Edward R. Murrow Awards Divisions & Categories

Entries must be submitted in the proper division and region to be considered for judging. Entrants that do not enter correctly will be disqualified. Market size is determined by MSA ranking for radio entries and by DMA ranking for television entries. RTDNA reserves the sole right to reclassify the submission without prior notice to the entrant.

Divisions

Radio & Television

Large Market Station: Markets 1 - 50
Small Market Station: Markets 51+

Network, Syndication Service, Program Service: Any organization that programs to multiple markets

Digital News Organizations: "Pure Play" digital organizations; no portion of digital entries should have been broadcast

Small Digital News Organization: 2,499,999 or fewer unique visitors per month
Large Digital News Organizations: 2,500,000 or more unique visitors per month

Updated Radio Markets

Updated Television Markets

Division Considerations

Partnerships

Any entry produced in a partnership must be submitted in the market and region of the largest partner. A “partner” is defined as someone who provides production assistance or significant editorial input for an entry. If an organization is only helping distribute work to a wider audience, they will not be considered a partner. All partner organizations must be listed on the award entry.

Dual Licensee

Enter video content into TV categories, audio content into Radio categories.

State-Wide Networks & Regional Collaborations

State-wide networks should submit in the largest market size in their state. Regional collaborations should submit in the market size and region of the largest partner.

Terrestrial, Satellite & Digital

A terrestrial station that is also broadcast via satellite and/or online counts as a radio station in the appropriate market size. A purely satellite station should apply in the “Network” radio category. A purely digital radio station without a terrestrial station should enter in the digital category.

Verification of Digital Size

Digital News Organizations must be “pure play” digital organizations that do not feature broadcast material. Digital News Organization entrants are required to send verification of Monthly Unique Visitors. If no verification is sent, RTDNA reserves the sole right to reclassify the submission without prior notice to the entrant. Both Small and Large Digital entries will be judged only at the national level.

Categories

TV & Radio Categories

Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Podcast

Newscast

Breaking News Coverage

Investigative Reporting

Feature-Length Documentary

Excellence in Writing

Excellence in Innovation

Digital

Overall Excellence

Digital Categories

News Series

Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Podcast

Breaking News Coverage

Investigative Reporting

Excellence in Writing

Excellence in Innovation

Overall Excellence

Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

This category honors outstanding journalism tackling the topic of diversity, racial injustice and/or inequality. The storytelling must bring an awareness to an issue(s) and potentially bring about a solution or dialogue.

The piece can be digital, video, audio, or all three, showcasing creative, well executed and groundbreaking coverage of the topic of diversity.
Can be a single piece or a series around a single topic.
30-minute time limit.
Entry may be edited, and all commercial breaks must be removed.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A short description of the entry is requested.

Podcast

Podcasts are defined as digital audio files made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new installments of which can be received by subscribers automatically.

Entry must demonstrate original and outstanding journalistic enterprise on an important issue.
Entry may feature a single episode or an edited overview of a series
Entry may be edited, and all commercial breaks must be removed.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.
Entrants should also provide an active link to the full podcast series

Newscast

Only regularly scheduled newscasts are eligible for entry, and only one entry is allowed per station. Networks can submit one entry per news program.
Commercial breaks must be removed from the entry but no other editing is allowed.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes. If the program is longer than 30 minutes, submit only the first 30 minutes.
A short description of the entry is requested.

Breaking News Coverage

Entry should only contain coverage from first 24 hours after the news event.
Submit coverage of a single, unscheduled news event.
Entry may be edited and all commercial breaks must be removed.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
Entry must not exceed 20 minutes.
A short description of the entry is requested.

Investigative Reporting

Entry must demonstrate original and outstanding journalistic enterprise on an important issue.
Entry may include materials from undercover sources, demonstrate extensive research of documents and records, and include records and documentation of allegations made in the report.
Entry may be edited, and all commercial breaks must be removed.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 15 minutes.

Hard News

Submit a single hard news report prepared for a scheduled newscast that is not breaking news and not primarily investigative in nature.
Humorous or soft-topic stories do not belong in this category.
Report must have appeared on a regularly scheduled news program.
Entry may not be entered in the Feature Reporting category.
Entry may be edited.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 10 minutes.

Continuing Coverage

Submit an entry showing continuing coverage of a major developing story over an extended period of time.
Entry may be edited (commercial breaks removed).
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
The entry should include at least one complete news report.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.
A short description of the entry is requested.

