Broadcast Education Association - Audio Competitions

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Faculty Audio	Student Audio
FA1 – Radio Documentary: Submit no more than a 15‐minute scoped audio clip that reflects the program content. Documentaries are traditionally programs that utilize actuality audio, narration, music, and other elements to present actual events, real people or any factual account of a situation. In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.	SA1 – Air Personality: This category is for on-air radio personalities. Examples should be reel-based, not exceed 5 minutes in length, and include talk sets and ramps into/out of songs, show segments (if applicable). Segments can be live (remote broadcast) or in-studio, or a combination of both. Submissions should be scoped with commercials/underwritings removed; but talk sets cannot be edited.
FA2 – Radio Station Promo, PSA, Commercial: Submit one spot not to exceed 60 seconds in length. Promos are traditionally spots produced to promote listening or enhance a station or production’s (e.g. podcast, show or special program) image. PSAs are traditionally spots produced to promote a charitable or nonprofit organization. Commercials are traditionally spots produced to sell goods or services. In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.	SA2 – Comedy or Drama: The category is for the best comedy or drama segments. Examples include comedic features (can be part of a regularly running show) or segments from specialty shows such as morning shows. Drama includes radio dramas and radio-theater type productions. Submissions should be no longer than 7 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwritings removed, but content cannot be edited.
FA3 – Short-Form Production: Submit no more than a five-minute production that does not fit in the above categories. The content must be unedited and unscoped; e.g. no “best of”-type clips. Topics may include: ● Audio commentaries. ● Podcasts. ● Soft news/feature news stories. FA3 entries will be judged on topic, voice, interviews, narration, and/or technical quality. In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.	SA3 – Educational Program: This category is considered the “public interest” category. Examples include newscasts, news shows, informative talk shows (such as forums or town-hall type meetings), and documentaries. Submissions should be no longer than 7 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwritings removed, but content cannot be edited. part of a campaign. Single spots should not exceed 1:30 and campaign considerations should not exceed 4:30.
FA4 – Long-Form Production: Submit no more than a 20‐minute scoped audio clip (minimum 5:01) that reflects the program content of a radio or audio program or series that originally exceeded five minutes in length and does not fit in any of the preceding categories. Topics may include: Long-form podcasts, edited and scoped to 5:01-20 minutes. The segment must be continuous; e.g. not a “best of” compilation or “snippets.” Audio dramas. Music curation, on-air personality and presentation. FA4 entries will be judged on topic, voice, interviews, narration, and/or technical quality. In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.	SA4 – PSA, Promo, or Commercial: This category is for the best PSA, Promo, or Commercial. Examples include originally-created Public Service Announcements that serve the public interest and have a specific call-to-action for a non-profit or social cause (campus announcements are not considered PSAs), original station, event or show promo spots, or commercials created for a product or service for a for-profit business. Underwriting announcements are not acceptable for this category. Submissions should be single spots or part of a campaign. Single spots should not exceed 1:30 and campaign considerations should not exceed 4:30.
FA5 — Sound Engineering and Design: Submit a maximum 15 minutes of continuous content. Content cannot be a collection of “best of” moments, but rather should be the best 15 minutes of scoped work. Content for this category includes: Sound for pictures, videos, films, musical songs or albums. Sound installations. Live sound productions. Submissions may include relevant multimedia elements (e.g. video, film, photos, etc.), but will be judged based primarily on sound/design work. Entries should be submitted as stereo files/links (e.g. YouTube or SoundCloud), or one of the approved file types here.	SA5 – Narrative Audio New Competition : This category is designed for recorded podcasts, specialty shows and segments of programs. Content is judged based on sound quality, design, and polished VO/narration and interviews (i.e. limited vocal cues or fillers). Submissions – including podcasts and podcast series – should be no longer than 10 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwriting removed, but content cannot be edited beyond the original production.
	SA6 – Non-Narrative Audio New Competition : This category is designed for live audio content, particularly interview podcasts, live music or remote broadcasts, topical/discussion programs (i.e. news talk, sports talk, entertainment talk), genre-specific music programs (i.e. a “folk hour” or “local music hour”), and news or sports readers. Content will be judged based on sound quality, design and an overall live presence (demeanor, voice, etc.). Submissions with unoriginal music content (i.e. pre-recorded songs not recorded or performed live in-studio) should be scoped to exclude musical content. Submissions should be no longer than 10 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwriting removed, but content cannot be edited beyond the original production.
	SA7 – Multimedia Sound Design: This category represents sound works that are embedded within visual imagery. Areas include sound for television, sound for film/movies, sound for photographic slide shows, sound for multimedia art exhibitions, and sound for games/interactive media. ALL sound content must be directly associated to visual image and cannot be submitted on its own. The technical and aesthetic relevance of the sound component to the visual piece is being evaluated. Technical execution of the visual image is important for conveying the relation between sound and image. Length of sound works for this category cannot exceed 7 minutes. Note: please submit only stereo files. Multichannel files cannot be played back. In the case of sound design for an installation, the sound work(s) with still photographic images from perspectives of the installation would be acceptable.
	SA8 – Sound Engineering and Production: This category represents recorded music and audio content from the perspective of the sound engineer and/or producer. Works in this category include music recordings and live sound productions/recordings. Entries will be judged based on applied technical and aesthetic principles of sound engineering and production. Content and/or song structure along with musical performance of musicians is an inherent consideration and can impact the overall value and evaluation of the work. Submissions must be single songs/works only and cannot exceed 6 minutes. Additional songs from the same artist and/or producer/engineer must be submitted separately.

