The 2022-23 General Excellence Yearbook and Literary Magazine Competition entry period now open through Aug. 31, 2023.

General Excellence

Yearbooks and literary magazines published in the 2022-23 academic year will be accepted for the General Excellence and Individual Awards contests.

Awards will be announced via a virtual awards ceremony on Nov. 15, 2023, at 4 p.m. All winners will be celebrated during the Spring Awards banquet TBD.

Please note GSPA membership is required to enter all GSPA competitions. Membership is open to middle school and high school scholastic media advisers in the state of Georgia. All memberships expire at the end of the current academic year. If you are uncertain of your membership status or have any other questions, please email gspa@uga.edu. Join or renew for 2023-24 here:  https://forms.gle/Va1gzYkLaWK416fX9

ENTRY GUIDELINES: 

1. The entry form is available at https://forms.gle/isG8ASG8Gxa6anxt5.

2. Submit:

  • Yearbook - Send one copy of the 2022-2023. You may send a digital version or a hard copy of the book, whichever you prefer.

  • Literary Magazine - Submit one copy of one issue printed during the 2022-23 school year. If you plan to enter more than one issue, you must submit contest entry forms and pay the $40 critique fee for each issue. You may send a digital version or a hard copy of the book, whichever you prefer.

3. An entry form is required for each entry. It is optional, but recommended, that the adviser or EIC submit a letter (no more than one-page in length) outlining for the judges any challenges the staff faced or elements that the staff wishes to highlight as their publication is reviewed. This can be mailed along with yearbooks or literary magazines, or emailed to gspa@uga.edu.

4. The contest fee is $40 per entry. Individual entries are $2 each. IMPORTANT: If planning to pay by check, please first email gspa@uga.edu to request an invoice. Please do not mail checks directly to the College, as our payment processing system has changed. Or, payments can be made online. No refunds of GSPA contest entry fees will be given for any reason after the entries have been received by the GSPA office. See full refund policy.

5. Please mail books (BUT NOT PAYMENT) to GSPA, 120 Hooper St. Journalism 211A, Athens, GA 30602. If you wish to submit a digital copy instead of a hard copy, please email gspa@uga.edu with a link to a Google Drive folder containing the submission.

Individual Awards

GSPA offers unique categories to recognize outstanding student work (see categories below). Work published in newspaper, newsmagazine, news website and video broadcast may be entered in the spring competition, while yearbook and literary magazine entries are accepted in the summer.

ENTRY GUIDELINES

1. Each individual entry is $2. IMPORTANT: If planning to pay by check, please first email gspa@uga.edu to request an invoice. Please do not mail checks directly to the College, as our payment processing system has changed. Or, payments can be made online. No refunds of GSPA contest entry fees will be given for any reason after the entries have been received by the GSPA office. See full refund policy.

2. A form is required for EACH individual entry. You will receive an emailed copy of each successfully completed form. Please review each form and make sure all information requested was properly included.

3. Entries are limited to THREE PER STAFF per category: https://forms.gle/jKb6ubjd6hCgwikv7

  • We will not accept multiple entries from one individual in the same category.

  • Staff members should work with their fellow staffers and advisers to select the three best individual pieces from your staff per category.

4. Each individual entry should be in a PDF.

  • The PDF title should be the following: Category Number/Title/Publication Name/Student Name(s).

6. The PDFs should all be in a Google Drive folder.

  • Create the folder with the individual entries prior to submitting the entry forms.

  • Instead of sharing the folder, you will add the link of the PDF to the corresponding entry form.

  • In order to do this: you will open up the PDF (already uploaded into the Google folder) hit the share button and the click "Get Shareable" link.

  • IMPORTANT: Make sure the setting is set to anyone with the link can view. Specifically, please allow gspa1928@gmail.com to have access.

7. Entries that do not follow guidelines properly will be disqualified. 

8. ***Make sure all the links work properly*** Broken links will be disqualified.


