Melville, March 9, 2026 – The Acoustical Society of America proudly announces the winners of the 2025 Science Communication Awards, recognizing excellence in the presentation of acoustics related topics to a popular audience.
This year’s winners demonstrate the power of storytelling, technology, and creativity to make acoustics accessible, immersive, and unforgettable. Each winner receives a $2,500 cash prize and travel support to attend an ASA meeting, where the awards will be formally presented. The categories and winners of the 2025 ASA Science Communication Awards are as follows:
Short Multimedia Winner
A Cathedral of Sound is a first-of-its-kind interactive New York Times Magazine article that allows readers to experience Notre Dame’s reconstructed acoustics through 3D spatial audio. The collaborative team of Madeleine Schwartz, Malika Khurana, Mika Gröndahl, and Yuliya Parshina-Kottas created a feature that deepens our understanding of restorative aural architecture through a multi-sensory experience.
The short multimedia honorable mention goes to Dr. Brian FG Katz’s app Notre-Dame Whispers: An immersive audio-guide, which artistically blends binaural audio, acoustic simulation, and interactive storytelling to turn heritage research into an immersive sound experience.
Long Multimedia Winner
The Science of Sound two-part series presented by Dr. Laurie Heller from the podcast Where What if Becomes What’s Next, translates the science of hearing into engaging, accessible conversations for broad audiences. The two episodes span topics from auditory health and noise pollution to virtual reality and use of AI, connecting compelling communication of acoustic science to its impact on modern life.
The long multimedia honorable mention also goes to Dr. Brian F.G. Katz, this time for Vaulted Harmonies: Archaeoconcert at Notre-Dame for creatively fusing historical research, music, and reconstructed acoustics into an alluring one-hour cinematic virtual concert.
Long Print Winner
Pistols in St Paul’s: Science, Music, and Architecture in the Twentieth Century from Manchester University Press traces the pioneers who shaped architectural acoustics in 20th-century Britain. Dr. Fiona Smyth’s vivid storytelling and meticulous research reveals how bold experiments and interdisciplinary collaboration transformed buildings into instruments and defined modern concert hall design.
The long print honorable mention, Fantastic Acoustics, was a collaborative effort between artists and research students from Université de Sherbrooke, École de Technologie Supérieure, McGill and Université du Québec à Rimouski and lead by Olivier Robin. This bilingual comics project uses original illustration and storytelling to translate complex acoustics into imaginative, accessible narratives for all ages.
Short Print Winner
The Sonic Soul of Notre Dame in Brandeis Magazine chronicles the effort to preserve and understand the cathedral’s distinctive sound after the 2019 fire. David Levin’s narrative retelling of Dr. Brian F.G. Katz’s research story proves how acoustic science can safeguard history, music, and cultural memory to preserve a shared human experience.
The short print honorable mention, Calling in from the Cold: On vocal communication in the little auk by Dr. Anna Osiecka, transforms seabird acoustics into a visually striking graphic narrative, showcasing the power of collaborative storytelling across art and science.
The 2025 award cycle reviewed content created between 1 March 2023 and 1 October 2025. A total of 65 nominations were received for the ASA Science Communication Awards, showcasing the breadth and depth of acoustics communication endeavors. The ASA extends its congratulations to the winners and honorable mentions for their exceptional contributions to acoustics communication. These projects have successfully bridged the gap between complex scientific concepts and the public, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for the fascinating world of acoustics. The next award cycle will review content created between 2025 and 2026, with the call for nominations in the spring of 2026.
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ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.