Polly Bond Award Categories:

General Excellence categories are judged for the broad effort of a publication or media tool, rather than a specific issue or piece. For most of these categories, that means a full year’s worth of work, with entries offering several samples to judge a publication or tool. For Best Campaign, 3-6 pieces should be included, from a variety of media.

A. Best Website

Entries will be judged on layout, user experience, content, consistency of message and visual elements, and successful use of the website to achieve organizational goals. A successful entry will describe the communication goals that the website seeks to address, demonstrate the efforts to achieve the goals and provide metrics of success (both qualitative and quantitative). Entries need not necessarily be newly-built websites, but should demonstrate that the site is actively managed to continually engage users and updates were made throughout the year, either in design, function, or content. 

B. Best Print Newsletter/Magazine

●      Diocese/Organization

●      Parish/Cathedral

C. Best Email/Digital Newsletter/Magazine

●      Diocese/Organization

●      Parish/Cathedral

Periodicals published on a regular schedule (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual) may be submitted. Publications that have been printed for mailing or other distribution should be entered in the print category, even if they have also been distributed digitally. Publications which have been distributed ONLY in digital format should be entered in the digital category. Awards will be given in each of the divisions (diocese/organization and parish/cathedral). Three different issues (not necessarily in consecutive order) from 2024 must be submitted.

NOTE: If you have a new publication and have produced only two issues rather than the required three, you may submit those two. Please indicate on the entry form that this is the case. If submitting an annual publication which, by definition, only has one issue in 2024, please also note that.

To respect our judges’ time and ensure fairness in this category, please only submit three (3) issues. If you submit more than three (3) issues, only the first three seen by the judge will be considered.

Entries will be judged on content, appropriateness for audience, timeliness and visual design.

Entries also will define the audience, specify the date of publication and describe the importance of the publication in the organization’s overall communication plan.

All entries in the periodical categories should be submitted digitally, either as PDFs,  (in a Google Drive or other shared folder), or using a link to a platform such as Issuu or Yudu.

D. Best Campaign

Best Campaign entries carry one message/theme throughout multiple pieces. Entries may comprise 3-6 pieces, and must include at least two different channels or media (IE: You may submit a banner, a booklet, and 3 e-newsletters). Entries will be judged on creativity and innovation, as well as effectiveness in achieving organizational communication goals. A successful entry will describe the goals that the campaign seeks to address and the central theme, demonstrate the efforts to achieve the goals, and provide metrics of success (both qualitative and quantitative). Entries must include images of or links to the work/s.

E. Best Bulletin

Best Bulletin is a new category for the 2025 Polly Bond Awards! Please submit any 3 bulletins for judging. These bulletins can be from a regular Sunday, from special services (Maundy Thursday, Requiem, etc.), or a combination of Sunday and special bulletins, as long as you select only 3 to submit. Bulletins should take into account the user experience: be easy to follow along with, include information that assists with the flow of the service (sit, stand, celebrant only, sung vs. spoken), and follow consistent formatting. If you have both print and digital bulletins, you may include 3 print bulletins with their corresponding link for the digital version.

Regular categories ($20 fee per entry):

II. Audio/Video

A. Long-form Video

Long-form videos are defined as produced horizontal videos 5 minutes in length or longer and do not include live stream recordings unless significant editing has been applied (use of live stream footage in a video for this category is acceptable).

Entries are judged on content, quality of production, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation of the final product. Entries should specify the audience and date of the video’s release. Please submit a file or direct link to one episode for evaluation.

Live stream entries may be submitted under the new Communications Accessibility category.

B. Short-form Video

Short-form videos are defined as produced, horizontal videos shorter than 5 minutes in length. They do not include vertical videos created primarily for social media. (See the Social Media Video Post category.)

They are judged on content, quality of production, technical skill and overall presentation of the final product. Please specify the audience and date of the video’s release. While judging will take into account contracted support for all categories, this category historically receives a high number of submissions with contractor support. Judging will take this into account to ensure comparable works are judged against each other.

NOTE: Vertical videos created primarily for social media platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram should be submitted to the Social Media Video Post category. Short-form videos produced as separate projects that happen to be posted to social media platforms should be submitted here.

C. Podcast

Entries are judged on content, quality of production, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation of the final product. Entries should specify the audience and date of the episode release. Podcast entries must demonstrate production expertise by the Episcopal Communicator member submitting the entry. Podcasts in which the entrant is a speaker but did not produce the product will not be accepted. Please submit a file or direct link to one episode for evaluation.

III. Writing

Writing categories are divided according to content, not medium of publication. Blog entries are eligible.

A. News

An article that reports the basic details of an event within or relevant to your organization.

B. Feature

A human-interest article on a particular event, person or place relevant to your organization.

C. Commentary/Reflection

An opinion on the subject matter, or addressing a theme through interpretive writing, or delivering a reaction to an event or topic relevant to your organization. This may include reflection on personal experience or a wider current issue with regard to the Christian faith. Each entry should connect human experience with the divine, through interpretation of scripture and/or interpretation of one’s faith in daily life. Books are not acceptable.

IV. Visual Arts

Visual Arts categories are divided according to content, not medium of publication.

A. Photography

Photographs are judged on aesthetic merit, regardless of medium of publication. The communicator must be the person who took the photograph. No “project manager” or similar submissions will be accepted for this category.

B. Graphic Design

These images, icons or logos should be designed by the communicator using image, text, colors, fades, and layers, including overall design for posters, advertisements, event branding, etc. Submissions may be print or digital.

C. Layout (poster, one-page spread, etc.)

This category includes single-page posters, covers, or inside spreads of newspapers/magazines/printed publications that include graphics, photographs, text and other elements to achieve their goal. Banners are also eligible in this category.

D. Booklet

These multi-page publications may include graphics, photographs, text and other elements to achieve their goal. Entries will be judged on design quality and effectiveness in meeting intended goals. Brochures are eligible in this category. 

V. Social Media

A. Social Media Non-Video Post

Each entry should be a social media post where video is not the primary medium, submitted either by screen shot or direct link to the post. Entries will be judged on creativity and aesthetic, as well as its effectiveness. Metrics of success are encouraged but not required. Simple GIFs may be submitted in this category.

B. Social Media Video Post

Videos created for social media platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram that specifically use those platforms' editing features and environment should be submitted here. Short-form videos produced as separate projects that happen to be posted to social media platforms should be submitted in the Short-Form Video category. Live stream submissions may be submitted to the Communications Accessibility category.

VI. Communications Accessibility

The Communications Accessibility category celebrates efforts that make church communications more accessible to everyone. This might include initiatives like live-streaming services with captions, hosting bilingual events, or creating easy-to-understand resources for newcomers unfamiliar with the Episcopal tradition. Submissions can range from accessible websites, creative virtual engagement, printed materials in various languages, or non-internet resources for those with limited online access. Projects can be dual-submitted (e.g., in both Best Website and Communications Accessibility categories) if they excel in multiple areas.

• Please follow the same submission rules as the other categories to determine how much of your work to submit (if you are submitting bulletins as Communications Accessibility, you should submit three bulletins here, just as you did for the Bulletins category submission).

• Submissions can be from any medium (e.g., website, newsletter, video, event) and will be uniquely judged based on how these projects address accessibility.

• Review what you’re already submitting to another category, because it might also qualify for Communications Accessibility. If your website has information in multiple languages or enables online participation for those who can’t participate in person, those things count and you can submit to BOTH categories.

• Submissions to this category will vary, but should all reflect how communicators make church life more inclusive and accessible, inviting everyone to engage in ways that work best for them.

We can’t wait to see your creativity with this category!