DESIGN CATEGORIES
Note: This is a digital contest. Each entry must have its own unique URL that links to a file or a folder containing only that entry. DO NOT submit a link that has a folder for all of your school’s entries. Make sure your files and folders can be viewed by anyone who has the link. All work must be published and not Google documents.
Category 1 – Theme Development ($8/entry)
Only one (1) entry can be submitted per school. Entry should include cover, end sheets, introduction, division pages and closing. It may also include images of other items that helped develop your theme. Entries will be judged on overall unity of theme package including theme copy, typography, graphics and color. Please save all digital files into a single folder and share the folder link.
Category 2 – Cover Design ($8/entry)
Only one (1) PDF entry can be submitted. This must be an original student design and not a cover created by your printing plant or yearbook company. If you have other special effects, please submit other files as needed.
Category 3 – Student Life Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread from a student life section. (Mini-magazine coverage may be included). Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines, captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 4 – Academics Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread from an academics section. Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines, captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 5 – Clubs or Organizations Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a clubs or organizations spread. Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, well-cropped and composed group photos, informative headlines, captions, IDs, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 6 – Sports Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a sports spread. Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines and captions, scoreboards, and layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 7 – Performing Arts Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a performing arts spread. Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines and captions, and layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 8 – People (panel) Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread that includes panel photos, with either student, staff or faculty/administration coverage. Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines and captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 9 – Profile Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread with either student, staff or faculty/administration coverage. (Mini-magazine coverage may be included.) Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines and captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 10 – Graphic Design Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread that embodies contemporary use of graphics to enhance the content on the spread. Includes the use of typography, screens, placement, rule lines, logos and other visual elements. Entries will be judged on composition, creativity and interest.
Category 11 – News/Current Events Spread ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread depicting news or current events. Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines and captions, scoreboards, and layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 12 – Beginning Designer ($8/entry)
Submit three visuals from one first-year staffer on a Google document with links to the published work or in a Google folder with PDFs of the published work.
WRITING CATEGORIES
Category 13 – Headline Writing and Design ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread, from any section, that demonstrates excellence in headline writing and design. Entries will be judged on writing mechanics, effective use of typography and visual elements, and interest
Category 14 – Caption Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread from any section that demonstrates excellence in caption writing. Entries will be judged on writing mechanics, how well the captions complement photos or visuals, and interest.
Category 15 – Personality Profiles ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread from any section that demonstrates excellence in profiling a person in written and visual content. Entries will be judged on writing mechanics, visual and design elements, and interest.
Category 16 – Sports Feature Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a sports spread that demonstrates excellence in sports feature writing. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, accuracy, interest and relevance to the spread at hand.
Category 17 – Academics Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of an academics spread that demonstrates excellence in academic writing. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, accuracy, interest, and relevance to the spread at hand.
Category 18 – Clubs or Organizations Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a clubs or organizations spread that demonstrates excellence in clubs/orgs writing. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, accuracy, interest, and relevance to the spread at hand.
Category 19 – Performing Arts Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread from any spread that demonstrates excellence in performing arts writing. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, accuracy, interest, and relevance to the spread at hand.
Category 20 – Student Life Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread that demonstrates excellence in student life writing. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, accuracy, interest, and relevance to the spread at hand.
Category 21 – Alternative Story Form ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread that contains information presented in a non-narrative format such as timelines, a list, broken story segments, Q&A sections or the use of infographics. Other elements that fall into alternative story form may also be submitted.
Category 22 – News/Current Events Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread depicting news or current events that demonstrates excellence in storytelling. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, accuracy, interest, and relevance to the spread at hand.
Category 23 – Theme Copy ($8/entry)
Entries will be judged on overall unity of theme copy. Schools are invited to include a letter outlining why they selected the theme and how it pertains to their specific school and year. Please save all digital files into a single folder and share the folder link and include captions for the photos used.
Category 24 – Beginning Writer ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder with PDFs of three stories from one first-year staffer.
Category 25 – Social Media Journalist Writer ($8/entry)
A portfolio submission by a single person, including up to seven posts. The posts can run the gamut of social media platforms, but the winning entries are likely to show skill with content writing, design and reader engagement.
PHOTO CATEGORIES
Category 26 – Sports Action Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original photo depicting sports action. Entries will be judged on composition, interest, caption writing and effective cropping. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 27 – Sports Feature Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original sports feature photo. Entries will be judged on composition, interest, caption writing and effective cropping. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 28 – Feature/Student Life Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original general feature or student life photo. The photo should emphasize the human-interest angle and focus on people in their environment. Posed shots and portraits are NOT acceptable. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping, caption writing and interest. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 29 – Academic Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original photo depicting academics. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping, caption writing and focus on students in learning/academic situations. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 30 – Clubs or Organizations Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original photo a club or organization. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping, caption writing and focus on student club or organization activities. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 31 – Performing Arts Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original photo depicting the performing arts. Entries will be judged on composition, interest, caption writing and effective cropping. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 32 – Theme Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original photo depicting the yearbook theme. Please include a small paragraph about how this photo accentuates the theme. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping, caption writing and focus on the yearbook theme. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes the spread, photo and caption.
Category 33 – News/Current Events Photo ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original photo depicting news or current events. Entries will be judged on composition, interest, caption writing and effective cropping. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 34 – Portrait Photography ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original portrait of a feature subject. This is a posed photograph that accompanies a feature or profile story, or stands alone as a feature in the yearbook. Entries will be judged on composition, lighting, captions and other elements that help the audience learn more about the person in the portrait. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 35 – Photo Illustration ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and a JPEG or other file type of the photo illustration. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping, writing and visual interest. Include both the original digital photo file and the spread, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
Category 36 – Photo Essay ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and a JPEG or other file type of the photo essay of between three to five photos. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping, writing and visual interest. Include both the original digital photo file and the spread, and share the link to the folder that includes the spread, caption and photo.
Category 37 – Beginning Photographer ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and a JPEG or other file type of between three to five photos by one first-year staffer.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CATEGORIES (for those in grades 6-8)
Category 38 – Middle School Design ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread from any section. Entries will be judged on realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines, captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.
Category 39 – Middle School Writing ($8/entry)
Submit the PDF of a spread that demonstrates excellence in writing. Entries will be judged on quality of writing, accuracy, interest, and relevance to the spread at hand.
Category 40 – Middle School Photography ($8/entry)
Submit the URL of a folder that contains a PDF of the spread and JPEG of the original photo. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping, caption writing and interest. Include the original digital photo file, and share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.
