The Pinnacle College Media Awards are a national contest to recognize excellence in student-produced college media from College Media Association.
The Pinnacle College Media Awards for individuals will be presented at the Fall National College Media Convention.
This contest honors individual student work on college newspapers, websites, magazines, yearbooks, radio or television stations, including Internet or closed circuit outlets, produced during an academic year. Categories are detailed below.
To see the categories for the Pinnacle Awards recognizing media organizations, please click here.
NEW FOR 2023! A TWO-YEAR Division & FOUR-YEAR College/University Size Divisions
If a division has fewer than three entries in a single category, that division will be combined with the next larger division and the resulting award will be designated with the larger of the divisons.
- Two-year colleges
- Division I 10,000+ campus undergraduate enrollment (not including distance learning)
- Division II 3000-9999 campus undergraduate enrollment (not including distance learning)
- Division III 1000-2999 campus undergraduate enrollment (not including distance learning)
- Division IV under 1000 campus undergraduate enrollment (not including distance learning)
Guidelines: Please read and follow the guidelines listed below for submitting entries. Entries not submitted according to the guidelines will be disqualified.
• Each Pinnacle entry for individual work costs $10 for members and $20 for nonmembers.
• Each entry must have been produced by students actively enrolled at a college or university.
• Each entry must have been created between June 17 – June 12 of the most recent academic year.
• Entries are limited. Each media outlet at a college or university may submit only one entry per category.
• All categories must be submitted online, either uploaded as PDF files or links to online files. See details below.
• College Media Association may post winning entries on the CMA website or for other purposes.
Send any questions to info@collegemedia.org
CATEGORIES
NEW FOR 2023! Some category names and definitions have changed.
Advertising Pinnacles
Best Single-Media Ad Campaign: This category recognizes excellence in a single-media ad campaign for a single advertiser.
Best Multimedia Ad: This category recognizes excellence in a multimedia ad campaign for a single advertiser.
Best Reader Promotion Campaign: This category recognizes excellence in a campaign intended to increase a media organization’s audience and engagement.
Best Recruitment Campaign: This category recognizes excellence in an effective campaign to recruit students to join student media.
Best Ad Supplement/Special Section: This category recognizes excellence in a free-standing section designed to promote the media organization or an advertiser or focus on a single theme or audience. Entries must include the entire section.
Best Rate Card/Media Kit: This category recognizes excellence in a rate card or media kit.
Best Social Media Engagement: This category recognizes excellence in the innovative use of social media to drive audience engagement.
Best Overall Campus Engagement: An entry in this new category will consist of a written description of no more than two pages, with accompanying photos, videos and other materials that will help the judge understand how the activity promotes campus engagement with the campus media organization. Entries may be a single-event activity or campaign designed to increase engagement or to promote visibility of the organization as a whole or its particular products (such as a special issue, a sports preview, a housing guide, etc.).
Best of Collegiate Design Pinnacles (Best of Collegiate Design has been incorporated into the Pinnacles. All print design entries must be uploaded as PDFs or links to PDFs online. Online design entries must be submitted as links to content.)
Best Infographic: This category recognizes excellence in the design of original artwork designed to convey information, such as quantifiable data, geographical reference, etc.
Best Editorial Illustration: This category recognizes excellence in the design of original artwork that conveys news or opinion as either a standalone piece or in support of accompanying news or opinion.
Best Special Section Cover: This category recognizes excellence in the design of cover artwork for a section produced as a supplement to an existing newspaper or magazine.
Best Newspaper News Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper page or spread that contains one or more news stories.
Best Newspaper Feature Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper page or spread that contains one or more feature stories.
Best Newspaper Opinion Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper opinion page or spread.
Best Newspaper Sports Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper page or spread that contains one or more sports stories.
Best Newspaper Entertainment Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper page or spread that contains one or more entertainment stories.
Best Newspaper Photo Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper page or spread containing a photo story.
Best Newspaper Nameplate: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper’s main flag or name presentation.
Best Newspaper Front Page: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a newspaper’s front page.
Best Magazine Cover: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a magazine’s cover.
Best Magazine Contents Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a magazine’s table of contents.
Best Magazine News Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one news story or package in a magazine.
Best Magazine Feature Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one feature story or package in a magazine.
Best Magazine Sports Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one sports story or package in a magazine.
