UMAC Awards
Opening Soon: Submissions to the
2027 UMAC Awards
Important Details:
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Only UMAC members may enter the contest
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Submission Period: October 5-30, 2026
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For communication material completed August 1, 2025-September 30, 2026
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Entry fees (cost per entry): $50 per entry
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Members may enter a maximum of TWO ENTRIES PER CATEGORY
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Winners to be announced at the 2027 UMAC Awards Gala
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Entries must be the original work of the entrant. Use of AI tools must be minimal.
WHAT ARE UMAC AWARDS?
The spirit of this competition is to celebrate excellence in communications and to recognize the achievements of UMAC members who played a key role in the creative process (writing, designing, producing, etc.). You are eligible to submit material for an award if you are a current member of UMAC and played a significant role in producing the communication material.
Membership is required to be eligible to receive an award. Submissions and payment for all awards need to be completed online by the awards submission deadline date. All entries will be judged on meeting their stated purpose; content; creativity; execution; and regard for target audience, using a 50-point scale. Awards will go to first, second and third winners of each category, with one Best of Class award given per class.
CLASSES INCLUDE:
1. Print Publications
2. Digital Publications
3. Writing
4. Internet Communications
5. Video Production
6. Audio
7. Photography
8. Visual Design
9. Publicity & Advertising
QUESTIONS?
Contact Sybil Davidson at UMCom
2026 UMAC Awards Classes and Categories
9 classes | Multiple categories per class
You may enter two entries per category.
Class I: Print Publications
(Robert F. Storey Award of Excellence)
A. Newspaper & Magazine Category:
A printed publication issued regularly (at least quarterly) that includes content such as current original news articles, editorials, feature stories, photos, regular columnist(s).
B. Special Publication, Section or Supplement Category:
Any publication covering a specific issue, topic or event, printed three times a year or less.
Please submit links to PDF or digital versions of your publication
Class IV: Internet Communications
A. Website Category:
Website content, engagement and usage. Submit the direct links to the website, social media, blog or mobile app. Analytics must also accompany the entry. Please indicate the date of the analytics report.
B. Social Media Online Content Category:
Created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Submit the direct links to the website, social media, blog or mobile app. Analytics must also accompany the entry. Please indicate the date of the analytics report.
C. Mobile Apps Category:
Specifically built for mobile devices. Submit the direct links to the website, social media, blog or mobile app. Analytics must also accompany the entry. Please indicate the date of the analytics report.
Class VII: Photography
(Donald B. Moyer Award of Excellence)
**Submit the image(s) online. Image must be a .jpg and should have a width no smaller than 1,000 pixels.**
A. Photojournalism Category:
Submit the image(s) online. Image must be a .jpg and should have a width no smaller than 1,000 pixels.
A. Portrait Category: Submit the image(s) online. Image must be a .jpg and should have a width no smaller than 1,000 pixels.
B. Commercial, Product or Staged Shot Category:
Still life only; non-human subjects.
Submit the image(s) online. Image must be a .jpg and should have a width no smaller than 1,000 pixels.
C. Photo Series of Related Images Category:
Six or fewer. Think about what connects them; what story does it tell? Submit the image(s) online. Image must be a .jpg and should
have a width no smaller than 1,000 pixels.
Class II: Digital Publications
A. eNewsletter Category:
A digital or web version of a newsletter, which contains brief news and reports, announcements and other special interest information.
B. Electronic Publication Category:
A digital or web version of a newspaper or magazine publication that is issued regularly, which includes a collection of original news articles, photos, stories and features or a digital publication covering a specific issue or event and issued four times a year or less.
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Please submit links to three editions of your digital publication
Class V: Video Production
(Hilly Hicks Award of Excellence)
**Submit the work online by linking to the video. Videos MUST include their run time.**
A. Video Production Category:
Costing less than $500 (only production costs, not distribution). Submit the work online by linking to the video. Videos MUST include their run time.
B. Video Production Category:
Costing $500-2,000 (only production costs, not distribution). Submit the work online by uploading the video file. Videos MUST include their run time.
C. Video Production Category:
Costing more than $2,000 (only production costs, not distribution). Submit the work online by linking to the video. Videos MUST include their run time.
D. Television Ad or Promotion Category:
Submit the work online by linking to the video. Videos MUST include their run time.
E. Video News Story Category:
Submit the work online by linking to the video. Videos MUST include their run time.
Class VIII: Visual Design
**All entries must be uploaded as online files.**
A. Artwork Category
B. Print or Electronic Design Category
C. Website Category (visual design only)
D. Motion Graphics Category
E. Logos/Branding Development Category
Class III: Writing
(Donn Doten Award of Excellence)
A. Non-Fiction Story Category:
A non-fiction article (i.e., biography, history, obituary); this can include opinion, editorials, or news articles.
B. News Article Category:
An objective article written about a current event or situation.
C. Feature Article Category:
A human-interest story or article focusing on a particular person, place or event and not closely tied to a recent news happening; often written in a narrative approach.
D. Article Series Category:
A news or feature article series of two or more related consecutive articles.
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Please submit entries via URL (ensure the article is available to read in its entirety.).
Class VI: Podcast
A. Podcast Category:
Submit the audio file online by uploading the exact file. Must provide runtime.
Class IX: Publicity & Advertising
(Leonard M. Perryman Award of Excellence)**All entries must be uploaded as online files.**
A. Campaign/Strategic Planning Category:
Includes multiple pieces in different media working together to achieve a goal. (Submit all pieces of the campaign.)
B. Single Piece Category:
A "one-piece" work in either print or electronic format. (Submit all pieces of the campaign.)