Yearbook Excellence Contest

2020 YEC is now taking entries!

A special “Thank You” to our sponsors!

INSTRUCTIONS

PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY (Final entry deadline is Oct. 10).

Look at the list of categories and determine which you will enter and how many entries you will have for each category.
Go to the bottom of this list of instructions and find the 2020 Yearbook Excellence Contest Entry Form. That is how your school enters the contest.
Once you have filled out and submitted the Yearbook Contest Entry Form, that space on this page will be replaced by the Yearbook Student Entry Form. That is how you will submit as many entries as you’d like.
Payment instructions are on the Contest Entry Form, and payments should be made within two weeks of entry.
Make sure your entries are accessible via a link to an online file or a folder that judges may easily access. In the case of Theme Development and photo categories, two or more files may be stored in a folder, so make sure you have a link to that folder.
If you have 40 entries or fewer, you will need to use the Student Entry Form only once. If you have 41 to 80 entries, the form will tell you how to start a second session with the form.
Every school may submit one Theme Development entry and as many entries as it would like in the other categories.

CATEGORIES

COVID-19 Note: We do not have a separate category for COVID-19 coverage, but we suspect that much or your coverage of the pandemic will fit in student life, academics, club/organizaations, sports and/or people, depending on the focus on a particular spread.

Category 1 – Theme Development ($10)
Only one (1) entry can be submitted. 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 – Student Life ($5/entry)
Spreads from student life sections may be submitted. (Mini-magazine coverage may be included). Entries will be judged on the quality of copy, realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines, captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted

Category 3 – Academics ($5/entry)
Spreads from academics sections may be entered. Entries will be judged on the quality of copy, realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines, captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.

Category 4 – Clubs or Organizations ($5/entry)
Spreads from clubs or organizations sections may be submitted. Entries will be judged on the quality of copy, realistic action photos, well-cropped and composed group photos, informative headlines, captions, ID’s, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.

Category 5 – Sports ($5/entry)
Entries from the sports section may be submitted. Entries will be judged on the quality of copy, realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines and captions, scoreboards, and layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.

Category 6 – People ($5/entry)
Spreads with either student, staff or faculty/administration coverage may be submitted. (Mini-magazine coverage may be included.) Entries will be judged on the quality of copy, realistic action photos, informative and interesting headlines and captions, layout and design. Weekly, monthly or other chronological coverage may be submitted.

Category 7 – Advertising ($5/entry)
Advertisement spreads may be submitted. Entries will be judged on copy, typography, effective illustrations or photos, well-written headlines, layout and design quality.

Category 8 – Sports Action Photo ($5/entry)
Spreads with sports photos may be submitted. Entries will be judged on composition, interest and effective cropping. Include the original digital photo file, share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.

Category 9 – Academic Photo ($5/entry)
Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping and focus on students in learning/academic situations. Include the original digital photo file, share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.

Category 10 – Student Life Photo ($5/entry)
Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping and focus on student life topics.

Category 11 – Clubs or Organizations Photo ($5/entry)
Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping and focus on student club or organization activities. Include the original digital photo file, share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.

Category 12 – Feature Photo ($5/entry)
Photos in spreads that emphasize the human-interest angle and focus on people in their environment may be submitted. Posed shots and portraits are NOT acceptable. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping and interest. Include the original digital photo file, share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.

Category 13 – Graphic Design ($5/entry)
Spreads may be submitted that embody 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 14 – Photo Illustration ($5/entry)
Photo illustrations featuring special effects, modifications or manipulations of photographs to tell a story may be submitted. Entries will be judged on composition, effective cropping and interest. If you also include both the original digital photo file and the spread, share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.

Category 15 – Portrait Photography ($5/entry)
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 and other elements that help the audience learn more about the person in the portrait. Include the original digital photo file, share the link to the folder that includes both the spread and the photo.

Category 16 – Headline Writing and Design ($5/entry)
Spreads from any section may be submitted that demonstrate excellence in headline writing and design. Entries will be judged on writing mechanics, effective use of typography and visual elements, and interest.

Category 17 – Caption Writing ($5/entry)
Spreads from any section may be submitted that demonstrate excellence in caption writing. Entries will be judged on writing mechanics, how well the captions complement photos or visuals, and interest.

Category 18 – Personality Profiles ($5/entry)
Spreads from any section that demonstrate excellence in profiling a person in written and visual content may be submitted. Entries will be judged on writing mechanics, visual and design elements, and interest.

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McKinney and Calvary Day win 2019 Blue and Gold Awards

McKinney High School (Texas) and Calvary Day School (Georgia) have earned Staff Excellence Blue and Gold Awards for their overall performance in the 2019 Quill and Scroll Yearbook Excellence Contest.

The Blue and Gold Awards note the best high school journalism offers. Winners of this prestigious award have distinguished themselves in visuals and/or writing categories in the regular Yearbook Excellence Contest. The following schools earned 2019 Blue and Gold Awards based on their staffs’ overall performance in the Yearbook Excellence Contest. The Staff Excellence Blue and Gold represents the best overall. Congratulations to this year’s Blue and Gold yearbooks.

Below the Blue and Gold winners see a link to the list of the National Winners, who all are eligible for Quill and Scroll scholarships.