Statewide Media Contests
2024 Statewide Media Contests are now open. Click on the “Enter Here” tab to submit entries and make payment.
NCSMA offers critique services and All-North Carolina media contests. Award categories include Achievement, Honor, Distinction and All-North Carolina.
All-North Carolina is NCSMA’s highest rating. All-North Carolina media demonstrate excellence in all areas of journalism, combining effective writing and design with broad and diverse coverage. Tar Heels, the highest honor, are awarded to select student media from the All-North Carolina class.
Staffs may elect to enter section contests, and students may also submit entries for more than 50 individual contests.
Critique services of NCSMA offer annual opportunities for students and staffs to distinguish themselves and to receive feedback for improvement. NCSMA’s critique service is one that features a flash critique returned to attendees at the annual N.C. Scholastic Media Institute. Awards are announced at NCSMI each summer.
Click here for the 2024 Statewide Media Contests Information Sheet.
2024 Contest Entry Process
NCSMA encourages all schools in North Carolina to participate in the annual statewide media contests.
Contest deadlines are May 15 for broadcast, online news and radio podcasts, and June 1 for newspaper, yearbook and literary magazine. These are the deadlines by which we must receive everything. Judging begins immediately.
For help combining PDFs and spreads, consult this handout.
For help compressing large files, consult this handout.
If advisers or staffs have additional questions about the contest entry process, contact us at ncsma@unc.edu.
To enter, please submit the following:
Note for 2024: All contest entries must be submitted online. Newspaper, literary magazine and yearbook staffs may also ship a copy of their publication for showcase at the summer Institute.
- Complete the Google Form for overall contest entries. This form must be filled out once per publication. (Optional: Include a letter to the judges with any special circumstances or information you wish us to have). Follow instructions on how to submit overall entries online for newspaper, online news, yearbooks, literary magazines, broadcasts and radio/podcasts. Update: When submitting to overall contests, publications will automatically be entered into section contests for a flat fee of $75.
- Share all contest materials to ncsmacontests@gmail.com through Google Drive (make sure editing rights are enabled). Submit statewide media contest payments below:
In order to be eligible for the statewide contests, all entries must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on May 15 and June 1. Entries received after May 15 and June 1 deadlines will not be eligible for Tar Heels.
NCSMA staff will be available to assist staffs making online submissions, and we will post availability for that purpose. See @NCSMA or ncsma.unc.edu for more information.
NCSMAA membership is free for North Carolina high school and middle school journalism teachers and student media advisers who participate in NC Scholastic Media Association events, contests, workshops and fellowships – and free for those who register here.
2023
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
Radio/Podcast
2022
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
Radio/Podcast
2021
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
Radio/Podcast
2020
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
2019
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
2018
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
2017
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
2016
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
2015
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
Broadcast News
2014
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
2013
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News
2012
Literary Magazine
Newspaper
Yearbook
Online News