AIPS Sport Media Awards 2018

About the Awards

The AIPS Sport Media Awards are the highest international accolade in the sport media industry. The Awards, currently in their first edition, offer recognition to the very best sport storytellers across all media platforms, from photography to video, from print to digital, from podcasts to sports blogs.

Based on the premise that sport is a valuable tool for education and culture, and with a network of 160 countries, AIPS, as the internationally-recognised body for sports journalism, looks to celebrate those professionals who continue to produce the best, most creative content worldwide.

AIPS Sport Media Awards are a celebration of sports media excellence, representing a new, inspiring horizon for sports journalists across the globe. The first edition of the Awards ceremony will be held in Lausanne in January 2019.

AIPS will partner with QSPC, the Qatar Sports Press Committee, for the AIPS Sport Media Awards. QSPC is offering broad support to AIPS as part of a shared drive to invest in culture and sport journalism, and purposefully protect and safeguard the integrity of the profession.

About AIPS

The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) is the peak professional body representing the international sports media, with more than 9,000 members worldwide, representing the leading international daily newspapers, websites, periodicals and radio and television channels across the five continents.

AIPS was established in Paris, in 1924, as L'Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive, by Games Press Chief, Frantz Reichel, and the Belgian, Victor Boin. The AIPS headquarters are based in the Olympic capital Lausanne, Switzerland.

The first Congress was held in July 1924, with 29 nations present.

AIPS is recognised by the International Olympic Committee and the main Federations of each sport and country.

The aim of AIPS is to enhance the cooperation between its member associations in defending sport and the professional interest of members, to strengthen the friendship, solidarity and common interests between sports journalists of all nations and to assure the best possible working conditions for members.

AIPS is an independent organisation, financed through membership fees and the contributions of international bodies and Federations worldwide.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. The AIPS Sports Media Awards 2018 are open to professional journalists, whether directly employed or freelancers.

2. Applications may come from AIPS cardholders as well as those who are not members of the association but must come from one of the countries represented by the 150 member national associations of AIPS.

3. All entrants must be persons who are 18 years of age or older on or before July 1, 2017

SUBMISSIONS

The AIPS Sport Media Awards will be open to professional journalists, whether directly employed or freelancers. Applications may come from AIPS cardholders as well as those who are not members of the association but must come from one of the countries represented by the 150 member national associations (Please refer to the full list on www.aipsmedia.com). Only entries published between July 1st, 2017 and September 17th, 2018 will be accepted. Entries can be made in any language.

Submissions should only be made via the Awards’ online website before September 17th, 2018. Supporting documents and proof of publication are also to be submitted only via the website. A maximum of 2 separate submissions per entrant are allowed across all categories of the awards.

All entrants must be persons who are eighteen years of age before July 1st, 2017 or older.

PRIZES

Each eligible award consists of an original trophy and prize money of USD 8.000 for the winner; second placed will receive USD 3.000 and third placed USD 2.000 in the Photography ("Sport Action" and "Portfolio"), Writing ("Best Column" and "Best Colour Piece"), “Audio", Video ("Athlete Profile" and “Documentary") and "Journalistic Weblog" categories.

“Special Awards” are not open to submissions. Winners will be awarded with a trophy, without prize money. The “Special Awards” categories do not include second and third place.

JUDGING

The Awards will be assessed by a Jury of eleven respected professionals, including the President of the Jury, drawn from leading sports media organisations and backgrounds ranging across the sports media spectrum and the Awards categories. The jurors are chosen by the president of the jury, AIPS president Gianni Merlo.

The Jury will base its deliberations on nominations put forward by the AIPS Executive Committee. The AIPS Executive Committee is charged with shortlisting ten potential candidates for each award category for consideration by the Jury. The Jury will select from the nominations three finalists who will be invited to the final awards ceremony in January 2019.

The Jury will meet to determine the winners the day before the ceremony. The Jury is charged with the responsibility and authority to accept, substitute or reject nominations put forward by the AIPS Executive Committee, and may in extraordinary circumstances offer its own suggestions.

AWARDS CATEGORIES

PHOTOGRAPHY

The categories below are open to professional photographers who, on traditional or new media platforms, can best capture in a still image:

1.Sport Action: An image that depicts a moment of excellence or athletic skill from a particular sporting event.

1.Portfolio: A portfolio of at least three but no more than five sports photos. These photos may be from the same sport or same event, or they may be from different events and different sports.

WRITING

These categories are dedicated to the written word, encompassing colour writing and column writing on traditional or new media platforms:

1.Best Column: A piece that best demonstrates relevance, knowledge and authority in the field of sport writing.

1.Best Colour Piece: Writing that best captures the emotion and sense of occasion in and around the sporting world

AUDIO

5) The audio category recognises excellence in sports journalism produced in audio formats - the special skills required to present content for radio, TV, digital broadcast, including podcasts and vodcasts.

VIDEO

The video categories are dedicated to those who, on traditional or new media platforms, harness the moving image in sport, from the cameraman to the video web caster, to the producer or production team represented by one individual covering a sport event.

6) Athlete profile: A video that portrays a captivating, in-depth image of an athlete.

7) Documentary: A video that tells a compelling and revealing story about any aspect of the sport world.

JOURNALISTIC WEBLOG

8) This category will be judged on an individual’s capacity to engage, sustain and grow a web-based community around discussion of sport and exchange of opinions. One blog entry should be chosen as a submission that best represents the journalistic weblog as a whole.

