Need a competitive edge to win an Excellence in Journalism Award? The Excellence in Feature Writing Award and the Excellence in Newswriting Award see the largest volume of applicants, here are some tips to make your work stand out from the rest.

“The Excellence in Journalism Awards seeks to reward innovative and quality work done by journalists covering LGBT issues. We have been lucky enough to see a growing number of nominations who meet these high standards every year, from a variety of outlets, and we are eager to see more showcase work this year,” said April Hunt, Excellence in Journalism Award Chair.

  1. Submit your work to the Excellence in Journalism Awards category that best matches. Now with 30 possible categories to apply for, its important to understand the distinction and nominate your work in a complimentary category. A nomination in a category that doesn’t compliment your work often leads to poor reviews from the judges.
  2. Enter your work in multiple categories if it fits well for multiple awards. With several coverage awards, excellence in one of those areas may also match another category.
  3. Make sure your submissions follow the guidelines and meet all requirements. Read the specific description and requirements for the category to which you’re applying.
  4. If you still need some guidance, are unsure about your application or where to begin, please contact NLGJA at awards@nlgja.org.

A diverse committee of journalism professionals will select winners. The decision of the judges is final.

Check out the many award categories. Submissions are open through Monday, March 12.