ACP Best of Show
Presented after the 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, keynote
The convention concludes with the announcement of the ACP Best of Show Awards. The contest is available to all student media outlets attending MediaFest22.
The Best of Show competition features two divisions —
Staff Recognition
Individual Recognition
Deadlines and submission guidelines are different for the two categories, so review these details carefully.
Submission deadlines
Staff Recognition: A single copy of print publications must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. A URL link or PDF file must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, for digital products.
Individual Recognition: Submit these entries by 5 p.m. CT Monday, Oct. 17, using the BetterBNC award platform. Technical assistance is available from BetterBNC on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. The site will open on Sept. 30, 2022.
Payment
The contest fee is $30 per entry for ACP members and $45 per entry for nonmembers.
Best of Show entries are purchased as part of the convention’s online registration process.
Unlimited entries may be purchased for the Individual Recognition categories. For the Staff Recognition categories, only one submission is allowed in each category.
If you have already registered for the convention and wish to purchase Best of Show entries, please use the “modify registration” button on your convention registration confirmation email.
Staff Recognition
The awards in this category are presented to the student media outlet for the overall product. Only one submission is allowed in each category. The entries compete directly against each other, and a critique or scoresheet is not provided.
The Best of Show winner receives the iconic ACP Best of Show trophy, with second through 10th place winners receiving certificates. The awards in this category are presented to student media staff.
The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28.
Advertising Special Newspaper Section
A special advertising edition/section of the newspaper designed to generate revenue and provide sponsored feature content. Options include back-to-school, homecoming, orientation, welcome-back editions, holiday gift guides, fashion, housing guides and “best of” publications. A center spread is not considered a special edition. Submit PDF file or URL link of one print issue published after Jan. 1, 2022, using the link below.
CLICK TO ENTER > 1. Advertising Special Newspaper Section (all)
Broadcast News Program
Entries consist of a single broadcast news program aired between Aug, 1, 2022, and the contest deadline. Entries must be submitted as URL links (i.e., a YouTube or Vimeo link). The news program must be housed on a site or channel owned by a student media outlet and not a personal site or channel. Submit your URL using the appropriate link below:
CLICK TO ENTER > 2. Broadcast News Program (two-year campus)
CLICK TO ENTER > 3. Broadcast News Program (four-year campus)
Digital Newsletter
This category is for digital newsletters highlighting top stories and breaking news delivered by email. Submit PDF file (with working links) for one newsletter published between Aug. 1, 2022, and the contest deadlineusing the appropriate link below:
CLICK TO ENTER > 4. Digital newsletter (two-year campus)
CLICK TO ENTER > 5. Digital newsletter (four-year campus)
Magazine
Submit the most recent magazine print issue in one of the categories. A single copy of print publications must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. Only print entries are accepted.
6. Feature magazine (two-year campus)
7. Feature magazine (four-year campus)
8. Literary arts magazine (all)
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Submit one print copy of an issue of the newspaper/newsmagazine, published between Aug. 1, 2022, and the contest deadline. A single copy of print publications must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. Only print entries are accepted.
9. Newspaper/Newsmagazine (two-year campus)
10. Newspaper/Newsmagazine (four-year campus with 15,000 students or less)
11. Newspaper/Newsmagazine (four-year campus with more than 15,000 students)
Yearbook
The 2022 yearbook should be entered. A single copy must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. Only print entries are accepted.
12. Yearbook (all)
Website
An online news website actively updated throughout the current school year, competing in one of three categories and submitted as a URL link.
CLICK TO ENTER > 13. Website (two-year campus)
CLICK TO ENTER > 14. Website (four-year campus with 15,000 students or less)
CLICK TO ENTER > 15. Website (four-year campus with more than 15,000 students)
Individual Recognition
Best of Show Individual Awards recognize specific student journalists for their achievement.
To be eligible for the Best of Show competition, the media staff must have a representative at the convention. For Individual Recognition competitions, however, students do not need to be present to participate.
The awards in this category are presented to individuals or teams of up to five staff members. There are no restrictions on the number of entries; however, an entry can be submitted in only one category. All entries should be published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022) by your student media outlet.
The Best of Show category winner receives a plaque, with second through 10th place winners receiving certificates.
The deadline is 5 p.m. CT Monday, Oct. 17.
16. Blog
Must reflect journalistic standards in topic, coverage and writing and should appear on your student media outlet’s website. Entry must be a single blog, not a collection. Submit a URL link from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022) through the BetterBNC award platform.
17. Podcast
Delivers relevant content through engaging audio storytelling and should appear on your student media outlet’s website. Entry must be a single podcast, not a collection. Submit a URL link from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022) through the BetterBNC award platform.
18. Print Design
Single-page, double-page spread or a multi-spread presentation appearing in a print newspaper, magazine or yearbook. Submit PDF file of print newspaper design published after Aug. 1, 2022. Magazine and yearbook designs should be from the most recent publication. Enter using the BetterBNC award platform.
19. Photojournalism
News/feature photo appearing in print or online. Image should be from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022). Submit a file (JPG, TIF, PNG) along with a caption through the BetterBNC award platform.
20. Social Justice Reporting
With a focus on equity and inclusion, news stories in this category are welcome from print, broadcast and online student media outlets. Submitted by URL for broadcast and online and PDF file for print and published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022) using the BetterBNC award platform.
21. Broadcast News Story
Demonstrates broadcast news-gathering and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022). Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.
22. Broadcast Feature Story
Demonstrates broadcast human-interest storytelling and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022). Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.
23. Broadcast Sports Story
Coverage of past or present games or seasonal coverage, may also include profiles or sports personalities or human-interest sports features. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022). Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.
24. Advertisement (print, online, video, audio)
Produced by student(s) for a client and published or aired on student media. Submitted by URL for broadcast and online and PDF file for print and published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2022) through the BetterBNC award platform.
Convention sponsorships
To learn more about sponsorships and exhibiting at the convention trade show, contact ACP’s
Ashley Tilley, ashley@
studentpress.org.
