NSPA Best of Show

The NSPA Best of Show competition, a popular offering at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, will be offered for all student media outlets participating in the virtual JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention.

There are two important steps required to participate in the 2021 Fall NSPA Best of Show competition.

STEP ONE: Your student media program must register for the virtual convention by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 4. As part of the registration process, you must also pay for your Best of Show entries. We highly recommend you do this well in advance of Nov. 4.

STEP TWO: Submit your Best of Show entries by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 4, using the BetterBNC award platform. We highly recommend you do this well in advance of Nov. 4. Technical assistance is available from BetterBNC on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. 

Best of Show features Staff Recognition and Individual Recognition categories. The contest fee is $30 per entry for NSPA members and $45 per entry for nonmembers. Unlimited entries are permitted for the Individual categories. For the Staff competitions, only one submission is allowed in each category.

Check the list of 2021 yearbooks currently in the NSPA office.

If your publication has previously entered NSPA Individual Awards, NSPA Clips & Clicks, or spring NSPA Best of Show in 2021, 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, NSPA must approve your account; however, you may begin submitting entries.

At 4 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 13, NSPA’s virtual awards ceremony will honor finalists for NSPA Pacemaker Awards in Broadcast, Newspaper/Newsmagazine and Specialty Magazine and announce the Pacemaker Award winners and convention Best of Show winners.

 

 

NSPA Staff Recognition

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 NSPA Best of Show trophy with second through tenth place winners receiving certificates.

Newspaper/Newsmagazine

Schools may enter one regular edition of their newspaper/newsmagazine. 

Because of the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, a print newspaper or newsmagazine that was published digitally and not printed can be entered if it is shared with judges in the exact format shared with your school community (PDF posted on website or shared on Issuu).

Submit a PDF file or URL link of the most recent issue of newspaper/newsmagazines, published between Aug. 1, 2021, and the contest deadline, using the BetterBNC award platform.  

  1. Newspaper/Newsmagazine (high school enrollment of less than 1,500)
  2. Newspaper/Newsmagazine (high school enrollment of 1,500 or more)
  3. Newspaper/Newsmagazine (junior high/middle school)

Website

An online news website actively updated throughout the current school year, competing in one of three categories and submitted as a URL link using the BetterBNC award platform.

  1. Website (high school enrollment of less than 1,500)
  2. Website (high school enrollment of 1,500 or more)
  3. Website (junior high/middle school)

 

Broadcast News Program

Entries consist of a single broadcast news program aired between Aug, 1, 2021 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 school student media outlet and not a personal site or channel. News programs compete in two categories and are submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.

  1. Broadcast News Program (high school)
  2. Broadcast News Program (junior high/middle school)

 

Magazine

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

  1. Literary arts magazine
  2. Specialty magazine 

Specialty magazines provide in-depth, long-form stories focused on timely topics/issues relevant to your audience. A specialty magazine has its own identity and name and is not a special edition of a newspaper/newsmagazine. Topical magazines such as sports, science, business or entertainment also compete in this category.

Yearbook

The 2021 yearbook should be entered. If your staff has entered the 2021 yearbook Pacemaker competition, NSPA has an office copy and it can be used for Best of Show competition. 

A PDF file or URL for the 2020-21 print volume may also be submitted. If the PDF is larger than 20MG, please upload the file to Google Drive or a file sharing site and provide the URL link. Please set the permissions to allow NSPA to download the file without approval or other restrictions. 

High school yearbooks will be divided into equal categories based on the number of pages. Junior-high/middle-school yearbooks, of all page counts, will compete in a separate category.

Check the list of 2021 yearbooks currently in the NSPA office.

You may also ship the print yearbook for arrival by Nov. 5, 2021 to NSPA Best of Show, 2829 University Ave. SE, Suite 720, Minneapolis, MN 55414.

To enter your Yearbook use the BetterBNC award platform.

  1. Yearbook (high school)
  2. Yearbook (junior high/middle school)

NSPA individual competitions

The awards in this category are presented to individuals or teams of up to five staff members. 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, 2021) by your student media outlet. The Best of Show winner receives a plaque with second through tenth place winners receiving certificates.

 

  1. Editorial Leadership

This competition, intended for individual editors not teams, requires an application submitted as a PDF file and using the BetterBNC award platform.

  1. List your contributions to your high school student media program including positions held and job descriptions if needed.
  2. Describe your leadership philosophy (200 words or less).
  3. Describe your most proud leadership moment (100 words or less).
  4. A statement of support from your adviser (100 words or less).

 

  1. 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. Submitted by URL link from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2021) using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. Podcast

Delivers relevant content through engaging audio storytelling and should appear on your student media outlet’s website. Entry must be a single podcast now a collection. Submitted by URL link from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2021) using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. Magazine Design

Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print literary arts or specialty magazine. Submit PDF file of the page or spread from the most recent magazine using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. Newspaper/Newsmagazine Design

Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print newspaper/newsmagazine. Submit PDF file of the page or spread published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2021) using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. Yearbook Design

Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print yearbook.  Submit PDF file of the page or spread to be published in the 2022 yearbook using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. Photojournalism

News/feature photo appearing in print or online. Image should be from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2021) Submit a file (JPG, TIF, PNG) along with a caption using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. Broadcast News Story

Demonstrates broadcast news-gathering and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2021). Submitted by URL link using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. Broadcast Feature Story

Demonstrates broadcast human-interest storytelling and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2021). Submitted by URL link using the BetterBNC award platform.

 

  1. 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 link for broadcast and online and PDF file for print and published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2021) submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.