The Best of Show competition, a popular offering at the Fall National College Media Convention, is open to all media outlets with student delegates attending the conference.

Best of Show winners will be announced at the ACP Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The Best of Show competition features two divisions —

Individual Recognition
Staff Recognition

Individual Recognition

Best of Show Individual Awards recognize individual student journalists for their achievements. 

To be eligible for the Best of Show competition, the media outlet must be an ACP member with student staff members attending 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 from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member media outlet.

The Best of Show Individual Recognition winners receive certificates. 

PAYMENT: The contest fee is $30 per entry for ACP members. Best of Show entries are purchased as part of the convention online registration process. Payments are also accepted at the Best of Show registration desk at the convention.

DEADLINE: Submit entries by 5 p.m. CT Friday, Oct. 30, using the BetterBNC award platform.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: Call +1 (360) 427-6300 or email cody@smalltownpapers.com for assistance with the BetterBNC platform from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Pacific.

INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION CATEGORIES

ADVERTISEMENT: Print, Online, Video, Audio

Produced by student(s) for a client and published or aired on ACP-member student media from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026. Submitted by URL for broadcast and online and PDF file for print through the BetterBNC award platform.

BROADCAST: News Story

Reporting on breaking news or an issue of importance to your audience that demonstrates strong news-gathering skills and delivers concise information. Demonstrates broadcast news-gathering and reporting skills. Produced and aired on ACP-member student media from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026. Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.

BROADCAST: Feature Story

Personality profiles or human-interest general features that demonstrate broadcast human-interest storytelling and reporting skills. Produced and aired on student media from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026. Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.

BROADCAST: Sports Story

Coverage of past or present games or seasonal coverage, may also include profiles or sports personalities or human-interest sports features. aired on ACP-member student media from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026. Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.

DESIGN: Magazine

A single-page or double-page spread published from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member print literary arts or general audience/feature magazine. Submit a PDF file of the page or spread from the most recent magazine published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025) through the BetterBNC award platform.

DESIGN: Newspaper/Newsmagazine

Single-page or double-page spread published from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member in a print newspaper/newsmagazine. Submit a PDF file of the page or spread through the BetterBNC award platform.

DESIGN: Yearbook

Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print yearbook.  Submit a PDF file of the page or spread from the 2026 yearbook through the BetterBNC award platform.

PHOTOJOURNALISM: News/Feature Photo

News/feature photo appearing in print or online. Image should be published from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member publication or website. Submit a file (JPG, TIF, PNG) along with a caption through the BetterBNC award platform.

PHOTOJOURNALISM: Sports Photo

Sports photo appearing in print or online. Photos may include game/action shots and sports features such as fans, sidelines, etc.  Image should be published from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member publication or website. Submit a file (JPG, TIF, PNG) along with a caption through the BetterBNC award platform.

REPORTING: Election 2024

Reporting on breaking news or an issue of importance to your audience that demonstrates strong news-gathering skills and delivers concise information.  Story should be published from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member publication or website. Submit a URL link for online or a PDF file of the printed page(s) (do not submit both) using the BetterBNC award platform.

REPORTING: News Story

Personality profiles or human-interest general features.  Story should be published from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member publication or website.  Submit a URL link for online or a PDF file of the printed page(s) (do not submit both) using the BetterBNC award platform.

REPORTING: Feature Story

Coverage of past or present games or a seasonal summary, may also include profiles of sports personalities or human-interest sports features. Story should be published from Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 in an ACP-member publication or website. Submit a URL link for online or a PDF file of the printed page(s) (do not submit both) using the BetterBNC award platform.

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 media outlet must be represented by registered student delegates at the convention.

PAYMENT: The contest fee is $30 per entry for ACP members. Best of Show entries are purchased as part of the conference online registration process. Payments are also accepted at the Best of Show registration desk at the conference.

DEADLINE: Two copies of print publications must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by noon CT on Friday Nov. 6. The second copy is for the People’s Choice Awards.

Magazine
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Yearbook 

Digital entries must be submitted using the links below by noon CT on Friday, Nov. 6.

Advertising Media Kit
Broadcast News Program
Digital Newsletter
Website

STAFF RECOGNITION CATEGORIES

Advertising Media Kit

Must be designed by students for a student media operation. The media kit tells the story of your products, services and your marketplace. Enter the current 2026-27 school year media kit. Submit URL link or PDF file (do NOT submit both) using using this link:
Advertising Media Kit

Broadcast News Program

Entries consist of a single broadcast news program aired between Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 24, 2026. 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 this link:
Broadcast News Program

Digital Newsletter

This category is for digital email newsletters highlighting top stories and breaking news delivered by email. Submit PDF file (with working links) for one newsletter published between Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026 using using this link:
Digital Newsletter

Magazine

Submit the most recent magazine print issue in one of the categories. Single copies of print publications must be turned in to the registration Best of Show desk by noon PT on Friday, Nov. 6. Only print entries are accepted unless the magazine was distributed only in a digital format.
Feature Magazine (two-year campus)
Feature Magazine (four-year campus)
Literary Arts Magazine (two-year campus)
Literary Arts Magazine (four-year campus)

Newspaper/Newsmagazine

Submit one print copy of an issue of the newspaper/newsmagazine, published between Feb. 19, 2026 to Oct. 23, 2026. Single copies of print publications must be turned in to the registration Best of Show desk by noon CT on Friday, Nov. 6. Only print entries are accepted.
Newspaper/Newsmagazine (two-year campus)
Newspaper/Newsmagazine (four-year campus with 15,000 students or fewer)
Newspaper/Newsmagazine (four-year campus with more than 15,000 students)

Yearbook

The most recent published yearbook should be entered. Single copies of print publications must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by noon PT on Friday, Nov. 6. Only print entries are accepted.
Yearbook (all)

Website

An online website actively updated throughout the current school year, competing in one of three categories and submitted as a URL link using using this link:
Website