Tungsten (W) is a very important element for fusion applications. Despite the many papers on atomic data and collisional–radiative (CR) modeling of low-density tokamak plasmas published during the last 15 years or so, there is a lack of papers on M-shell W x-ray spectra between 4 and 8 Å from high-energy-density (HED) plasmas (and from Z-pinch plasmas in particular) and their CR modeling. University‐scale 1 MA pulsed‐power generators are capable of producing multiply ionized HED plasmas, and are expected to be increasingly important for research on novel load configurations, advances in pulsed‐power technology, and the development of spectroscopy and imaging techniques for high‐atomic-number wire loads. We continue our research on W HED plasmas on the 1 MA Zebra at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA, which previously demonstrated a high radiation yield and record numbers of conversion efficiency of x-ray generation, the presence of strong electron beams, and relevance to the new compact multisource hohlraum concept. Here, we highlight the results of three W X-pinch experiments. Although a comprehensive set of diagnostics was implemented in these experiments, we will focus mostly on the x-ray spectroscopy and imaging results, as well as their interpretation. Two spatially resolved spectrometers were implemented for the soft (4–8 Å) and hard (1–2.4 Å) x-ray regions. X-ray spatially resolved time-integrated pinhole cameras recorded the images at wavelengths less than 10.3 Å, 3.7 Å, and 1.44 Å. Using the results from previous electron beam ion trap research and our CR modeling, complex soft x-ray M-shell W spectra are identified and studied in detail to provide valuable information on ‘hot’ keV thermal W plasmas. The analysis of hard L-shell W spectra, which are produced simultaneously with M-shell W spectra and manifest ‘cold’ nonthermal plasmas with electron beams, added a valuable component to this research.