Nevada Press Association The best in Nevada journalism since 1924
Online Entry
The Nevada Press Foundation sponsors the Awards of Excellence and uses an online entry and judging system hosted by SmallTownPapers, Inc.
The main contest page is betternewspapercontest.com, where contestants go to submit their entries digitally. Seven categories still require hard copies to be mailed, but even those must be registered on the contest website. Note that for most categories, the entry may have been published in print or online.
You can also download an interactive PDF of the Call for Entries that includes a tally sheet you can use to keep track of your entries.
Details
Contest Dates: All entry material must have been originally published between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022. Entries are limited to regular and affiliate members who have paid their 2022 dues. If your publication is not a member and you are interested in joining please contact us.
One important change in this year’s contest: Entries will not be accepted from individuals separate from the news organization that published their work.
Deadline: To qualify for the early-entry fee of $10 per entry, entries must be posted on the contest website by 11:59pm on Sunday, May 22. Mail-in entries must be received by the close of business on Friday, May 27.
Mailing address: Nevada Press Foundation, P.O. Box 2257, Carson City, NV 89702.
Questions? Contact Denise Clodjeaux at 775-885-0866 or nevadapresscontest (at) gmail dot com.
Fees: The fee is $10 per entry received by May 22, and $15 per entry received after May 22. Payment must be received before entries will be judged. Please make checks payable to the Nevada Press Foundation.
Results: Winning entries will be announced in August and the order of finish will be presented at the 2022 NPA Convention and Awards Banquet, which is tentatively scheduled for mid-September in Las Vegas. We will announce more information about the convention within the next few weeks.
Groups
- Urban — News organizations that serve the Las Vegas or Reno metro areas
- Rural — News organizations that serve rural areas of the state
- Magazines
(Note: News organizations that wish to compete against larger publications may “move up” to Urban even if they’re largely rural.)
In categories in which a particular group (i.e., Urban, Rural or Magazines) submits fewer than three entries (or in which a single news organization submits the only entries within a group), entries for that group will be combined with another group to guarantee a minimum level of competition.
Mail-in Categories
For mail-in categories, complete the entry information on the contest website, as you would any other entry. After it has been submitted, print the entry label generated by the website and attach it to your mail-in entry. Mail or ship the entries to the Nevada Press Foundation at P.O. Box 2257, Carson City, NV 89702.
Getting Started
You may first want to visit the Better Newspaper Contest site to view a tutorial of the entry process.
You must use a current version of Firefox or Chrome to access the contest site.
Click on “Contestant Login” on the navigation bar at the top of the page. You will see a screen like the one below. Note that the “file tab” at the top left defaults to “Contestant Manager”.
Choose the 2022 Nevada Press Awards of Excellence from the menu in the “Select a Contest” list. Then select your media organization from the drop-down list.
Login
If you used the system in 2021 and you were the Contestant Manager, your password should be the same. If you’ve forgotten the password, click the “Forgot Password” link and the website will email you a reminder. If you need help, contact us at nevadapresscontest (at) gmail dot com.
If you are logging in for the first time, use the default password contained in the instructions in the bottom right corner of the first page of the Call for Entries we emailed to your news organization. The first person from your organization to log in should be the Contestant Manager, who will coordinate entries for your publication. Once you’ve logged in, change the password and enter your email address. The Contestant Manager can register other Authorized Entrants from the same news organization, who will then be able to submit entries as well.
Submitting Entries
- After you log in, click the “Submit Entry” link on the left side of the page below the “Welcome to the BNC” message.
- Select the Division in the drop-down menu in the” Create New Entry” section at the top of the page. (The categories are organized into four Divisions — Advertising, Editorial, Photography, Video/Audio/Visual Journalism. You can see how categories were organized in the list below.)
- On the next line, select the Category you want to enter.
- Complete the “Headline or Title of Entry”. If you are entering a single story, use the headline for the story that appears on the PDF or weblink you are submitting. For other kinds of entries, use a general description of the entry content as the title, e.g., Smith story photos, BLM investigation, etc.
