2021 Page One Award Contest Rules

GENERAL GUIDELINES

  • The fee is $22 per entry.
  • Entries must be submitted no later than 12 noon on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021.  Special for this year’s awards, we are opening a second entry period from Friday, March 5, at 6 a.m. through Monday, March 8, at 6 p.m.
  • All work published or broadcast during the 2020 calendar year is eligible.
  • Journalists (including freelancers and contract employees) working for all print, broadcast and online news outlets in Minnesota (or news outlets in neighboring states that cover Minnesota) are eligible to enter.
  • An individual may submit only one entry per category. Exceptions: 1) if a second entry is a multiple-byline entry; or 2) if it is submitted by his/her employer because they could not agree on a single entry. 
  • An individual may enter in a tier above their news outlet’s division (circulation/employee count), but then may not also enter their own division.
  • Entries will be judged by journalism professionals outside Minnesota.
  • Judges and/or contest organizers may move an entry from one category to another.
  • Up to three winners may be chosen for each category. Judges may choose not to name a winner in any category.
  • Entries will not be returned.
  • Awards Presentation: Winners will be announced in the spring/summer of 2020 and honored during MNSPJ’s annual Page One Awards Banquet. Date and location, TBD.
  • Note: Beginning with the 2019 contest and for subsequent years, we’ve opened the large newspaper division to submissions that appear in online-only publications in hopes of promoting more competition. And we’re again allowing journalists at smaller news organizations to compete against larger organizations by submitting their work in the larger circulation/employee divisions (although that entry can’t also be submitted in the smaller category).

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

  • NEWSPAPER, ONLINE & PHOTOGRAPHY ENTRIES must be submitted online.
  • FOR PRINT ENTRIES (Newspaper and Magazine): Entrants should submit a link to the online article or a PDF of the news/magazine page on which the story appeared. The date of publication should be visible.
  • FOR NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE “BEST ISSUE” CATEGORIES: entries may be submitted by mail. TWO COPIES of each issue must be submitted in an 8 1/2-by-11-inch folder or envelope. Please write category name on outside of folder.
  • FOR GRAPHICS/PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORIES: Entrants should submit a PDF of the news/magazine page on which the art appeared, or a link to the art published on an online news site. The date of publication should be visible.
  • FOR TV ENTRIES: Entrants should submit a URL where video can be viewed (preferred) or entries may be submitted on a DVD (please include TWO COPIES).
  • FOR RADIO ENTRIES: Entrants should submit a link to the work online (preferred) or entries may be submitted by mail on a CD (please include TWO COPIES).
  • LINKS or PDFs: The contest entry form provides space for up to three links and three PDF attachments. Please contact MNSPJ if you are having trouble fitting entries into these spaces.

CLICK HERE to access the contest submission form