Contest Opens: Monday, September 14, 2020
Click Here to Enter
Entry Deadline: 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 19, 2021
See Winners from Past Years
All visual projects including on-air broadcasts, film projects, YouTube submissions, etc.
NEW!! Current Events Story – Current events story that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Content may include current events or political events such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, national protests, or the 2020 election cycle. Criteria to be judged on: human interest, presentation of facts, subject portrayal and production value.
Documentary – A program focused on a single topic up to sixty (60) minutes in length. Judges may only watch portions of entry. Criteria to be judged on: significance, resourcefulness, comprehensiveness, thoroughness of research and production value.
Hard News – Coverage of a significant event affecting the community, no more than five (5) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: significance, presentation of facts, thoroughness and delivery.
News Feature – A single report which may have aired in a newscast as relief or contrast to serious reporting or a long form program that is no more than ten (10) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: human interest, subject portrayal, creative writing, entertainment value and production value.
NEW!! Newscast – Best locally originated newscast, approximately thirty (30) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, interest of stories presented and overall impact of the newscast. Judges will be asked to view at least 30 minutes of each entry and no penalty will be given for entries that extend beyond 30 minutes. Each school program will be limited to three (3) entries.
NEW!! Pandemic Production – This category is intended to showcase how schools were able to creatively produce news, entertainment, or sports broadcasts during the Coronavirus Pandemic. How did students produce programs with creative production techniques and storytelling with socially distanced guidelines and other limitations when schools went virtual in the Spring? Entries should include one broadcast or parts of multiple broadcasts edited together (with clear edit points with the date of each broadcast to indicate a different segment, edits within each segment are OK and do not need to be marked). Entries should also include a short description (500 words or less) of how students completed production. Entries should not go over thirty (30) minutes and judges reserve the right to stop watching after 30 minutes. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, creativity and storytelling related to the challenges of a virtual production. Entries are limited to two per school- one from the Spring Semester (March-June 2020) and one from the Fall (September-December 2020). They will be judged as separate categories.
Public Service Announcement – An announcement of general public interest, not more than :60 seconds in length. Must be written, produced and aired on your station. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.
Sports Announcing Team – Broadcast of a sports announcing team at a sporting event that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation and production value.
Sportscast – Best locally originated sportscast, no more than 30 minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, interest of stories presented and overall impact of the sportscast.
Talk Show/Scripted Show – A program that is no more than thirty (30) minutes in length that can be a topic of choice. Criteria to be judged on: resourcefulness, creativity, comprehensiveness, thoroughness of research and production value.
NEW!! Use of Multimedia – Showcase how your program is using multi-media to enhance the viewer’s experience. Show how your team takes a story, or other programming, and promotes it using various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. For instance, how would you promote or provide additional content of a story, or other programming, on these multimedia platforms? Entries could include standup teases; bonus content like raw interviews or outtakes; or mini versions of stories (:30-1:00) that help promote the main story using music, graphics, natural sound or soundbites, but no narration. They can be more “content” based, vs. strict teases. An entry consists of one specific PKG and a minimum of three (3) social components surrounding that story (with links and screenshots) along with a short description, up to 200 words, of what your entry entails (how these components complement the original story), and how your program approaches multi-media storytelling. Criteria to be judged on: Creativity, Overall Impact, Presentation and Production Value.
High School Only: Sports Public Service Announcement – A PSA that is :30 seconds in length promoting sportsmanship and officials recruitment. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.
All audio projects including over-the-air broadcasts, podcasts, internet radio, etc.
NEW!! Current Events Story – Current events story that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Content may include current events or political events such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, national protests, or the 2020 election cycle. Criteria to be judged on: human interest, subject portrayal, presentation of facts and production value.
Daily Newscast/News Feature – A newscast, sportscast or news feature that is no more than ten (10) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, interest of stories presented and overall impact.
On-Air Personality or Team – Best on-air broadcast personality or broadcast team. Maximum length of entry is five (5) minutes. Criteria to be judged on: production value, effectiveness and creativity.
NEW!! Pandemic Production – This category is intended to showcase how schools were able to creatively produce news, entertainment, or sports broadcasts during the Coronavirus Pandemic. How did students produce programs with creative production techniques and storytelling with socially distanced guidelines and other limitations when schools went virtual in the Spring? Entries should include one broadcast or parts of multiple broadcasts edited together (with clear edit points and an audio transition with the date of each broadcast to indicate a different segment, edits within each segment are OK and do not need to be marked). Entries should also include a short description (500 words or less) of how students completed production. Entries should not go over thirty (30) minutes and judges reserve the right to stop listening after 30 minutes. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value, creativity and storytelling related to the challenges of a virtual production. Entries are limited to two per school- one from the Spring Semester (March-June 2020) and one from the Fall (September-December 2020). They will be judged as separate categories.
Promotional Announcement – A single spot promoting school, station, programs or community event that is no more than three (3) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.
Public Service Announcement – An announcement of general public interest not more than :60 seconds in length. Must be written, produced and aired on your station. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.
Sports Announcing Team – Broadcast of a sports announcing team at a sporting event that is no more than five (5) minutes in length. Criteria to be judged on: presentation and production value.
Talk Show – A talk show program that is no more than 30 minutes in length featuring issues of social importance, how-to programming or sports talk. Criteria to be judged on: presentation, production value and overall impact.
NEW!! Use of Multimedia – Showcase how your program is using multi-media to enhance the audience’s experience. Show how your team takes a story, event or other programming, and promotes it using a website or various social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. For instance, how would you promote or provide additional content of a story, event, or other programming on other platforms? Entries could include teases with video or photos; bonus content like raw interviews, podcasts or material not part of the original story; listener engagement through social media; or mini versions of stories (:30-1:00) that help promote the main story using music, graphics, natural sound, video, photos or soundbites, but no narration. They can be more “content” based vs. strict teases. An entry consists of one specific story, event or other programming with a minimum of three (3) web/social components surrounding that main element (with links and screenshots), along with a short description, up to 200 words, of what your entry entails (like how these components complement the original story), and how your program approaches multi-media storytelling. Criteria to be judged on: Creativity, Overall Impact, Presentation and Production Value.
High School Only: Sports Public Service Announcement – A PSA that is :30 seconds in length promoting sportsmanship and officials recruitment. Criteria to be judged on: creativity, effectiveness and production value.