News Series

Submit coverage of a single subject reported in multiple parts.
Entry may be edited.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.

Feature Reporting

Submit a single report covering a human-interest or profile subject that is not breaking news or investigative in nature.
Report must have appeared on a regularly scheduled news program. Entry may not be entered in the Reporting: Hard News category.
Entry may be edited.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 10 minutes.

Sports Reporting

Submit a single packaged report reflecting a journalistic endeavor to report on a newsworthy sports-related subject. Anchored sports segments within programs, stand-alone sports programs and play-by-play are not eligible.
Entry must be unedited.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 10 minutes.

Excellence in Sound - Radio & Digital Entrants Only

This category is open to both radio and digital news organizations.
Submit coverage of a single subject reported in a single segment showing creative use of sound to tell a story.
Entry must be exactly as it was heard on the air or online.
"Year-ender" packages are not allowed.
Entry must not exceed 10 minutes.
A short description of the entry is requested.

Excellence in Video - Television & Digital Entrants Only

This category is open to both television and digital news organizations.
Submit coverage of a single subject reported in a single segment showing creative use of video to tell a story.
Entry must be exactly as it appeared on air or online.
"Year-ender" packages are not allowed.
Entry must not exceed 10 minutes.
A short description of the entry is requested.

News Documentary

Submit coverage of a single subject reported in a single segment addressing a need or needs of your market.
Entry may be edited.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
Entry must not exceed 60 minutes.
A short description of the entry is requested.

Feature-Length Documentary - Network Television Only

Submit coverage of a single subject reported in a single segment addressing a need or needs of your audience.
Entry may be edited.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
Entry must be more than 60 minutes in length.
A short description of the entry is requested.

Excellence in Writing

Submit an entry that demonstrates excellence in writing that conveys the feeling and significance of events to the listener or viewer. Entry may represent an individual or collaborative effort and may include up to three examples, exactly as it originally appeared.
A script of each example must accompany the entry.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 15 minutes.

Excellence in Innovation

This category is designed to award legacy radio or television news organizations that innovate their product to enhance the quality of journalism and the audience’s understanding of news.
Submit a single entry that demonstrates an innovative use of content, engagement, technology and/or audience experience. A single entry may include audio or video examples; functioning, cached or active URLs; apps; social feeds; or any other platform that demonstrates innovation in journalism.
Audio or video entries must not exceed 30 minutes. If the original entry is longer than 30 minutes, submit only the first 30 minutes. Commercials breaks must be removed but no other editing is allowed.
A written description explaining how the entry breaks the mold of traditional broadcast journalism is required.

Digital - Television & Radio Entrants Only

This category has been expanded to allow stations to showcase their website and/or multimedia (broadcast, digital and social media) approach to stories. Entries in this category can either be an overview of web presence, or focus on multimedia coverage of a single news topic.

The news organization's online presence, as its principal function, must disseminate timely news and information targeted for its core audiences. News content must be generated primarily by entrant, supplemented by secondary content provided by wire services or networks. The site should be of practical use to the general public and maximize online technologies to inform and educate the public and enhance public debate about important daily issues.

Submit UP TO 5 examples [this is a change] of functioning, cached or active URLs that demonstrate exceptional news coverage and journalistic skill.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 30 minutes.
Entry must include original content.
Creativity, clarity, storytelling techniques, and use of audio, video or other Internet technologies will be considered by the judges.
A short description is requested.

Overall Excellence [New Rules for 2023!]

To be eligible to compete in this category, TV and Radio Stations must enter at least two other categories including: Breaking News, Hard News, Investigative Reporting, Continuing Coverage, or Newscast.
Entrants are no longer required to submit their newscast with the overall excellence entry, or to submit in the newscast category
Submit a single entry that contains examples of breaking news, continuing coverage, features and/or other work, including your web presence that reflects the depth and scope of the news organization. Judging will be based on the original work samples and not on the way the entry is produced. Entry must include examples of a robust Web and digital media presence; relevant links may be inserted in the text box provided, or attached in a .pdf and uploaded to the entry form.
Entrants are limited to 5 links for digital examples in addition to the 40-minutes of audio or video content for the entry.
Entry may be edited (all commercials breaks must be removed).
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
Judging will be based on the original work samples and not on the way the entry is produced.
Entry must not exceed 40 minutes.
A written rundown is required for audio and video.

