Scripps Howard Journalism Awards FAQ
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Questions about Submittable
After reading the General Rules carefully and confirming that your work is eligible, you can either sign in with your existing Submittable account or create a new one to access the entry form. Signing up with Submittable is free and is required to be considered for a Scripps Howard Journalism Award.
Once you are signed into an account, you may complete The Scripps Howard Journalism Awards Submission Form and submit your application.
A draft of your application will automatically save every few minutes. If you exit the application before completing it, your work will be saved. To view your draft and continue working on your entry, sign into your Submittable account, click Saved Drafts, and choose “Continue.”
You can sign in to your Submittable account at manager.submittable.com/login. If you’ve lost or forgotten your password, follow the instructions here.
A draft of your application will automatically save every few minutes. If you exit the application before completing it, your work will be saved. To view your draft and continue working on your entry, sign into your Submittable account, click Saved Drafts, and choose “Continue”.
Click here to log in to Submittable: http://manager.submittable.com/
Yes, you will receive an email confirmation from notifications@email.submittable.com once your application is submitted. You may want to search your spam or promotions folder in addition to your main inbox.
To ensure you don’t miss any critical messages, we recommend that you enable safelist notifications.
Please reach out to billing@submittable.com. for payment issues. Payment is accepted via credit card or PayPal. We no longer accept payment by check. Your receipt will come via email from Submittable Billing, billing@submittable.com.
Questions about the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards
We are accepting entries beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The deadline to submit an entry is Saturday, Jan. 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET. Late entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM ET Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, for an additional fee.
The Scripps Howard Journalism Awards program is a national journalism competition that honors journalism published, broadcast, distributed and/or posted by media outlets that operate in the U.S.
If you work within the United States for a media outlet that is based in another country but operates and distributes in the United States, you remain eligible to apply because of your affiliation with the U.S. operation of the media outlet. Enter using the address of the U.S.-based media outlet associated with your work.
You will find details of each award and eligibility requirements here.
A nomination or cover letter, including a description of the entry, objective, how the objective was met and the results, if any. Explain your work and why it is prize-worthy. FORMAT: .docx or .doc, or PDF.
Up to five supplemental items that independently demonstrate the impact of the work. FORMAT: .docx or .doc, or PDF.
If available, scripts for audio or video entries should be provided. FORMAT: .docx or .doc, or PDF.
The work itself, including up to 10 distinct elements. FORMAT: URL or PDF.
Tips:
URL(s) must be functional through December 31, 2026
You must provide a username and password for material that is behind a paywall.
When submitting URLs be sure it is a direct link and it is not necessary to make an account to view or listen (unless a username and password is provided).
You may submit a re-formatted version of material as long as the content is original.
When naming your files, please include an abbreviated version of your entry title and/or media outlet.
You are welcome to enter your work in as many categories as you wish, but your entry may only win in one.
A nomination or cover letter format: PDF, .docx or .doc
Supplemental materials format: PDF, .docx or .doc
Scripts for audio or video entries format: PDF, .docx or .doc
The work itself, including up to 10 distinct elements: URL or PDF
You may submit a re-formatted version of material as long as the content is original.
Yes, the Submittable system allows you to collaborate with others when completing the form. You will see a link to “Invite Collaborators” at the top right of the submission form. Upon clicking the link, you will be directed to enter email addresses of your desired collaborators. Take special care to enter email addresses correctly, and the system will notify your colleagues of the collaboration opportunity via email. Even though all collaborators can work together, only the submission owner who originally began the application may submit.
Yes. As a form of online digital media, a podcast may be submitted as part of an entry, a supplement to an entry or as an entry when other eligibility requirements are met. Please ensure that judges do not have to create an account to listen to your entry.
Each time you complete a submission form, you will be directed to complete the payment process for that entry.
If you submit the same entry in more than one category, your total payment for that entry is calculated automatically at the rate of the cost per category, based on the number of categories you’ve submitted it for.
There is a $75 fee per entry, per category. The fee for late entries is $125 per category.
If you have questions about the contest, please email them to SHJAwards@scripps.com.