Record figures and high hopes, as the AIPS Sport Media Awards’ Jury get ready for a crucial month with the eyes set on Budapest
The AIPS Sport Media Awards are the most global recognition for sports journalism
Martin Mazur - AIPS Media
LAUSANNE, November 28, 2019 -With major changes in the industry and business models, sport journalism is going through a difficult period worldwide. But crises also bring opportunities, and the AIPS Sport Media Awards are definitely one of the things to celebrate in our profession.
RISING NUMBERS With an outstanding response, the second edition of the 2019 edition of the Awards saw a major improvement in both number and quality of the works submitted. A total of 1746 submissions were received, 37% more than in the opening edition of the Awards. Worldwide promotion, that included AIPS staff presence in major events in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, proved to be a success, as 48% of the entrants had not participated in the opening edition.
“This is a great stimulus, a massive opportunity for many people. Beyond participating, it is also something that needs to be spread between colleagues,” wrote Roberto Martinez, one of the newcomers. Like Martinez, over 1,000 conversations were held on social media platforms, thus reaching a wider range of sports media professionals.
NEW COUNTRIES Several countries are also represented for the first time, including Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Chad, Costa Rica, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Philippines, Portugal, San Marino Sudan, and Vanuatu. This takes the list of represented nations to a whooping 125 countries, emphasising what is undoubtedly the most global award in journalism, with 65% of the nations in the planet taking place.
MORE OPPORTUNITIES The new categories were received with great interest. In its first year, Short Feature Video proved to be the most popular video category, with stunning pieces of up to 10 minutes.
The inaugural Young Reporter categories, split into Writing, Broadcasting and Photography, received almost 200 professionals under 30 hoping to win a scholarship at a major sports event. Unlike the senior categories, each of the Young Reporter categories will have a direct winner, without finalists.
SCREENING, RATING AND VOTING The submissions were initially screened by AIPS Media staff to check validity, proof of publication and copyright material. A panel of experts and mentors, with over 30 years in the sport journalism world, with the assistance of AIPS national associations, evaluated the works to produce a first selection that was presented to the AIPS Executive Committee. Over three days of intense work, the 24 members of the EC, coming from different continents, reviewed, discussed and drew the first selection of articles, videos, audios and photos.
In the first meeting in Vigevano, Italy, the 12 members of the Jury reviewed the best-rated works with the mission of narrowing the list of contenders. Translations, audio scripts and subtitles were requested per request of the jurors.
A new Jury meeting is expected in early December. After this, a shortlist will soon be announced.
THE ROAD TO BUDAPEST The three finalists per category will be announced in early January. Please ensure to follow @aipsmedia and @aipsawards to stay up to date. The AIPS Sport Media Awards ceremony will take place on February 3rd, 2020, in Budapest, Hungary. Airpline tickets, expenses and accommodation for the finalists are fully covered by AIPS. The day before the ceremony, the Jury will meet again to decide the winners. The Awards are a unique platform to showcase the best works published or broadcast in the past year, are open to all sport media professionals without distinction of country, and offer opportunities for the young professionals that trying to establish their names in a competitive world.
Their legacy has become a valuable asset for the profession, a mirror to discover the world’s top quality works and a great festival of sport storytelling across different platforms.