Best of Show
The Best of Show competition, a popular offering at the Spring National College Media Conference, is open to all media outlets with student delegates attending the conference.
Best of Show winners will be announced at the ACP Awards Ceremony on Saturday, March 7.
The Best of Show competition features two divisions —
Individual Recognition
Staff Recognition
Individual Recognition
Best of Show Individual Awards recognize specific student journalists for their achievement.
To be eligible for the Best of Show competition, the media outlet must be represented by registered student delegates at the convention. For Individual Recognition competitions; however, students do not need to be present to participate.
The awards in this category are presented to individuals or teams of up to five staff members. There are no restrictions on the number of entries; however, an entry can be submitted in only one category. All entries should be published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025) by your student media outlet.
The Best of Show category winner receives a plaque, with second through 10th place winners receiving certificates.
PAYMENT: The contest fee is $30 per entry for ACP members and $45 per entry for nonmembers. Best of Show entries are purchased as part of the conference online registration process. Payments are also accepted at the Best of Show registration desk at the conference.
DEADLINE: Submit entries by 5 p.m. CT Wednesday, Feb. 18 using the BetterBNC award platform. Technical assistance is available from BetterBNC on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT.
ADVERTISEMENT: Print, Online, Video, Audio
Produced by student(s) for a client and published or aired on student media during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025). Submitted by URL for broadcast and online and PDF file for print through the BetterBNC award platform.
BROADCAST: News Story
Reporting on breaking news or an issue of importance to your audience that demonstrates strong news-gathering skills and delivers concise information. Demonstrates broadcast news-gathering and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025). Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.
BROADCAST: Feature Story
Personality profiles or human-interest general features that demonstrate broadcast human-interest storytelling and reporting skills. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025). Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.
BROADCAST: Sports Story
Coverage of past or present games or seasonal coverage, may also include profiles or sports personalities or human-interest sports features. Produced and aired during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025). Submit a URL link through the BetterBNC award platform.
DESIGN: Magazine
A single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print literary arts or general audience/feature magazine. . Submit a PDF file of the page or spread from the most recent magazine.through the BetterBNC award platform.
DESIGN: Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print newspaper/newsmagazine. Submit a PDF file of the page or spread published during the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025) through the BetterBNC award platform.
DESIGN: Yearbook
Single-page or double-page spread appearing in a print yearbook. Submit a PDF file of the page or spread from the 2025 yearbook through the BetterBNC award platform.
PHOTOJOURNALISM: News/Feature Photo
News/feature photo appearing in print or online. Image should be from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025) Submit a file (JPG, TIF, PNG) along with a caption through the BetterBNC award platform.
PHOTOJOURNALISM: Sports Photo
Sports photo appearing in print or online. Photos may include game/action shots and sports features such as fans, sidelines, etc. Image should be from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025) Submit a file (JPG, TIF, PNG) along with a caption through the BetterBNC award platform.
REPORTING: News Story
Reporting on breaking news or an issue of importance to your audience that demonstrates strong news-gathering skills and delivers concise information. Story should be from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025). Submit a URL link for online or a PDF file of the printed page(s) (do not submit both) using the BetterBNC award platform.
REPORTING: Feature Story
Personality profiles or human-interest general features. Story should be from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025). Submit a URL link for online or a PDF file of the printed page(s) (do not submit both) using the BetterBNC award platform.
REPORTING: Sports Story
Coverage of past or present games or a seasonal summary, may also include profiles of sports personalities or human-interest sports features. Story should be from the current school year (after Aug. 1, 2025). Submit a URL link for online or a PDF file of the printed page(s) (do not submit both) using the BetterBNC award platform.
Staff Recognition
The awards in this category are presented to the student media outlet for the overall product. Only one submission is allowed in each category. The entries compete directly against each other, and a critique or scoresheet is not provided.
The Best of Show winner receives the iconic ACP Best of Show trophy, with second through 10th place winners receiving certificates. The awards in this category are presented to student media staff. The media outlet must be represented by registered student delegates at the convention.
PAYMENT: The contest fee is $30 per entry for ACP members and $45 per entry for nonmembers. Best of Show entries are purchased as part of the conference online registration process. Payments are also accepted at the Best of Show registration desk at the conference.
DEADLINE: Two copies of print publications must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by noon PT on Friday, March 6. The second copy is for the People’s Choice Awards.
Magazine
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Yearbook
Digital entries must be submitted using the links below by noon PT on Friday, March 6:
Advertising Media Kit
Broadcast News Program
Digital Newsletter
Website
Advertising Media Kit
Must be designed by students for a student media operation. The media kit tells the story of your products, services and your marketplace. Enter the current 2025-26 school year media kit. Submit URL link or PDF file (do NOT submit both) using using this link:
Broadcast News Program
Entries consist of a single broadcast news program aired between Aug, 1, 2025 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 student media outlet and not a personal site or channel. Submit your URL using this link:
Digital Newsletter
This category is for digital email newsletters highlighting top stories and breaking news delivered by email. Submit PDF file (with working links) for one newsletter published between Aug. 1, 2025 and the contest deadline using using using this link:
Magazine
Submit the most recent magazine print issue in one of the categories. Single copies of print publications must be turned in to the registration Best of Show desk by noon PT on Friday, March 6. Only print entries are accepted unless the magazine was distributed only in a digital format.
Feature Magazine (two-year campus)
Feature Magazine (four-year campus)
Literary Arts Magazine (two-year campus)
Literary Arts Magazine (four-year campus)
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Submit one print copy of an issue of the newspaper/newsmagazine, published between Aug. 1, 2025 and the contest deadline. Single copies of print publications must be turned in to the registration Best of Show desk by noon PT on Friday, March 6. Only print entries are accepted.
Newspaper/Newsmagazine (two-year campus)
Newspaper/Newsmagazine (four-year campus with 15,000 students or fewer)
Newspaper/Newsmagazine (four-year campus with more than 15,000 students)
Yearbook
The most recent published yearbook should be entered. Single copies of print publications must be turned in to the conference registration Best of Show desk by noon PT on Friday, March 6. Only print entries are accepted.
Yearbook (all)
Website
An online website actively updated throughout the current school year, competing in one of three categories and submitted as a URL link using using this link:
