Pearson names 2026 U.S. Adobe Certified Professional champion at Certiport nationals in Nashville

Pearson has announced the winner of the 2026 Certiport Adobe Certified Professional U.S. National Championship, the company’s latest high-profile event recognizing top performers in Adobe-related software skills testing. The contest, now in its 13th year, took place in Nashville, Tennessee, as the U.S. national-level finale for students and other participants progressing through earlier stages of Certiport’s certification pathway.

According to Pearson’s announcement, this year’s national championship brought 41 finalists to the event. Those finalists were selected from a much larger pool of applicants and test-takers, with Pearson describing participation as coming “from thousands of” candidates. The finalists then competed for the U.S. national champion title for the 2026 Adobe Certified Professional category.

Pearson’s release frames the championship as part of its broader Certiport certification effort, which evaluates practical software proficiency rather than classroom knowledge alone. While the announcement confirms the event setting, year count, and finalist scale, it does not provide additional event details in the materials available here, such as the judging breakdown, the specific exam components used at nationals, or the champion’s name.

Adobe, as the software vendor behind the “Adobe Certified Professional” credential, has a direct stake in demand for validated skills. Industry-recognized certifications can help employers and educators interpret test results consistently, and they can also provide a measurable announcement that learners have mastered specific workflows in Adobe’s creative applications.

For technology and education ecosystems, events like nationals typically serve a dual purpose. They reward high performers, but they also promote continued participation in certification programs that can feed into workforce development. With 41 finalists competing after earlier rounds, the scale Pearson cited suggests the program is reaching beyond a small regional talent pool and into a broader national pipeline.

One limitation for readers is what the announcement does not disclose in the text available here. Pearson’s post does not include the winner’s identity, specific Adobe product focus for the U.S. championship round, individual finalist results, or whether there were additional award tiers beyond the national champion title. It also does not describe how the championship testing maps to day-to-day Adobe workflows, aside from the program’s name.