If you have an event you would like the Somerville community to know, submit it here!
The Foundation of the Alliance for Community Media are looking for entries for the following categories:
For more information, go to https://www.allcommunitymedia.org/Foundation/Foundation/Hometown_Media_Awards/About.aspx
There are two main groupings of awards: Overall Excellence and Standard Categories. Both the Overall Excellence and Standard Categories branch into further categories that apply to their specific criteria. Although some categories have specific needs, the rest of the requirements are open for interpretation. The submitter can edit the video as needed to produce the best piece.
ACM Member or NFCB Member** – $50 per entry
Non-Member – $75 per entry
Student – $40 per entry
The Overall Excellence awards recognize access organizations for their overall operational activities and programming efforts. Only access organizations may submit an Overall Excellence entry.
Access organizations are split into divisions based on their budget.
The budget divisions are:
1. Less than $300,000
2. $300,000-$650,000
3. $650,000-$1,000,000
4. More than $1,000,000
An access organization may only enter one of the categories.
1. Overall Excellence in Public Access: Awarded to an organization that operates only the Public Access channel(s) and resources. Programming examples might include shows created by access staff, community producers, organizations, and individuals who have editorial control over the content of their programs. Centers who also manage educational or governmental access channels and facilities must enter the P.E.G. category.
2. Overall Excellence in Educational Access: Awarded to an organization that operates only the Educational Access channel(s) and resources. Programming examples might include shows created by the staff, faculty, and students of an educational institution or educational access center. Centers who also manage public or governmental access channels and facilities must enter the P.E.G. category.
3. Overall Excellence in Governmental Access: Awarded to an organization that operates only the Governmental Access channel(s) and resources. Programming examples might include shows created by government employs or staff of the government access organization. Centers who also manage public or educational access channels and facilities must enter the P.E.G. category.
4. Overall Excellence in Combined P. E. or G. Access: Awarded to an organization that is responsible for any combination of Public, Educational, and Governmental access channels and resources (PE/PG/EG/PEG). The entry should include programming examples from all the channel types managed by this organization.
5. Overall Excellence in Community Radio: Awarded to community radio stations.
The Standard Categories awards recognize producers for their program efforts in a concentrated area/topic. Entries submitted for the standard categories are typically 8 minutes long, unless noted otherwise.
The producer divisions are:
1. Access Center Professional – Programs created by employees of community media or access centers.
2. Independent Producer – Programs created by producers independent of community media or access centers (no compensation).
3. Student Division – Programs created by current students enrolled in primary, secondary or undergraduate schools. Non-students may supervise the production, but the overall direction, control of the production and all technical tasks (camera, directing, editing, sound, etc.) must be performed by the youth involved.
4. Community Radio -Programs created by community radio stations. Videos are not required.
One program may be entered in different categories. The same program may NOT be entered in more than one producer division.
Example: you may enter one program as an independent producer in both the Animation category and the Audio Programming category.
You may NOT enter one program as a student in the Animation category and then enter the same program as an Independent Producer in the Audio Programming category.
1. About Access & Empowerment: created to inform the viewer about an access center, access channel, or the concept of public, educational, or government access; programs that exemplify how community access television empowers people to speak about issues that affect them.
2. Access Program Promo: short promotional video, less than five minutes, about an access program or channel.
3. Audio Programming: News, talk, music or entertainment audio broadcast from an access center on the radio, internet, or as a podcast. Submissions should be 12 minutes in length.
4. Children’s Programs: informational or entertainment programs targeted for audiences of children 12 years old and younger.
5. Community Events- Parades/Festivals: coverage of community events such as parades and festivals.
6. Community Events- Activism/Rallies: coverage of community events such as rallies or other events that are intended to bring about social or political change.
7. Community Events- General: coverage of community events such awards ceremonies and other special community events that do not fit into the Parades/Festivals category or the Activism/Rallies category.
8. Community Impact: Program that generates community involvement and has a tangible impact on an issue or area of concern. Support materials (news articles, etc.) must be submitted in addition to video clip. PDFs and Word documents are accepted for online submission of support materials.
9. Democracy in Action: programs that cover national, state, or local elections including interviews, commentary, debates, and candidate forums.
10. Documentary: documentary format programs about an event, occurrence or issue of social importance.
11. Documentary Biography: documentary format programs that examine a person or organization.
12. Educational Activities: videos that describe school sponsored programs or feature events, other than sports or performing arts, which are sponsored by educational institutions or school districts.
13. Educational Profile: programs that promote educational institutions or showcase the school or district students or employees at work.
14. Emergency Communications: Programs that help communicate important emergency information to residents.
15. Entertainment & Arts- Single Episode: A single episode of a program designed to entertain and amuse including visual, media or performance arts, sports commentary and entertainment talk show.
16. Entertainment & Arts- Series: Programs designed to entertain and amuse including visual, media or performance arts, sports commentary and entertainment talk show. This category is to submit a compilation up to three five-minute excerpts from three episodes in a series.
17. Event Fundraising: an event designed to raise awareness, money and support for an organization’s mission.
18. Experimental: risk taking or unique work that challenges traditional boundaries using innovative production techniques
19. For-Profit: Awareness that was brought to a for-profit service/business.
20. Government Activities: videos that describe government programs and services or feature events sponsored by government agencies.
21. Government Meeting Coverage: Programming that helps citizens understand and follow local government meetings.
22. Government Profile: programs that feature government departments or showcase government employees at work.
23. Informational Talk Show- Single Episode: discussion programs or interviews designed to inform the viewers about a specific topic. Program is shot on location, in the studio OR virtual with limited roll-in footage.
24. Informational Talk Show- Series: discussion programs or interviews designed to inform the viewers about a specific topic. Program is shot in the studio, on location OR virtual with limited roll-in footage. This category is to submit a compilation up to three five-minute excerpts from three episodes in a series.
25. Instructional/Training: provides “how to” advice or teaches a subject or skill.
26. Local Performances: music concerts, plays, or dance performances videotaped at a local performance venue or in a television studio.
27. Magazine Shows: programs comprised of several pre-produced segments or stories on a different topics that are introduced by a host or narrative.
28. Mixed and Transmedia: Programming that uses different media forms (still imagery, animation, transmedia, puppetry, spoken word, etc.).
29. News: regularly scheduled programs providing coverage of local issues, people, places and events through reports, interviews, and video clips.
30. Public Health Programming: Programs that educate the public about community health initiatives and aim to prevent disease or injury.
31. Public Service Announcements: short videos, less than one minute in length, promoting a community event or organization or presenting a particular social message.
32. Racial Justice and Civil Rights Programming: Programs that educate, inform, and advance racial justice or civil rights work.
33. Radio DJ of the Year: for programs produced by DJs of community radio stations.
34. Sports Coverage Live Competition: “game of the week” or live (at the time) coverage of a sports activity or sports competition.
35. Sports Coverage Leisure/Recreation: physical activities people choose to do in their free time to pursue personal interests, pleasurable and enjoyable activities. Some examples include: walking, skiing, dancing, bowling, hiking, rock climbing, boating, bicycling, weightlifting, and goalball.
36. Underserved Voices: produced by individuals with developmental or physical challenges OR programs created about subjects of interest or areas of concern in underserved communities. Examples of underserved communities may be those with disabilities, seniors, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc. (combination of previous categories of Access-Able, GLBT, and Seniors)
37. Web Based Program: informational or entertaining programs designed and intended for internet streaming rather than cablecast.
38. Virtual Events: meetings, programs, conferences and events that were held virtually.
39. Voter Education: Programming that increases participation in voting and local elections.
Somerville Media Center
12 Tyler Street
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 628-8826