Literary Magazine Categories

L1. Poem: Original poems with the author’s byline may be submitted.

L2. Short Story: Original short stories with the author’s byline may be submitted.

L3. Artwork: Original artwork, not including the cover design, may be submitted.

L4. Photograph: Original photographs shot specifically for literary magazines are acceptable. e photograph's content and technical quality will be considered by judges. Submit original photograph with one copy of the magazine page containing the photograph. 

L5. Cover Design: This category includes hand or computer-generated artwork or photography used on the literary magazine cover.

L6. Spread Design: Submit one spread from the literary magazine. Please include all pages that comprise the spread. 

SML1. Social Media Storytelling: Submit screenshots on a pdf file showcasing innovative storytelling on a social media platform.

SML2. Social Media Promotion: Submit screenshots on a pdf showcasing a promotion on social media platform.

NML. Emerging Media: This category includes unique and innovative ways to tell a story through an emerging media platforms, such as interactive elements.

Yearbook Categories

Y1. Yearbook Story: Entries can include year-end recaps, school events or other standard yearbook stories. Stories should use creativity, but still follow basic journalistic writing standards.

Y2. Special Interest Story: This category includes specially-reported stories highlighting a specific issue, person or event unique to the school year. Stories should use creativity, but still follow basic journalistic writing standards.

Y3. News Photograph: Photos in this category should be non-portrait, non-sports photos of on-the-spot coverage of an event that has news value and timeliness.

Y4. Feature Photograph: Photos should be non-portrait, non-sports photos that create a special effect or entertain, appeal to the emotions and accompany a feature story or stand alone on a page with a cutline.

Y5. Sports Photograph: Any non-portrait photo directly related to sporting events may be entered.

Y6. Portrait Photograph: Photos of an individual or group in a posed setting.

Y7. Photo Essay: This category is for descriptive stories told through numerous photographs.Submit the full page, including the headlines, copy,photos and captions along with the original photographs. The entry will be judged on the quality of the photographs, copy and layout. Please include the names of all students who worked on the photo essay. 

Y8. Information Graphics: This category includes artwork or information graphics used to enhance any news, feature or sports section.

Y9. Illustration: This category is for hand-generated artwork created by a single student. Illustrations that are part of information graphics should NOT be entered in this category (see Y8).

Y10. Photo Illustration: Photo illustrations (photos manipulated for artistic purpose or to illustrate an idea) fall into this category.

Y11. Spread Design: One or two pages may be submitted. Layouts will be judged on content, design, originality, creativity and overall use of space.

Y12. Advertising Design: This category includes student-designed and student- written advertisements. Judging will be based on originality, creativity, design and appeal.

Y13. Cover Design: Only original, student-produced designs may be entered. Company-designed covers will not be accepted. Judges will consider use of color, design elements and relationship to the book's theme. Only one entry per staff accepted.

Y14. Theme Development: Submit all theme-related pages, including the cover, endsheets, title page, opening, closing, divisionals and examples of other pages that highlight the yearbook's theme. Awards will recognize the staff . Only one entry per staff accepted.

SM1. Social Media Storytelling: Submit screenshots on a pdf file showcasing innovative storytelling on a social media platform.

SM2. Social Media Breaking News: Submit screenshots on a pdf showcasing breaking news coverage on a social media platform.

SM3. Social Media Promotion: Submit screenshots on a pdf showcasing a promotion on social media platform.

NM1. Emerging Media: This category includes unique and innovative ways to tell a story through an emerging media platforms, such as interactive elements.

Special for this year:

S1. Social Justice Reporting- This special category highlights outstanding coverage of social justice issues.

S2. Health/Medical Reporting - This special category recognizes exemplary coverage of all news related to health and medical issues.

S3. Environmental Reporting - This special category acknowledges exceptional coverage of all news related to climate, natural, and environmental issues as it relates to the school community or public.