Faculty Audio

Student Audio

Submit no more than a 15‐minute scoped audio clip that reflects the program content. Documentaries are traditionally programs that utilize actuality audio, narration, music, and other elements to present actual events, real people or any factual account of a situation.

In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.

SA1 – Air Personality: This category is for on-air radio personalities. Examples should be reel-based, not exceed 5 minutes in length, and include talk sets and ramps into/out of songs, show segments (if applicable). Segments can be live (remote broadcast) or in-studio, or a combination of both. Submissions should be scoped with commercials/underwritings removed; but talk sets cannot be edited.

FA2 – Radio Station Promo, PSA, Commercial:

Submit one spot not to exceed 60 seconds in length. Promos are traditionally spots produced to promote listening or enhance a station or production’s (e.g. podcast, show or special program) image. PSAs are traditionally spots produced to promote a charitable or nonprofit organization. Commercials are traditionally spots produced to sell goods or services.

In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.

SA2 – Comedy or Drama: The category is for the best comedy or drama segments. Examples include comedic features (can be part of a regularly running show) or segments from specialty shows such as morning shows. Drama includes radio dramas and radio-theater type productions. Submissions should be no longer than 7 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwritings removed, but content cannot be edited.

FA3 – Short-Form Production:

Submit no more than a five-minute production that does not fit in the above categories. The content must be unedited and unscoped; e.g. no “best of”-type clips. Topics may include:

● Audio commentaries.
● Podcasts.
● Soft news/feature news stories.

FA3 entries will be judged on topic, voice, interviews, narration, and/or technical quality. In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.

SA3 – Educational Program: This category is considered the “public interest” category. Examples include newscasts, news shows, informative talk shows (such as forums or town-hall type meetings), and documentaries. Submissions should be no longer than 7 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwritings removed, but content cannot be edited.

part of a campaign. Single spots should not exceed 1:30 and campaign considerations should not exceed 4:30.

FA4 – Long-Form Production:

Submit no more than a 20‐minute scoped audio clip (minimum 5:01) that reflects the program content of a radio or audio program or series that originally exceeded five minutes in length and does not fit in any of the preceding categories. Topics may include:

Long-form podcasts, edited and scoped to 5:01-20 minutes. The segment must be continuous; e.g. not a “best of” compilation or “snippets.”
Audio dramas.
Music curation, on-air personality and presentation.

FA4 entries will be judged on topic, voice, interviews, narration, and/or technical quality. In your description of entry (see below), please provide details on these specific parameters, angles, and characteristics for judging context.

SA4 – PSA, Promo, or Commercial:

This category is for the best PSA, Promo, or Commercial. Examples include originally-created Public Service Announcements that serve the public interest and have a specific call-to-action for a non-profit or social cause (campus announcements are not considered PSAs), original station, event or show promo spots, or commercials created for a product or service for a for-profit business. Underwriting announcements are not acceptable for this category. Submissions should be single spots or part of a campaign. Single spots should not exceed 1:30 and campaign considerations should not exceed 4:30.

FA5 — Sound Engineering and Design: Submit a maximum 15 minutes of continuous content. Content cannot be a collection of “best of” moments, but rather should be the best 15 minutes of scoped work. Content for this category includes:

Sound for pictures, videos, films, musical songs or albums.
Sound installations.
Live sound productions.

Submissions may include relevant multimedia elements (e.g. video, film, photos, etc.), but will be judged based primarily on sound/design work. Entries should be submitted as stereo files/links (e.g. YouTube or SoundCloud), or one of the approved file types here.

SA5 – Narrative Audio ** New Competition **:

This category is designed for recorded podcasts, specialty shows and segments of programs. Content is judged based on sound quality, design, and polished VO/narration and interviews (i.e. limited vocal cues or fillers). Submissions – including podcasts and podcast series – should be no longer than 10 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwriting removed, but content cannot be edited beyond the original production.

SA6 – Non-Narrative Audio ** New Competition **:
This category is designed for live audio content, particularly interview podcasts, live music or remote broadcasts, topical/discussion programs (i.e. news talk, sports talk, entertainment talk), genre-specific music programs (i.e. a “folk hour” or “local music hour”), and news or sports readers. Content will be judged based on sound quality, design and an overall live presence (demeanor, voice, etc.). Submissions with unoriginal music content (i.e. pre-recorded songs not recorded or performed live in-studio) should be scoped to exclude musical content. Submissions should be no longer than 10 minutes and should be scoped with commercials/underwriting removed, but content cannot be edited beyond the original production.

SA7 – Multimedia Sound Design:

This category represents sound works that are embedded within visual imagery. Areas include sound for television, sound for film/movies, sound for photographic slide shows, sound for multimedia art exhibitions, and sound for games/interactive media. ALL sound content must be directly associated to visual image and cannot be submitted on its own. The technical and aesthetic relevance of the sound component to the visual piece is being evaluated. Technical execution of the visual image is important for conveying the relation between sound and image. Length of sound works for this category cannot exceed 7 minutes. Note: please submit only stereo files. Multichannel files cannot be played back. In the case of sound design for an installation, the sound work(s) with still photographic images from perspectives of the installation would be acceptable.

SA8 – Sound Engineering and Production:

This category represents recorded music and audio content from the perspective of the sound engineer and/or producer. Works in this category include music recordings and live sound productions/recordings. Entries will be judged based on applied technical and aesthetic principles of sound engineering and production. Content and/or song structure along with musical performance of musicians is an inherent consideration and can impact the overall value and evaluation of the work. Submissions must be single songs/works only and cannot exceed 6 minutes. Additional songs from the same artist and/or producer/engineer must be submitted separately.