Digital Division Categories

News Series

Submit up to five functioning, cached or active URLs linking to coverage of a single subject reported in multiple parts.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 30 minutes.
Entry may be edited.

Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The piece can be digital, video, audio, or all three, showcasing creative, well executed and groundbreaking coverage of the topic of diversity.
Can be a single piece or a series around a single topic.
30-minute time limit.
A short description of the entry is requested.

Podcast

Entry must demonstrate original and outstanding journalistic enterprise on an important issue.
Entry may feature a single episode or an edited overview of a series
Entry may be edited, and all commercial breaks must be removed.
Voice-overs or narratives are permitted only if they were part of the original piece.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 30 minutes.
Entrants should also provide an active link to the full podcast series.

Breaking News Coverage

Entry should only contain coverage from first 24 hours after the news event.
Submit coverage of a single, unscheduled news event.
Submit up to five functioning, cached or active URLs linking to coverage of the single, unscheduled news event.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 20 minutes.

Investigative Reporting

Submit up to five functioning, cached or active URLs linking to an entry which must demonstrate original and outstanding journalistic enterprise on an important issue.
Entry may include materials from undercover sources, demonstrate extensive research of documents and records, and include records and documentation of allegations made in the report.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 15 minutes.

Hard News

Submit up to five functioning, cached or active URLs linking to an entry which consists of a single hard news report that is not breaking news and not primarily investigative in nature.
Humorous or soft-topic stories do not belong in this category.
Entry may not be entered in the Feature Reporting category.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 10 minutes.

Continuing Coverage

Submit an entry showing continuing coverage of a major developing story over an extended period of time.
Submit up to five functioning, cached or active URLs linking to coverage of the major developing story over an extended period of time.
The entry should include at least one complete news report.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 30 minutes.

Feature Reporting

Submit a functioning, cached or active URL linking to a single report covering a human-interest or profile subject that is not breaking news or investigative in nature.
Entry may not be entered in the Reporting: Hard News category.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 10 minutes.

Sports Reporting

Submit a single packaged report reflecting a journalistic endeavor to report on a newsworthy sports-related subject. Anchored sports segments within programs, stand-alone sports programs and play-by-play are not eligible
Entry must be unedited.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Entry must not exceed 10 minutes.

Excellence in Sound

Submit a functioning, cached or active URL linking to a single subject reported in a single segment showing creative use of sound to tell a story.
Entry must be exactly as it was heard on a digital platform or platforms.
"Year-ender" packages are not allowed.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Total run time may not exceed 10 minutes.

Excellence in Video

Submit a functioning, cached or active URL linking to a single subject reported in a single segment showing creative use of video to tell a story.
Entry must be exactly as it appeared on a digital platform or platforms.
"Year-ender" packages are not allowed.
A short description of the entry is requested.
Total run time may not exceed 10 minutes.

News Documentary

Submit a functioning, cached or active URL linking to a single subject reported in a single segment addressing a need or needs of your users.
Entry may be edited.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 60 minutes.

Excellence in Writing

Submit a functioning, cached or active URL to an entry demonstrating excellence in writing that conveys the feeling and significance of events to the user. Entry may represent an individual or collaborative effort and may include up to three examples, exactly as it originally appeared.
A short description of the entry is requested.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 15 minutes

Excellence in Innovation

This category is designed to award digital news organizations that innovate their product to enhance the quality of journalism and the audience’s understanding of news.
Submit a functioning, cached or active URL linking to a single entry that demonstrates an innovative use of content, engagement, technology and/or audience experience. A single entry may include audio or video examples; functioning, cached or active URLs; apps; social feeds; or any other platform that demonstrates innovation in journalism.
Audio or video entries must not exceed 30 minutes. If the original entry is longer than 30 minutes, submit only the first 30 minutes. No editing is allowed.
A written description explaining how the entry breaks the mold of traditional journalism is required.

Overall Excellence

To be eligible to compete in this category, Digital News Organizations must enter at least two other categories.
Submit an entry that contains up to ten live or cached URLs linking to examples of breaking news, continuing coverage, features and/or other work that reflects the depth and scope of the news organization. Apps and social feeds may also be submitted as part of the ten examples. Judging will be based on the original work samples and not on the way the entry is produced. Entry must include examples of a robust digital media presence; relevant links may be inserted in the text box provided, or attached in a .pdf and uploaded to the entry form.
If the entry includes audio or video content, total run time may not exceed 40 minutes.
Judging will be based on the original work samples and not on the way the entry is produced.