- Go to the next section on the page. (“Next Step” in red text.) If you are uploading a PDF, click the “Choose File” button and navigate to the desired file on your computer or network. Select Open and then upload. Please keep file sizes under 5 MB.
- If you have another PDF to upload, click the “Browse & Attach More Files” link and repeat the process described above.
- If you are submitting web links instead of or in addition to PDFs, you must enter them in the fields marked “Paste URL/Link here”.
- Scroll down on the same page to add “Credits and Comments”.
- If your site requires a login and password for judges to get past a paywall, register a generic profile on your website and include the password and other login details in the “Comments” field.
- If you don’t need to use the “Comments” field for login credentials, you can use the space to include a message to the judges. For instance, you can paste the text from a letter of explanation in the “Comments” field.
- Use the “First Name” and “Last Name” fields to add the name(s) of the employee and/or contractor who should be credited if it’s a winning entry. Make sure the spelling and name for each credit is exactly how you would want it to appear on an award or certificate.
- Click Submit. DON’T FORGET TO CLICK SUBMIT!
- Continue to the next entry, following the same steps above.
The system will keep track of the entries you have submitted even after you log out. They will be listed on your “Manage Entries” page.
When you have finished submitting all entries, please email us at nevadapresscontest (at) gmail.com so we can begin to confirm your entries.
After completing all of your entries, you can pay online or you can send a check to Nevada Press Foundation, P.O. Box 2257, Carson City, NV 89702. Here’s how to do each:
Pay by Check
- When you’re done submitting entries and are ready to pay for them, click the “Manage Entries” link.
- On the upper right side of the page click the “Calculate Entry Fee” text box. It will take you to an online invoice breaking out your entries and totaling them.
- Print the invoice (or you can use the interactive tally sheet included with this Call for Entries) and mail it with your payment to Nevada Press Foundation, P.O. Box 2257, Carson City, NV 89702
- You can also call us at 775-885-0866 to pay by credit card over the phone. If we don’t answer immediately, we will return your call within 24 hours.
Pay Online by Credit Card
- When you’re done submitting entries and are ready to pay for them, click the “Manage Entries” link.
- On the upper right side of the page click the “Calculate Entry Fee” text box. It will take you to an online invoice breaking out your entries and totaling them.
- Click the “Send check to Nevada Press Foundation or click here to pay online” link at the bottom of the invoice.
- That will bring you to the “Better Newspaper Contest entries” product page on the nevadapress.com website. Add the correct number of entries in the box in the middle of the page. (The box defaults to the number 1.)
- Click the “Add to cart” button to the right of the box. Then click the “View cart” link in the upper right.
- Click “Proceed to checkout” below the cart totals.
- Fill in the information in the open fields below “Billing details” (First name, last name, etc.) and then click “Proceed to PayPal”.
- On the PayPal page, click “Pay with Debit or Credit Card”. Complete page by filling in the required information. Click “Pay Now”.
Contest Categories
ADVERTISING
#48 ADVERTISING GENERAL EXCELLENCE (Mail-In Only): U,R,M
Entries should reflect the best of Nevada print advertising. Submit two copies each of four issues, one from each of the following calendar periods:
- April 1-June 30, 2021
- July 1-Sept. 30, 2021
- Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2021
- Jan. 1-March 31, 2022
Newspapers with weekend or Sunday issues must submit at least two issues from weekday editions. A letter of explanation may be included. Entries will be judged on the overall quality of both print and online advertising content.
#43 ADVERTISING INNOVATION: U,R,M
Recognizes new ideas and concepts in advertising. The innovation may be encompassed in the substance or style of a particular ad or series of ads (print or digital), or in the manner in which the advertising was presented or distributed. Entries must consist of the ad or ads, along with a letter explaining why it should be considered innovative. Ads may be submitted in a separate PDF or JPG, but they must also be submitted in context as a PDF or JPG of a complete page on which the ad was published.