SPECIAL AWARDS CATEGORIES

Not open to submissions, these awards recognise achievement in the following fields:

A LIFE IN SPORT

A lifetime recognition award for a media professional who has demonstrated passion and excellence in the field of sport journalism. The winner could be a well-known TV commentator, a gifted producer or an accomplished and influential newspaper columnist.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

Dedicated to an investigative treatment, on traditional or new media platforms, that identifies and explains and/or reveals sport related topics or issues judged to be of public interest.

OFFICIAL RULES

By submitting your entry, you confirm that you have read and agree to the terms below (“Rules”).

1.The AIPS Sport Media Awards 2018 are open to professional journalists, whether directly employed or freelancers. Applications may come from AIPS cardholders as well as those who are not members of the association but must come from one of the countries represented by the 150 member national associations. (Please refer to the full list on www.aipsmedia.com link http://www.aipsmedia.com/index.php?page=directory&cod=5).

2.All decisions of the AIPS Awards’ organisers and judges are final. After entrants have submitted their work the Awards’ organisers and judges will not enter into any correspondence with entrants on the subject of entries and Awards.

3.All entrants must be persons who are 18 years of age or older on or before July 1, 2017

4.No entry fee is payable.

5.Each entry must have had its first publication or broadcast between July 1, 2017 and September 17, 2018. Proof of publication must be submitted with the entry.

6.Applicants can submit entries in any language. They can submit an English translation with their entry but are not obliged to. All entries will be screened by a native speaker from the respective member association of AIPS in the first phase. If judged as valuable, the entry will be translated into English via a professional service.

7.Applicants are strictly limited to a maximum of two entries across all categories of the Awards. A separate online entry form and supporting materials will be required for each entry.

8.Entrants are responsible for ensuring that their entry meets all eligibility requirements and selecting the most appropriate category for their entry(s). The AIPS Awards organisers reserve the right to move an entry into another category when it would be more appropriate there-/if they see fit.

9.In the event of entrants submitting a series of articles, or body of work, this will count as one entry. However, the entrant must select a maximum of two stories that best reflects their work and the content of the series.

10.It is the responsibility of the entrant to provide complete and accurate information about the entry (including supporting documents). The AIPS Awards’ organisers will not be liable for errors or omissions in the entry forms.

11.Entries and information contained within any entry (including supporting documents) must have been obtained legally, must not infringe any copyright or other intellectual property rights, must not be defamatory or breach any privacy law, and must not breach any other law or regulation.

12.Photo entries must be provided from professional photographers only. Photographers may be asked to provide proof of their professional status. The photographs entered in the contest must be made by the photographer who owns and retains the copyright for the photo. A photograph may not be entered more than once i.e. a photo entered into the Action category cannot be entered into the Portfolio category and vice-versa. No team entries will be accepted. All entries must carry complete English captions. Photographs may not be manipulated to block out distracting elements or to make significant changes in color and contrast. Only cropping or removing dust and scratches are allowed.

13.Entries should be made only via the website and in accordance with the instructions given on the entry form and must be submitted on, or before, 6 pm CET on September 17, 2018. Entries arriving after this date will not be accepted except in extraordinary circumstances. Acceptance after the deadline will be at the AIPS Awards’ organisers sole discretion.

14.Supporting documents for online entries are to be submitted only via the Awards’ online entry website.

15.If an entrant is found to have breached these Rules or acts in any way that brings or would be likely to bring the reputation of the AIPS Awards into disrepute, the Awards’ organisers reserve the rights to disqualify an entrant or to remove or withdraw an Award.

16.All entries are the property of the AIPS Awards’ organisers. No entries will be returned to entrants.

17.The entrant grants the AIPS Awards’ organisers unrestricted, unfettered and irrevocable non-exclusive rights in all works submitted for entry into the Awards (or where such rights are owned by a third party, the entrant shall procure that such third party grants such rights) for the AIPS Awards’ organisers to use such works only in conjunction with objectives of the Awards including for the purposes of promoting the Awards, presenting the nominations, having the panel of judges determine the Awards, conducting the presentation ceremony and making the finalist and winners entries available to the public. The entrant also grants the AIPS Awards’ organisers the exclusive right to record and use the sounds and images of any acceptance speech relating to the entry or any other participation of the entrant in the AIPS Awards ceremony in any television broadcast, any website or other distribution medium or publication in connection with the Awards including for publicity and promotional purposes.

18.Finalists selected by the Jury will be invited to and must participate in the finalists’ programme in January 2019. The AIPS Awards organisers shall pay for and arrange all flights, transportation accommodation and certain scheduled meals and will provide visa assistance for the entrant (“Travel Arrangements”). Travel Arrangements will be confirmed with the selected entrant closer to the travel date but will be on the basis of one adult, return flights and hotel accommodation. Travel Arrangements are not transferable, exchangeable nor redeemable for cash

19.The AIPS Awards organiser shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered (including, without limitation, indirect or consequential loss) or for any loss or damage or personal injury suffered or sustained in connection with the Awards except any liability that cannot be excluded by law. All entrants indemnify AIPS Awards organisers, AIPS and their related parties against any loss or damage (either direct, indirect, consequential or otherwise) arising from the entrant’s participation in the Awards.