FCA Award Updates for 2022
The awards competition is open to all current dues-paying members of FCA and honors work completed in the 2021 calendar year. Awards will be presented at the 2022 FCA Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the final banquet on Friday, April 29.
The awards portal is open Friday, Jan. 14-Friday, Feb. 25, 2022.
Awards Updates Summary
We are excited to announce some changes for the 2022 FCA recognition program. With input from FCA members, a lot of discussion, and careful consideration, the FCA Board of Directors has updated various categories, award criteria and submission expectations to best capture the current communications environment.
Overview of Changes
This is not a comprehensive list of changes, only a highlight of key updates. Please review the full list of award descriptions to understand each category and award.
Writing, Video and Story Packaging
These awards now focus on the length of the submission and not the topic. For example, there is no longer a “Writing - Greek Life” category. There are now two writing categories: “Writing - Short Feature” and “Writing - Long Feature.” Video and story packaging categories now also go by length and not by topic.
Website and Magazine Improvement
The revised awards criteria specify that an entry for “Publication Improvement” must have undergone significant change during the judging timeframe of the 2021 calendar year. Similarly, the Inter/National Website category is now called “Inter/National Website Improvement” and should only be submitted if the organization’s main website had major updates.
Critics’ Choice: Photograph
The photograph category has been removed. It was previously a Critics’ Choice category on which each member organization voted. It was determined that the photos varied too greatly in subject matter, purpose and photographer (staff, volunteer, member, vendor) to be able to compare and judge fairly.
Magazine and Writing Awards
The category formerly called “Magazine Awards” is now the “Magazine and Writing Awards.” The two writing categories are now in this section, and are not limited to items written for a magazine. Submissions can be from a magazine, blog, newsletter, etc.
Submission Expectations
A couple of awards have more clear instruction on what exactly, and how much, to submit for the entry. For example, both “Social Media Engagement” and “Excellence in Digital Integrated Marketing” now specifically ask for one PDF that is no more than two pages long to be submitted as the main entry. This helps the judges thoroughly review all submissions and keeps entries on a more even playing field for evaluation.
Questions?
For questions about the 2022 Awards Competition, please contact:
Ashley Sherman, FCA Director of Recognition