#W5 DIGITAL AD: U,R,M
Single advertisement published on the news organization’s website. Can be any kind of digital ad, including static or animated. Entries consist of a link to a web page containing the ad, a PDF of a web page containing the ad or an animated GIF, HTML 5 Banner, flash animations, or short video.
#46 IN-HOUSE ADVERTISING: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single ad or campaign promoting advertising, circulation, editorial or an event hosted by the publication. Campaign promotions may include rack cards, electronic advertising, flyers, etc. Entries must include a letter of explanation about the strategy behind the promotion and the results it achieved.
#47 MAGAZINE (Mail-In Only): U,R
Regularly published non-newsprint magazine devoted to a particular market or demographic. (For one-time or annual sections, see #45 Special Section.) The magazine must be related to the newspaper’s brand, not a contract job for a customer, and may be inserted in the paper or distributed separately. Submit two copies of a single issue of the magazine. Limit: Two entries per newspaper.
#41 PRINT AD – HALF PAGE OR LARGER: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single b/w or color advertisement created and produced locally. No house ads. Ads may be submitted in a separate PDF or JPG, but they must also be submitted in context as a PDF or JPG of a complete page on which the ad was published.
#42 PRINT AD – SMALLER THAN HALF PAGE: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single b/w or color advertisement created and produced locally. No house ads. Ads may be submitted in a separate PDF or JPG, but they must also be submitted in context as a PDF or JPG of a complete page on which the ad was published.
#53 SPECIAL EVENT: U,R,M
Sponsored, hosted, or promotional events, including but not limited to food or musical festivals, conferences, expos, trade shows, job fairs, candidate debates, scavenger hunts, bar crawls, panel discussions, and issue forums, including virtual versions of these types of events. Entries consist of promotional ads or other marketing material, event directories or agendas, news coverage, etc. Entries must include a letter of explanation describing the event and highlighting its benefits to the publication and community.
#45 SPECIAL SECTION OR CAMPAIGN – ADVERTISING (Mail-In Only): U,R
Conceptually unified section or campaign featuring multiple advertisers. May be encompassed in a single page, section, supplement or insert. Emphasis is on the uniqueness of product and quality of design. This category is for one-time or annual sections. (See #47 Magazine for regular publications.) Submit two copies of the page, section, supplement or insert. Limit of two entries per publication.
EDITORIAL
#1 GENERAL EXCELLENCE (Mail-In Only): U,R,M
Entries should reflect the best of Nevada print journalism. All entries must be complete copies without preprint ad inserts. Submit two copies of four issues, one from each of the calendar periods below. For newspapers with weekend or Sunday issues, at least two (2) of the entries must be from weekday editions. A letter of explanation may be included.
- April 1 – June 30, 2021
- July 1 – Sept. 30, 2021
- Oct. 1 – Dec. 30, 2021
- Jan. 1 – March 30, 2022
#W1 GENERAL ONLINE EXCELLENCE: U,R,M
Recognizes overall excellence of a news organization’s online presence. Entries consist of six deep links (i.e., not the home page) to content on a website. Entrants should consider including links to web pages that vary in style, purpose or functionality, as opposed to, for instance, linking to identically formatted story pages.
#2 OUTSTANDING JOURNALIST: U,R,M
Recognizes outstanding service and performance to the profession of journalism. Entrants may come from any segment of the newsroom. Each nomination must include four samples of the nominee’s work, along with a brief resume and brief descriptions of his or her journalistic achievements during the contest period. Limit of two entries per news organization. There will be only one winner in each Group in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
#3 JOURNALIST OF MERIT: U,R
Entrants must have less than five years of professional journalism experience and may come from any part of the newsroom. Entries consist of a brief resume of the nominee, along with a written statement about journalistic achievements and four samples of his or her work during the contest period. Limit of two entries per news organization. There will be only one winner in each Group in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
#4 COMMUNITY SERVICE: U,R,M
Rewards work that has a lasting, positive impact in the community. The work may take the form of a series of stories or photos, an editorial crusade, a marketing campaign focused on an important local issue, or some other manifestation of community-oriented service, and it must be related to a single project, drive or campaign. We encourage you to submit a letter of explanation, especially if the work itself does not contain evidence of its community impact. Limit of two entries per news organization.
