ACP Best of Show

The ACP Best of Show competition, a popular offering at the college media convention, will be offered for all student media outlets with students attending the virtual Connect2021 Spring National College Media Convention.

There are two steps required to participate — both with the same deadline.

First —
Sign-up and pay for Best of Show entries and complete your convention registration by Monday, March 8, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET (extended from March 5).

Second —
Submit your Best of Show entries by Monday, March 8, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET using the BetterBNC award platform.

Best of Show features organizational, individual and advertising categories. The six advertising categories are co-sponsored with College Media Business and Advertising Managers.

The contest fee is $20 for ACP and CMBAM members and $30 for nonmembers. Unlimited entries are permitted for the individual and advertising categories. For the organizational competitions, only one submission is allowed in each category.

If your publication submitted ACP Individual Awards last spring or Clips & Clicks in December, use your existing BetterBNC Open Call account to submit Best of Show awards. If you are using the BetterBNC award platform for the first time, creating an Open Call account is required and takes only a few minutes. After you are completed, ACP must approve your account; however, you may begin submitting entries.

ACP organizational competitions

The awards in this category are presented to the student media outlet. Only one submission is allowed in each category. The Best of Show winner receives the iconic ACP Best of Show trophy with second through tenth place winners receiving certificates.

Feature Magazine
Submit the most recent issue as PDF file or an Issuu URL using the BetterBNC award platform.

Literary Arts Magazine
Submit the most recent issue as PDF file or an Issuu URL using the BetterBNC award platform.

Newspaper (two-year campus, any frequency)
Submit PDF file or an Issuu URL for one print issue from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Newspaper (four-year campus, less than weekly)
Submit PDF file or an Issuu URL for one print issue from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Newspaper (four-year campus, weekly)
Submit PDF file or an Issuu URL for one print issue from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Newspaper (four-year campus, more than weekly)
Submit PDF file or an Issuu URL for one print issue from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Broadcast News Program
Entries consist of a single broadcast news program aired between Aug, 1, 2020 and the contest deadline. Entries must be submitted via a direct URL (i.e., a YouTube or Vimeo link). The news program must be housed on a site or channel owned by a school student media outlet and not a personal site or channel. News programs are submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.

Website (two-year campus)
Submit URL using the BetterBNC award platform.

Website (four-year campus with 10,000 students or less)
Submit URL using the BetterBNC award platform.

Website (four-year campus with more than 10,000 students)
Submit URL using the BetterBNC award platform.

Yearbook
Submit PDF file or URL for the 2019-20 print volume using the BetterBNC award platform. If the PDF is larger than 20MG, please upload the file to Google Drive or a file sharing site and provide the URL. Please set the permissions to allow ACP to download the file without approval or other restrictions. You may also ship the print yearbook for arrival by March 12, 2021. ACP Best of Show, 2829 University Avenue SE, Suite 720, Minneapolis, MN 55414.

ACP individual competitions

The awards in this category are presented to individuals or teams of up to five staff members. At least one student from the student media outlet must be registered for the virtual Connect2021 Spring National College Media Convention and this delegate may submit entries from the entire staff. There aren’t restrictions on the number of entries; however, an entry can be submitted only in one category. All entries should be published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) by your student media outlet. The Best of Show winner receives a plaque with second through tenth place winners receiving certificates.

Blog
Must reflect journalistic standards in topic, coverage and writing and should appear on your college student media outlet’s website. Entry must be a single blog not a collection. Submitted by URL from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Podcast
Delivers relevant content through engaging audio storytelling and should appear on your college student media outlet’s website. Entry must be a single podcast not a collection. Submitted by URL from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Print Design
Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print newspaper, magazine or yearbook. Submit PDF file of print newspaper design from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Photojournalism
News/feature photo appearing in print or online. An image file (JPG, TIF, PNG) is required along with a caption. Image should be published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Broadcast News Story
Demonstrates broadcast news-gathering and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) on a student media website or television station. Submitted by URL using the BetterBNC award platform.

Multimedia News or Feature Presentation
Storytelling using multimedia techniques including interactive graphics, photography, audio and video. Text with still images on a webpage is not multimedia storytelling. Published from the current school year (after June 30, 2020) on a student media website. Submitted by URL using the BetterBNC award platform.

COVID-19 Reporting
Reporting on the effect of COVID-19 on your student audience, 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, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.

Election Reporting
With a focus on how the 2020 election impacted your student audience, 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, 2020) submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.

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, 2020) submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.

ACP/CMBAM Advertising Categories

The awards in this category are presented to individuals or teams of up to five staff members. At least one student from the student media outlet must be registered for the virtual Connect2021 Spring National College Media Convention and this delegate may submit entries from the entire staff. There aren’t restrictions on the number of entries. All entries should be published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) by your student media outlet. The Best of Show winner receives a plaque with second through tenth place winners receiving certificates.

Print advertisement
Designed by student(s) for a client and published in a student media print publication from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) submitted using the BetterBNC platform.

Online advertisement
Designed by student(s) for a client and published on a student media website during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) submitted using the BetterBNC platform.

Video advertisement
Produced by student(s) for a client and aired on student media during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) submitted using the BetterBNC platform.

Audio advertisement
Produced by student(s) for a client and aired on student media during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) submitted using the BetterBNC platform.

Rate Card
Designed by student(s) for a student media operation for the 2020-21 academic year. Submit PDF file or URL using the BetterBNC platform.

Newspaper Special Section (Advertising)
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 an Issuu URL from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.