CONTEST RULES

Please follow the rules below to ensure that your entry is accepted. Entries that do not conform to these rules may be disqualified at the discretion of the judges or contest administrator. In addition, be sure to follow the specific requirements for each category found in the category descriptions. 

Eligibility: All entries must have been published or aired originally, reagrdless of platform or medium, in 2024 (unless otherwise specified). All entries must be submitted in English. All news websites, news services (including radio, TV stations and magazines) and newspapers in the United States are eligible to enter. Each nominating organization must create its own account to enter.

The work of a journalist or team can be entered in more than one category but will be selected as a winner in only one.

The work of both employees and freelance contributors is eligible.

Journalists employed by the Poynter Institute, and work edited by journalists employed by Poynter, are ineligble to enter. Employess of the Poynter-owned Tampa Bay Times and affiliates are eligible to enter because Poynter plays no role in news operations. Poynter employees who are jurors or judges shall recuse themselves from judging entries from the Tampa Bay Times. 

Deadline: All entries must be submitted by 6 pm EST Friday, February 14, 2025. 

Team Entries: All awards categories accept team entries except the Mike Royko Award for Commentary and Column Writing.

Multiple Entries: A news organization can submit up to three entries in each category. Individual or freelance journalists may self-enter in the same category however, even if their organization submits three entries to that category.

Reprint Rights: Reprint rights are granted to the Poynter Institute by virtue of entry in this contest.

Entry Format: If your entry is available online, please submit your piece via the URL(s). If your entry requires special instructions to the judges about what pieces to consider, you may submit that information in an optional PDF. If you would prefer to submit your entry via PDF, we ask that you do so in a clear, easily legible format, with all components clearly labeled. Your nominating letter (optional) should be uploaded as a PDF.

If uploading via PDF, you should submit one PDF file that contains the entire entry and then another PDF file that contains the optional nominating letter. You may submit multiple PDFs if the entry is large. Each item in an entry must include its published date and be formatted for easy readability. A sidebar can be submitted as a separate article to be counted toward the maximum articles allowed per category. If the articles are part of a series, then only submit the articles that will be judged up to the maximum allowed per category. The articles can be prefaced with the original play of the articles.

If you are entering via URL and there is a paywall, then use the "paywall instructions" box in the entry submission form to upload instructions for access. The URL needs to be made available as a link on the Poynter website if it is a winning entry.

You may include clearly labeled supplemental material but it will not be judged as part of your entry.

All video entries should be entered by URL. Please refer to the categories page for more specific rules. 

No minimum number of items is required in each category, but there is a maximum number allowed that is dependent on the category. Please see the specific rules under each category for further instructions.

Enter online: Nomination letters (optional) and submission of entries must be completed online. Click here to set up an account for your organization and start entering. Please check with your nominating editor to see if your organization has an account before registering, as each organization should only have one account for entering submissions. (Note: if you are a registered user or training customer of the Poynter Institute, that is NOT the same account you use to access The Poynter Journalism Prizes contest portal. You will need to create a new account on this site.) All entries must be submitted by 6 pm EST Friday, February 14, 2025. No late entries will be accepted.

Entrant Type/Fees: There is a nonrefundable handling fee for each entry. The Early Bird entry fee of $75 applies to all entries submitted by 11:59 p.m. on January 31, 2025. Entries between February 1 and February 14, 2025 will pay a fee of $85 per entry.

Support: All questions should be emailed to poynterprizes@poynter.org.