#5 STORY OF THE YEAR: URM
Recognizes the best story published in Nevada during the period of competition. May be a single story, a main story and sidebar, or a series on a single subject. Stories submitted in this category may be entered in other categories as well. There will be only one winning entry in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners. Limit: No more than eight articles per entry will be accepted.
#6 BREAKING NEWS REPORTING: U,R
Entries consist of a single story or multiple stories published over a period of 24 hours, with the focus on coverage of a specific event in print and on the web. No series. Entries may include articles, sidebars, graphics, video, audio, slideshows, interactive features or other components of breaking news.
#7 FEATURE STORY: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single story or a main story published together with a sidebar. No series. Story should have a human-interest focus. Entertainment, lifestyle and health or general-interest features may be entered in this category. (For profiles, see #40 Profiles.)
#8 FOOD/DINING WRITING: U,R,M
Entries consist of three pieces of writing about food and/or restaurants, including features, reviews and/or breaking news, but not including editorials. Limit of one entry per writer.
#9 BUSINESS SPOT NEWS STORY: U,R
Entries consist of a single business story or multiple business stories published over a period of 24 hours, with the focus on coverage of a specific event in print and on the web. No series. Entries may include articles, sidebars, graphics, video, audio, slideshows, interactive features or other components of breaking news.
#10 BUSINESS FEATURE STORY: U,R,M
Feature story about commerce in general or about a particular business or business person. Entries consist of a single story or a main story with sidebar.
#11 EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM: U,R,M
Reporting that illuminates an important and complex subject, and demonstrates mastery of the subject. Entries consist of a single story, a main story with sidebar, or a series that provides in-depth reporting on an issue of significant importance to the community. Limit: No more than eight articles per entry will be accepted.
#12 NEWS ENTERPRISE REPORTING: U,R,M,
General news coverage that reflects shoe-leather reporting, including source development and document discovery. May be a single story, a main story and sidebar or a series. A letter of explanation describing the work and its impact may be submitted. Limit: No more than three articles per entry will be accepted. (For Health/COVID or Politics/Government stories, see #50 Health/COVID or #37 Politics/ Government.)
#13 INVESTIGATIVE STORY: U,R,M
Reporting on a single subject that reflects investigative enterprise. May be a single story, a main story and sidebar or a series. If the story leads to further developments, you may submit additional reporting published after the end of the contest year attesting to its impact. A letter of clarification may be submitted. Limit: No more than eight articles per entry will be accepted.
#14 LOCAL COLUMN: U,R,M
Entries consist of three columns written by the same columnist. The column must focus primarily on local matters and be regularly and originally published by the news organization submitting the entry. Limit of one entry per columnist.
#15 EMAIL NEWSLETTER: U,R,M
Entries consist of three issues of a regularly distributed email newsletter produced by a single writer or reporter, or by a team of writers and reporters. To qualify, the newsletter must have a fixed title and must have been distributed on at least a monthly basis.
#16 SPORTS SPOT NEWS STORY: U,R
Entries consist of a single sports story or multiple sports stories published over a period of 24 hours, with the focus on coverage of a specific event in print and on the web. No series. Entries may include articles, sidebars, graphics, video, audio, slideshows, interactive features or other components of breaking news.
#17 SPORTS FEATURE STORY: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single story or a main story with a sidebar focused on human interest in sports or recreation.
#18 LOCAL SPORTS COLUMN: U,R
Entries consist of three columns written by the same columnist. The column must focus on local sports and be regularly and originally published by the news organization submitting the entry. Limit of one entry per columnist.
#19 ENTERTAINMENT SPOT NEWS STORY: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single entertainment story or multiple entertainment stories published over a period of 24 hours, with the focus on coverage of a specific event in print and on the web. No series. Entries may include articles, sidebars, graphics, video, audio, slideshows, interactive features or other components of breaking news.
