AOE contest deadline extended to midnight Thursday

The deadline is almost here for entries in the 2016 Awards of Excellence competition among Kansas Press Association members. Emily Bradbury, director of member services, has been working closely with newspaper editors and advertising managers this past week to facilitate the process.

Go here to find all the information you need, including video instructions and the 2016 Call for Entries.

The deadline for entries, originally set for Friday, Jan. 13, has been extended to midnight Thursday, Jan. 19.

We have added two new entry categories — Best Health Story and Best Seniors Story — to the competition and have raised entry limits for some categories.

The Nebraska Press Association will provide the judges for this year’s contest. Conversely, KPA members will be judging the NPA contest entries in February.

The circulation categories, three for dailies and three for non dailies, again break down like this:

• Daily Division I, 3,800 and under.

• Daily Division II, 3,801 to 9,400.

• Daily Division III, more than 9,401.

• Nondaily Division I, 1,500 and under.

• Nondaily Division II, 1,501 to 2,800.

• Nondaily Division III, more than 2,801.

A newspaper may choose to compete in a higher circulation class, but not in a lower one.

Bradbury also has produced new “how to” videos to guide you through the process of uploading to the website. They are at the same link as above.

The contest will once again be done electronically through the same company as in the past, Better BNC. Log-in and uploading instructions are available on the KPA website.

Two of the categories, Best Magazine and Best Newspaper Redesign, require hard copies to be mailed to the KPA office.

Entry fees are $25 per newspaper plus $5 per entry and must accompany your entries. Judges will be asked to select first, second and third place winners in each category. Plaques will be awarded to all first place winners and to the winners of the sweepstakes awards, which are given to the newspapers in each circulation division with the highest cumulative points. Certificates will be provided to second and third place winners.

Sweepstakes awards will be given in all six divisions and separately for news and advertising. KPA reserves the right to consolidate categories among different circulation groups if there is a shortage of entries.

Winners will be recognized at the annual convention April 8 at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Topeka.