Contest Deadline: Saturday, March 15, 2026
Contest Period: January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025
Submissions: All entries must be entered online at Contest Portal
Eligibility:
All student journalism content published as part of a media, communications or journalism program administered by a New Hampshire high school, college or university. Also eligible is content produced by autonomous or semi-autonomous student-run college journalism outlets such as newspapers, radio stations, television production networks and websites. Unpublished course work is not eligible.
Entrant Classes:
Class 3 — Colleges and Universities
Class 4 — High Schools
Fees:
The per entry fee is $8.
Entries are not valid until payment is received. The deadline for all payments, online or by check, is the contest closure date.
You may choose to “Pay Now” on the contest’s website using a credit card or PayPal account or you may pay by check to New Hampshire Press Association, c/o Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications, P.O. Box 4114, Manchester, NH 03108.
Please Note: If paying online do not submit your payment until you have completed all your entries. If you pay once and then add entries later and pay a second time, the online system will bill you for all the original entries again, not just the new ones.
Number of Entries:
Please refer to each award category for limits on the number of entries.
Winners:
Awards may be given in first, second, and third places. Judges are free to determine the number of winners, if any, in each category. Judges may declare no contest winners if there are insufficient entries in a category. There will be no honorable mention awards.
Entrants will be notified if they have placed by April 1. An in-person awards event will be held mid-April to include morning workshops for student journalists, luncheon and awards.
Personalized plaques will be presented to the first-place winners and certificates to the second and third-place winners.
Types of entries:
Entries may be uploaded in several file formats including doc, docx, gif, jpeg, mp3, rtf, wmv and pdf. If an entry consists of multiple .pdf files, please bundle them into a single document.
If you have a question about acceptable file types, please ask at contest@pressnh.org. Upload as many files as are necessary to complete your entry but refer to the specific category instructions for any limitations on the number of supporting files allowed. No single file upload may be larger than 100mb.
If your entry includes links to online content, enter the URLs in the URL boxes in the online entry form. As many as five links may be entered. If an entry includes more than five links, embed the additional links in a text document and upload that file into the entry form.
With each entry submission, please include the name(s) of the person(s) who should be credited for the work. These are the name(s) that will appear on the plaques and certificates awarded at the banquet. If there are more than three names, list staff.
If your news organization has a paywall, include login information in the explanation field or with the supporting documentation so that judges may access the content. Entries will not be judged if there is a paywall and no login information is provided with the entry.
Disqualifications:
An entry will be disqualified if the entry is not within the required date as indicated in the rules, payment is not made prior to the judging or the specific rules as outlined in each class are not followed. News organizations will NOT be notified of entry disqualifications.
Once the contest has been judged, an award may be revoked if it becomes known that the entry was submitted in an incorrect division or altered since the original publication date. Entries must be submitted exactly as they were published.
No refunds will be issued.
Finally: Entering the contest gives the New Hampshire Press Association permission to publish the entries in print and online.
Any situation arising that is not covered by these rules will be settled by the judges. The decision of the judges is final.
Award Categories
NHPA College and High School Contest
Awards to be presented at a day-long event in April to include morning workshops, awards luncheon, and networking opportunities. Workshops will be designed for both college and high school journalists.
General Excellence – This award recognizes excellence in all aspects of student journalism, including (but not limited to) print, web, video, radio, podcast, and multi-media.
Broadcasts or audio content can include a complete newscast, podcast or a combination of newscasts and a special report. If submission is regularly scheduled, please submit one from spring and one from fall you may also include one submission of your choice. They may be uploaded as .mp3 or .wav files provided no single file is larger than 100mb or supplied as links to online files.
Print submissions should include one edition from spring and one from fall you may also submit another edition of your choosing from any time during the contest year. Each edition must be submitted as a single .pdf document. No individual page submissions will be accepted. Websites entries must consist of the website’s URL and a cover letter of no more than 500 words describing its attributes. In addition, a username and password should be supplied if needed.
Best News Coverage – This award recognizes a reporter or reporting team for reporting of a single event or issue. Judges will consider the significance of the topic and the thoroughness and clarity of reporting, editing, supporting assets and presentation. Content may be produced in any combination of print, online or other media. Entries may consist of no more than five supporting submissions — news stories, editorials, columns, photographs, graphics, multimedia, episodes, etc.. Entries may include a cover letter of no more than 500 words describing the story and how it was conceived and executed. Supporting documentation may be uploaded as a document, image, audio, and video files, or submitted as links to online content. Student news organizations may submit up to three entries in this category.
Best Published Feature – This award recognizes outstanding writing, including news, feature story, column, short story, etc. If it is written and published by a student publication it is eligible. Content may be published in any combination of print or digital. Supporting documentation may be uploaded as standard document file formats or submitted as links to online content. Student news organizations may submit up to three entries in this category.
Best Podcast/Video/Multimedia – This award recognizes the outstanding use of audio, video, multimedia, social media, videos, television, radio, podcasts, and other technology to tell stories or relay information. Entries may include a cover letter of no more than 500 words describing how the item was organized and carried out. Audio and video entries should be submitted as single files no larger than 100mb or as a link to online content. Podcast or other episodic content should consist of no more than three episodes submitted as individual audio files no larger than 100mb or as links to online content. Student news organizations may submit up to three entries in this category.
Best Graphic/Cartoon/Illustration/Advertising/Page design – This award recognizes creativity and execution in the design and use of a graphic, cartoon, illustration, advertising, or total page design. This should be a photo-illustration, cartoon, illustration, advertisement or a combination of graphic-design elements that enhance a story or tells a story of its own. Content may be published in any combination of print, online, social media, or broadcast. Entries may include hand- drawn, computer- drawn or electronically manipulated images. Entries should consist of an image(s) uploaded as a .pdf or .jpg file showing the entry in context; or an online link to the item. Entries may include a cover letter of no more than 500 words describing the graphic, cartoon, illustration, or advertising. Student news organizations may submit up to three entries in this category.
Best Sports Coverage – This award recognizes outstanding reporting on a sports-related topic, including sports news, game story, feature story, column, podcast, social media, video, audio, etc. Content may be published in any combination of print, online or broadcast. Supporting documentation may be uploaded as a document, image, audio or video files, or submitted as links to online content. Student news organizations may submit up to three entries in this category.
Best Photo/Video – This award recognizes exceptional photography or videography associated with news, sports or feature content; or intended as standalone content. Content may be published in any combination of print, online, social media or broadcast. Entries should be uploaded as a .pdf, .jpg, or standard video file format of less than 100mb or as online link(s) to the content. Entries may include a cover letter of no more than 500 words describing the entry. Student news organizations may submit up to three entries in this category.