#20 ENTERTAINMENT FEATURE STORY: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single story or a main story with sidebar focused on the arts, entertainment, dining/restaurants or other leisure activities. No series.
#21 FREEDOM OF THE PRESS: U,R,M
Journalism promoting the principles of the First Amendment and the public’s right to know. Entries may consist of stories, editorials, columns, video and/or audio files, or any other manifestations of journalism. Must also include a letter of explanation describing the work and its impact in the community. Limit: No more than eight pieces in an entry. Award will be presented to a news organization, not an individual.
#22 EDITORIAL OF THE YEAR: U,R
Recognizes the best unsigned, house editorial expressing a news organization’s institutional opinion. One editorial per entry. Please indicate on the entry who wrote the editorial. There will be only one winning entry in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
#23 EDITORIAL WRITING: U,R
Entries consist of three samples of editorial writing by the same writer. No personal columns; only unsigned editorials expressing a news organization’s institutional opinion. Please indicate on the entry who wrote the editorials. Limit of one entry per writer.
#24 EDITORIAL PAGE: U,R
Recognizes the best opinion page published in a newspaper in Nevada. Submit four editorial pages, one from each of the calendar periods below. Must indicate in a letter of explanation the content that is generated locally. Limit of one entry per newspaper.
- April 1-June 30, 2021
- July 1-Sept. 30, 2021
- Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2021
- Jan. 1-March 31, 2022
#25 HEADLINE WRITING: U,R
Entries consist of three separate headlines, written by the same person, that appeared in print or online. Each entry for print headlines must include full news pages that clearly indicate the headlines being submitted, and must identify the name of the person responsible for writing the headlines. Each entry for online heads must include the story URLs and the name of the of the person responsible for writing the headlines. Limit of one entry per writer or editor and five entries per news organization.
#26 SPECIAL SECTION – EDITORIAL (Mail-In Only): U,R
Entries consist of a special edition or section created and distributed by a newspaper with emphasis on the editorial content. Does not include regular weekly publications such as TV books, real-estate sections, entertainment magazines, etc. Submit two complete copies of the section. Limit of two entries per newspaper.
#27 SPECIAL PROJECT (Mail-In Only): U,R,M
Entries consist of a book, calendar, special edition or other special project produced separately from the regular publication schedule. Submit two copies of the project. Limit of two entries per publication.
#37 POLITICS/GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISE REPORTING: U,R,M
Coverage of politics/government that reflects shoe-leather reporting, including source development and document discovery. May be a single story, a main story and sidebar or a series. A letter of explanation describing the work and its impact may be submitted. Limit: No more than three articles per entry will be accepted.
#40 PROFILE: U,R,M
Written portrait that explores the background and character of a particular person or group. Entries consist of a single story or a main story with a sidebar.
#44 COVERAGE OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES: U,R,M
Recognizes coverage that advances the understanding of issues related to underserved Nevadans, such as communities of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+. Entries consist of up to three pieces about underserved communities, including features and/ or breaking news, photo essays, and video storytelling, but not including editorials.
#49 ARTS & CULTURE COMMENTARY: U,R,M
Entries consist of three pieces of arts and culture commentary in the form of reviews and/or essays. Limit of one entry per writer.
#50 HEALTH/COVID ENTERPRISE REPORTING: U,R,M
Health/coronavirus coverage that reflects shoe-leather reporting, including source development and document discovery. May be a single story, a main story and sidebar or a series. A letter of explanation describing the work and its impact may be submitted. Limit: No more than three articles per entry will be accepted.
#51 NEWS OBITUARY: U,R
Death notice of a local or national public figure written by the news organization submitting the entry. Each entry consists of a single obituary.
PHOTOGRAPHY
#33 NEWS PHOTO COVERAGE: U,R
Entries consist of a photo or photos from a single news event, even if the photos were taken by different photographers. Photo(s) may be submitted as a separate PDF or JPG, but they also must be submitted as a PDF or web link of the page on which they were published.
