JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention
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 spring experience.
Submit your Best of Show entries by Monday, March 22, 2021, at 5 p.m. Central using the BetterBNC award platform.
Best of Show features Staff Recognition and Individual Recognition categories. The contest fee is $20 for NSPA members and $30 for nonmembers. Unlimited entries are permitted for the Individual categories. For the Staff competitions, only one submission is allowed in each category.
If your publication has previously entered NSPA Individual Awards, NSPA Clips & Clicks, or fall NSPA Best of Show in 2020, 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.
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 in the regular and one issue in the special edition newspaper/newsmagazine category. No edition may be entered in more than one category.
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).
Regular editions of newspaper/newsmagazines, published between Aug. 1, 2020, and the contest deadline, compete in one of these five categories and are submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.
13A. Broadsheet
13B. Tabloid (16 or fewer pages)
13C. Tabloid (17 or more pages)
13D. Newsmagazine
13E. Junior high/middle school
Special edition
A special-edition newspaper/newsmagazine provides readers with an in-depth look into a relevant, timely and often complex topic. The best entries focus on contemporary teen and school issues covered from a variety of angles. A special edition is a showcase for robust reporting and homecoming, graduation and senior editions do not qualify.
A centerspread does not qualify as a special edition. A special-edition devoted entirely to COVID-19 coverage would be entered in this category. A print special-edition newspaper/newsmagazine published digitally and not printed because of COVID-19 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).
Special editions of newspaper/newsmagazines must be published between Aug. 1, 2020, and the contest deadline and are submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.
13F. Special edition
Website
An online news website actively updated throughout the current school year, competing in one of three categories and submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.
13G. Small high school website (enrollment of less than 1,500)
13H. Large high school website (enrollment of 1,500 or more)
13I. Junior high/middle school website (all enrollments)
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 compete in two categories and are submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.
13J. High school broadcast news program
13K. Junior high/middle school news program
Magazine
Submit the most recent issue as a PDF file or an Issuu URL using the BetterBNC award platform.
13L. Literary arts magazine
13M. 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 2020 yearbook should be entered. If your staff has entered the 2020 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 2019-20 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. 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 2020 yearbooks currently in the NSPA office.
You may also ship the print yearbook for arrival by March 24, 2021, to NSPA Best of Show, 2829 University Ave. SE, Suite 720, Minneapolis, MN 55414.
To enter your Yearbook use the BetterBNC award platform.
13N. Yearbook
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, 2020) by your student media outlet. The Best of Show winner receives a plaque with second through tenth place winners receiving certificates.
13O. Editorial Leadership
This new competition, intended for individual editors not teams, requires an application submitted as a PDF file and using the BetterBNC award platform.
- List your contributions to your high school student media program including positions held and job descriptions if needed.
- Describe your leadership philosophy (200 words or less).
- Describe your most proud leadership moment (100 words or less).
- A statement of support from your adviser (100 words or less).
13P. 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 from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.
13Q. 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 from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020) using the BetterBNC award platform.
13R. 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 most recent magazine using the BetterBNC award platform.
13S. Newspaper/Newsmagazine Design
Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print newspaper/newsmagazine. Submit PDF file of the page or spread published after Aug. 1, 2020 using the BetterBNC award platform.
13T. Yearbook Design
Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print yearbook. Submit PDF file of the page or spread from the 2020 yearbook using the BetterBNC award platform.
13U. Photojournalism
News/feature photo appearing in print or online. An image file (JPG, TIF, PNG) is required along with a caption. Image should be from the current school year using the BetterBNC award platform.
13V. Broadcast News Story
Demonstrates broadcast news-gathering and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2020). Submitted by URL using the BetterBNC award platform.
13W. 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) submitted using the BetterBNC award platform.
13X. 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.
13Y. 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.
NSPA awards ceremony
1 p.m. Central Saturday, April 10
NSPA announces winners of its Pacemaker Awards for literary magazine, online and yearbook, as well as convention Best of Show awards, at its spring awards ceremony.
For more information on the Pacemakers and other NSPA awards, go to the awards page at nspa.studentpress.org.
Competition questions
Direct questions about the competition to Gary Lundgren,
gary@studentpress.org.
BetterBNC questions
For personal assistance with the BetterBNC website, contact Cody at 360-427-6300 from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. Pacific, or email at cody@smalltownpapers.com.
Yearbooks
Past NSPA awards
Best of Show
Fall 2020 • Spring 2020 •
Fall 2019 • Spring 2019
2020 Pacemaker Awards
Broadcast
Online
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Specialty Magazine
2019 Yearbook
2020 Individual Awards
Broadcast
Cartoon
Design
Digital Story
Photo
Portfolio
Story
Social Justice Reporting
Local Climate Change Reporting
Best Use of Social Media
COVID-19 Coverage
Middle School
