & Jae have poured their hearts into, we’d also like to send out a big congratulations to Josephine Tahapehi & Alyssa Henderson, for their IwiMojii project, which has just made it through two rounds of industry judging to be nominated as Grand Finalists for the 2026 Student Axis Award.

“A big thank you to all the Student Axis judges for their two exhaustive rounds of judging, as well as Laura Bunting from the Communication Council for organising the Student Axis brief, briefing and the judging.”