#34 FEATURE PHOTO: U,R,M
Entries consist of a photo or photos illustrating a single story that is not directly related to a specific breaking news event. Photos should have a storytelling quality or contain unusual elements. No portraits (see #36 Portrait). Photo(s) may be submitted as a separate PDF or JPG, but they also must be submitted in context as a PDF or web link of the page on which they were published.
#35 MULTIPLE-PHOTO ESSAY OR GALLERY: U,R,M
Single-subject addressed primarily through the use of two or more photos, with accompanying text being a secondary consideration. Entries consist of a complete photo essay or photo gallery. Regular news or feature stories that just happen to include multiple photos are not eligible to compete in this category. Photos submitted cannot be directly related to a breaking news event. Entries may include photos taken by more than one photographer. Photo essay or gallery must be submitted in context, either as a PDF or web link of the page on which it was published.
#36 PORTRAIT: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single photo of a person or a small group of people. Photo may be submitted as a separate PDF or JPG, but it also must be submitted in context as a PDF or web link of the page on which it was published.
#38 SPORTS PHOTO: U,R,M
Entries consist of a single photo of a sports-related event. No portraits (see #36 Portrait), Photo may be submitted as a separate PDF or JPG, but it also must be submitted in context as a PDF or web link of the page on which it was published.
#39 PHOTO OF THE YEAR: URM
Recognizes the best photo published by a news organization in Nevada during the contest period. Photos submitted in this category may be entered in other categories as well. Photo may be submitted as a separate PDF or JPG, but it also must be submitted in context as a PDF or web link of the page on which it was published. There will be only one winning entry in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
AUDIO/VIDEO/VISUAL JOURNALISM
#28 OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGNER: U,R,M
Entries consist of three examples of excellence in graphic design, incorporated in a page layout, original graphic, illustration or other design element created by an individual or design team. For instance, three illustrations by the same artist would qualify as one entry. Two-page layouts and an illustration would also qualify as one entry. Limit of one entry per designer or team and two entries per news organization. There will be only one winner in each Group in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
#29 OUTSTANDING VISUAL JOURNALIST: U,R,M
For photographers, videographers, and other journalists who report the news visually. Entries must include four to six samples of the nominee’s work along with a brief resume and brief descriptions of his or her journalistic achievements. Individual photos, photo essays, and website slide shows each represent one sample of a nominee’s work. Limit of two entries per news organization. There will be only one winner in each Group in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
#30 OVERALL DESIGN (Mail-In Only): U,R,M
Recognizes design excellence in print publications. Entries consist of complete issues without preprint ad inserts. Submit two copies each of four issues, one from each of the following months: May 2021, August 2021, December 2021 and January 2022. (Magazines published quarterly may submit Spring, Summer and Fall issues from 2019, and the Winter issue from 2020.) Limit one entry per publication.
#31 PAGE ONE DESIGN / COVER DESIGN: U,R,M
Recognizes design excellence in print publications. Entries consist of four examples of a newspaper’s front page, or a magazine’s cover design. Limit one entry per publication.
#32 EDITORIAL CARTOON OF THE YEAR: URM
Recognizes the best original opinion-oriented cartoon created for a publication by a staff member or freelancer. No syndicated cartoons. Entries consist of a single cartoon. Limit: Four entries per cartoonist. There will be only one winning entry in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
#W2 VIDEO PROGRAM OR SERIES: U,R,M
Regular program or a special video series on a related theme or topic, available on the news organizations’s website or hosted channel. Entries consist of links to three different shows of a regular program, or to the first three episodes in a video series. The web pages linked in the entries may include other elements, in addition to video, that contribute to the production.
#W3 PODCAST OF THE YEAR: URM
Entries consist of three different episodes of a podcast program posted on the content provider’s web site or hosted channel. There will be only one winning entry in this category, i.e., no second- or third-place winners.
#W4 VIDEO OF THE YEAR: URM
A single video program originally published on the news organization’s website or hosted channel. Entries must consist of a link to a single video program. There normally will be only one winning entry in the category, i.e., no second or third place winners.