Best Magazine Entertainment Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one entertainment story or package in a magazine.
Best Yearbook Cover: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a yearbook cover.
Best Yearbook Division Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a yearbook’s division page or spread.
Best Yearbook News Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one news story or package in a yearbook.
Best Yearbook Feature Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one feature story or package in a yearbook.
Best Yearbook Sports Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one sports story or package in a yearbook.
Best Yearbook Entertainment Page/Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one entertainment story or package in a yearbook.
Best News Website Front Page: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a main page for the website of a news-focused organization.
Best Feature/Entertainment/Literary Website Front Page: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a main page for the website of a feature/literary-focused organization.
Best Interactive Infographic: This category recognizes excellence in the design of an interactive infographic generated as unique online content, posted to the media outlet website
Best Editorial Cartoon: This category recognizes excellence in a single editorial cartoon on any topic.
Best Comic Strip: This category recognizes excellence in a comic strip. Entries must include three examples of a single comic strip.
Best Literary Magazine: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one issue of a literary magazine.
Best Literary Magazine Spread: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a literary magazine spread.
Best Literary Magazine Table of Contents: This category recognizes excellence in the design of a literary magazine table of contents.
Best Literary Magazine Cover/Nameplate: This category recognizes excellence in the design of one cover/nameplate of a literary magazine.
Best Literary Magazine Use of Theme: This category recognizes excellence in the use of theme in a literary magazine.
Best Headline: This category recognizes excellence in headline writing in any medium.
Photo Pinnacles
Best Breaking News Photo: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and news content, in a single photograph of a breaking news event.
Best General News Photo: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and news content, in a single photograph of a general news event.
Best Feature Photo: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and unique storytelling content, in a single feature photograph.
Best Sports News Photo: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and content, in a single photograph of a sporting event.
Best Sports Feature Photo: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and unique storytelling content, in a single sports feature photograph. (Game photos should be submitted in the “sports news” category.)
Best Photo Illustration: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and unique storytelling content, of a photo illustration.
Best Portrait: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and content that captures the personality of the figure, in a single portrait.
Best Photo Package: This category recognizes excellence, based on image quality and storytelling, in a photo package. Entries should include a PDF of the package as it ran in the publication or a link to the package online.
Reporting Pinnacles
Best Breaking News Story: This category recognizes excellence in a single story, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness and reporting, written on deadline about a breaking news event.
Best Breaking News Coverage: This category recognizes excellence in digital coverage throughout a 72-hour period of a breaking-news event or development. Judging will be based upon evidence of exceptional journalism under deadline pressure, clear presentation through user interface, interactivity, use of social tools and creative use of the medium. An entry will consist of a single piece, series or package on the same event or development.
Best Multimedia Breaking News Story: This category recognizes excellence in telling a breaking news story using multimedia techniques, including interactive graphics, photography, audio and video. In addition to the quality of the journalism and creative use of the medium, judging will be based upon on the artful blending of multiple media into a single user interface.
Best General News Story: This category recognizes excellence in a single story, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting, about a general news event.
Best News Package: This category recognizes excellence in a package of stories, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting, about a news event. Entries must include at least three stories published in a single issue.
Best Investigative Story: This category recognizes excellence in a single story based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting with investigative journalism techniques.
Best Single-Media Feature Story: This category recognizes excellence in a single feature story, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting, about a topic that is not breaking or general news.
Best Multimedia Feature/Enterprise Story: This category recognizes excellence in telling a feature/enterprise story using multimedia techniques, including interactive graphics, photography, audio and video. In addition to the quality of the journalism and creative use of the medium, judging will be based upon on the artful blending of multiple media into a single user interface.
Best Profile: This category recognizes excellence in a profile of a single personality, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting.
Best Arts and Entertainment Story: This category recognizes excellence in an arts and entertainment story, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting.
Best Editorial: This category recognizes excellence in a single editorial, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting.
Best Column: This category recognizes excellence in a single column, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting.
Best Special Section (4 pages or less): This category recognizes excellence, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting, in a free-standing section designed to focus on a single theme or audience. Entries must include the entire section.
Best Special Section (more than 4 pages): This category recognizes excellence, based on the quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting, in a free-standing section designed to focus on a single theme or audience. Entries must include the entire section.
