EN
HR
Since their creation in 2018, more than 5,000 journalists from 160 countries have participated in the AIPS Sport Media Awards, the only global prize for sports journalism. The submission period for the seventh edition is now entering its final phase, and here are 20 general questions you need to know before submitting your work.
1) Do I have to be a member of AIPS to participate?
No, AIPS membership is not required. Participation is open to all professional journalists, photographers, video makers, broadcasters, podcasters, producers and film directors.
2) When is the deadline for submitting for the current edition?
You have time to submit until November 4, 2024, at 22:00 Central European Time.
3) What are the valid dates for publication?
All stories, videos, audio or photographs must have been first published or premiered between November 5, 2023, and November 4, 2024. Reproductions or republished material from an earlier date will not be taken into consideration.
4) Can I submit in any language?
Yes. The official language of the Awards is English, but you can submit in any language. We recommend sending an English translation, although is not customary. For translating purposes, after you’ve submitted audio and video files, we might ask you for the script in the original language.
5) Which categories are included in the AIPS Sport Media Awards?
There are 8 main categories, as follows: two for Photography (1-Photo Action, 2-Portfolio), two for Writing (3-Best Column, 4-Best Colour Piece), one for Audio (5-Audio), three for Video (6-Short Feature, 7-Athlete Profile, 8-Documentary).
6) What are the specifications for each category?
Photography: One picture for Photo Action, Three to five pictures for Portfolio. Writing: no word limit; book excerpts are not allowed unless published as articles in media outlets. Audio: Audio shows, podcasts and commentary allowed, no time limit. Video: Short Feature, up to 10 minutes in lenght. Athlete Profile and Documentary: Starting from 10 minutes without maximum limit.
7) What are the prizes for the 8 main categories?
Winners of each category will receive a US$ 8,000 prize plus a commemorative trophy. Second-placed will earn US$ 3,000 and third-placed, US$ 2,000.
8) What is the Young Reporter Under 30 category?
The Young Reporter category is a special optional category that does not entitle to money prize, reserved for those who were born since January 1, 1994. The Young Reporter Under 30 category is split into three: 1-Best Young Reporter in Photography (one sports photo), 2-Best Young Reporter in Writing (one article) 3-Best Young Reporter in Broadcasting (a submission in audio or video). These categories will select a direct winner, without second or third place. The winner will earn an AIPS scholarship at a top international sporting event.
9) How many submissions per person are allowed?
Only two submissions per person are allowed. All submissions must be sent using the website, www.aipsawards.com. Each submission must be sent in a separate entry form.
10) Can I participate in two different categories?
You can, as long as your participation complies with the Rules of participation, including your professional status.
11) Can I submit two works for the Young Reporter Under 30 category?
No, out of the two available submissions per person, only one is allowed to participate in the Young Reporter Under 30 category. Entrants are free to use the remaining one in any of the main categories.
12) Can I send the two submissions in the same entry form?
No. Each submission should be made in a separate entry form, informing title, a short intro, link (if applicable) and supporting material (proof of publication, translation, PDFs, audio or video files). If two submissions are found in the same entry form, users will be asked to correct it before deadline. If two or more submissions are found in the same form after deadline, they will not be taken into consideration.
13) I was a winner/finalist in the previous editions, can I still participate?
Definitely, you can!
14) How does the selection process work?
All submissions are screened and reviewed by a panel of AIPS experts and mentors who will establish the longlist. The next step is in the hands of the 24 members of the Executive Committee, which will narrow the candidates into a shortlist. The highest-rated works and the most voted ones go to the next round, in which the 12 members of the Jury narrow the list down into two voting stages (Top 10 candidates, Top 3 podium nominees). The day before the ceremony, the Jury meets again and votes for the winners.
15) Where did the previous ceremonies take place?
The opening ceremony (January 2019) was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Olympic capital as well as the city where the AIPS headquarters were based. IOC President Thomas Bach gave the opening speech. The second edition (February 2020) was held in Budapest, Hungary, with the participation of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The third edition was a virtual ceremony broadcast on YouTube from the medieval castle of Vigevano, in Italy, due to the restrictions of the pandemic. In 2022, the fourth edition took place in Doha, Qatar. In April 2023, the ceremony travelled to Seoul, South Korea. This year, the sixth edition was celebrated in Santa Susanna, Spain.
16) What are the continental rankings?
After the ceremony, AIPS publishes the continental rankings, based on the entrants’ nationalities, with the highest-rated works divided by category. This is an encouragement to all participants and a celebration of their work on a regional level, in the search for sport media excellence. All participants featured in the continental rankings receive a special diploma of recognition.
17) What are the special mentions and special commendations?
The AIPS Awards board also issues certificates of achievement and special commendations for entrants who did not reach the final but whose work was highly regarded in the judging process and represents the core values of AIPS. These values include defending Human Rights & gender equality, fighting against racism and all forms of discrimination, promoting a clean sports environment, offering hope towards sports, promoting sports as an answer to violence in conflict zones, reporting with independence and freedom, defending the importance of access to sources for interviews, contributing to the development of women’s sport, acknowledging the future of sports, detecting and featuring original sports stories, raising awareness about mental health, and presenting innovative ways of sports reporting, among others.
18) How can I submit?
You need to register at www.aipsawards.com and then upload your work. All the steps are explained in this link: https://www.aipsawards.com/single-news?id=20321
19) What’s proof of publication and why it’s important?
To check that a submission has been published during the valid period of participation is fundamental, which is why we ask the valid proof of publication. This can be a PDF, a link, or a screenshot, depending on the media of your submissions. For radio shows and TV, a letter from the editor guaranteeing when the programme was aired is valid.
20) What are the special categories and how can I submit?
Investigative reporting is a special category not open to submissions, decided by the president of the Jury, Gianni Merlo. The AIPS Sport Media Awards encourage all kinds of investigations and invite participants to submit them in the relevant category, whether it’s Audio, Video or Writing. On top of participating in their own category, all investigations received are candidates for the special mentions of investigative work.
Any other questions?
We will publish the specific Frequently Asked Questions by category in the coming days. If you have any queries, you can contact us directly at
AIPS Media