Best Coverage of Faith: This category recognizes excellence in a story that explains, analyzes and describes the challenges that people face in their spiritual journeys. Judges will consider the quality of reporting, production and writing.
Best Enterprise Coverage of Diversity: This category recognizes excellence in an enterprise (non-reactive or event-driven) story related to diversity issues. Judges will consider the quality of reporting, production and writing.
Best Breaking News Coverage of Diversity: This category recognizes excellence in an event-driven story related to diversity. Judges will consider the quality of reporting, production and writing.
Best Social Media Reporting: This category recognizes excellence in the use of social media to gather information, engage audiences and tell stories. Judges will consider the quality of reporting, production and writing.
Sports Pinnacles
Best Sports Game Story: This category recognizes excellence in a single game story, based on the quality and thoroughness of writing, production and reporting.
Best Sports Feature: This category recognizes excellence in a single feature story about any sports topic other than a single game, based on the quality and thoroughness of writing, production and reporting.
Best Sports Columnist: This category recognizes excellence in sports columns, based on the quality of writing. Entries must include three columns by a single columnist.
Best Sports Multimedia Story: This category recognizes excellence in a single sports story told with multimedia techniques, including interactive graphics, photography, audio and video.
Best Sports Investigative Story: This category recognizes excellence in a single story written with investigative journalism techniques exploring a sports topic.
Best Print Sports Section: This category recognizes excellence in sports coverage and content; design, graphics and illustrations; photography; and reporting, writing and editing. Entries must include three entire sports sections, submitted as PDFs or links to PDFs.
Best Website Sports Section: This category recognizes excellence in sports coverage and content; design, graphics and illustrations; photography; and reporting, writing and editing. Any media outlet with a website is eligible to enter in this category.
Video/Audio Pinnacles
Best Video Newscast: This category recognizes excellence in writing, news judgment and objectivity in reporting, production quality and innovative use of video in newscasting. Entries should be no longer than five minutes and may be a segment of a longer newscast
Best Video Sportscast: This category recognizes excellence in writing, production quality, sports journalism judgment and objectivity in reporting and innovative use of video in sportscasting. Entries should be no longer than five minutes and may be a segment of a longer sportscast.
Best Video Entertainment Program: This category recognizes excellence in overall entertainment value, production quality and innovative use of audio/video in the production. Entries should be no longer than 10 minutes and may be a segment of a longer program.
Best Video Promo/PSA: This category recognizes excellence in the clarity of message, production quality and innovative use of audio/video in the production. Entries should be no longer than 60 seconds
Best Video Special Event Coverage: This category recognizes excellence in coverage of a special event, including writing, news judgment and objectivity in reporting, production quality and innovative use of audio/video in newscasting. Entries should be no longer than five minutes.
Best Use of Short (sub 3-minute) Video for News and Information: This category recognizes excellence in video, including writing, news judgment and objectivity in reporting, production quality and innovative use of audio/video in newscasting. Entries should be no longer than three minutes.
Best Short (sub-3 minute) Video for Entertainment: This category recognizes excellence in video, including writing, audience engagement, production quality and innovative use of audio/video. Entries should be no longer than three minutes.
Best Audio Newscast: This category recognizes excellence in writing, news judgment and objectivity in reporting, production quality and innovative use of audio in newscasting. Entries should be no longer than five minutes.
Best Audio Sportscast: This category recognizes excellence in writing, production quality, sports journalism judgment and innovative use of audio in sportscasting. Entries should be no longer than five minutes and may be a segment of a longer sportscast
Best Audio Talk/Entertainment Program: This category recognizes excellence in overall entertainment value, production quality and innovative use of audio in the production. Entries should be no longer than five minutes and may be a segment of a longer program
Best Audio Promo/PSA: This category recognizes excellence in upon the clarity of message, production quality and innovative use of audio in the production. Entries should be no longer than 60 seconds.
Best Audio Special Event Coverage: This category recognizes excellence in audio coverage of a special event, including writing, news judgment and objectivity in reporting, production quality and innovative use of audio/video in newscasting. Entries should be no longer than five minutes.
Best Podcast: This category recognizes excellence in a publication’s originally conceived podcast based on content, production quality and innovative use of audio. Include a sample of an episode no longer than five minutes and a link to the full podcast.