The Best of Print News Design is part of SND’s 45th annual creative competition. Judges will recognize journalistic excellence in storytelling, graphics and art direction, to identify the visual journalism that pushes the boundaries of design.
- Standard deadline: Friday, Feb. 23, 2024
- Members: $25 for a single page, $40 for multiple-page entries. Requires member code to be included at checkout. (World’s Best Newspaper: free. Must apply code, and should be entered as a separate transaction.)
- Non-members: $50 for a single page, $80 for multiple-page entires. (World’s Best Newspaper: $80)
- Students: $10 for a single page, $15 for multiple-page entries
- Extended deadline: Friday, March 8, 2024
- Members: $30 for a single page, $45 for multiple-page entries. Requires member code to be included at checkout. (World’s Best Newspaper: free. Must apply code, and should be entered as a separate transaction.)
- Non-members: $60 for a single page, $90 for multiple-page entries. (World’s Best Newspaper: $90)
- Students: $20 for a single page, $30 for multiple-page entries
- Entries will be accepted here starting Monday, Jan. 22, 2024.
- Digital categories are also available.
- Previous results can be found here. Judges will meet in person in May with results posted live on snd.org and its social media platforms.
- Frequently asked questions
- Sign up here to volunteer for the 2024 judging, May 8-10 in Minneapolis!
Category 1: World’s Best-Designed Newspaper
This category is not mandatory. Only one entry per publication is allowed in this category. Because this entry is for overall excellence, only “staff” will be allowed as a credit when entering. Entries are evaluated on writing, visual storytelling, use of resources, execution, photography, headlines and voice — as well as overall design. No magazines may be entered in this category. To enter, entrants will be required to submit five (5) complete editions from 2023 in PDF form via the digital entry portal. All five editions should come from different weeks – more than seven days apart.
- 1A — Daily Newspapers
- 1B — Non-Daily Newspapers
Category 2: Section Design
This category is for regularly appearing sections. Submit three (3) complete sections. Editors may choose any three dates in 2023. The three sections constitute one multipage entry. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English. No magazines may be entered in this category.
- 2A — A-section
- 2B — Local Section
- 2C — Sports Section
- 2D — Business Section
- 2E — Opinion Section
- 2F — Features Section (includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
- 2G — Other (for sections that do not fit listed subcategories)
Category 3: Page Design
Categories 3A through 3K are single page categories. Categories 3L through 3O are multipage categories for entries in which a story continues beyond a single page and the additional pages are to be judged. Spreads or doubletruck pages count as a single page entry. A doubletruck is defined as two pages designed as a single unit. Any given page may only be entered twice in category 3: once as a single page entry and once as part of a multipage entry. Single pages entered more than once will be disqualified. Work entered in the breaking news categories must have been created on deadline and published in the news cycle nearest to the breaking news event. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English. No magazines may be entered in this category.
Covers
- 3 A.a — A1 – Front Page (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 A.b — A1 – Front Page (compact, single page)
- 3 B.a — Local Cover (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 B.b — Local Cover (compact, single page)
- 3 C.a — Sports Cover (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 C.b — Sports Cover (compact, single page)
- 3 D.a — Business Cover (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 D.b — Business Cover (compact, single page)
- 3 E.a — Opinion Pages (broadsheet, single page — includes cover or inside pages)
- 3 E.b — Opinion Pages (compact, single page — includes cover or inside pages)
- 3 F.a — Features Cover (broadsheet, single page; includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
- 3 F.b — Features Cover (compact, single page; includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
- 3 G.a — Breaking News Cover (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 G.b — Breaking News Cover (compact, single page)
Inside Pages
- 3 H.a — News (broadsheet, single page; includes A-section, local, business)
- 3 H.b — News (compact, single page; includes A-section, local, business)
- 3 I.a — Sports (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 I.b — Sports (compact, single page)
- 3 J.a — Features (broadsheet, single page; includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
- 3 J.b — Features (compact, single page; includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
- 3 K.a — Breaking News (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 K.b — Breaking News (compact, single page)
Story Design
Note: Entries in 3L-3O must come from a single story, section and day that spans multiple pages. Work from multiple sections or multiple days must be entered in Category 4. The cover is not required with entry.
- 3 L.a — News (broadsheet, multi page; includes A-section, local, business, opinion)
- 3 L.b — News (compact, multi page; includes A-section, local, business, opinion)
- 3 M.a — Sports (broadsheet, multi page)
- 3 M.b — Sports (compact, multi page)
- 3 N.a — Features (broadsheet, multi page; includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
- 3 N.b — Features (compact, multi page; includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
- 3 O.a — Breaking News (broadsheet, single page)
- 3 O.b — Breaking News (compact, single page)
Other
- 3 P.a — Other (broadsheet, single or multi page; for pages that do not fit listed subcategories)
- 3 P.b — Other (compact, single or multi page; for pages that do not fit listed subcategories)
Category 4: Special Coverage
Enter multiple pages that best demonstrate coverage of one topic across several days. An entry should either include a single day of coverage across multiple sections or pages from more than one day of coverage. There is no limit to the number of pages or days of coverage. These do not have to be consecutive pages or consecutive publication dates. Pages from the same event or topic on the same day may not be entered in more than one subcategory. For example, coverage entered as “Local or Regional” may not also be entered as “Obituaries.” A page may not be used as part of more than one entry in this category. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English.
- 4A — Local or Regional
- 4B — National
- 4C — International
- 4D — Sports
- 4E — Features
- 4F — Obituaries
- 4G — Politics, Elections
- 4H — Natural Disasters or Climate Change
Category 5: Special Sections
This category is for news, sports, business, opinion and features special sections. Single pages from special sections should be entered in Category 3. Please submit section(s) in full. Do not remove any pages, including full pages of advertising, from a section entered in this category. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English. No magazines may be entered in this category.
Single sections
- 5A — News (includes local, business and opinion)
- 5B — Sports
- 5C — Features (includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
Multiple sections
- 5D — News (includes local, business and opinion)
- 5E — Sports
- 5F — Features (includes lifestyle, food, arts & entertainment, fashion, travel)
Category 6: Magazines
This category is for magazine design. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English.
Overall Design
- 6A — Submit three (3) complete magazines published in 2023, including full pages of advertising. The three magazines constitute one multipage entry.
Special Sections
- 6B — Submit a magazine edition appearing fewer than four (4) times a year. Submit the entire magazine, including full pages of advertising. Each magazine constitutes one multipage entry.
Cover Design
- 6C — Submit one (1) full cover for each entry. Do not submit inside pages — they should be entered in Category 6D or 6E.
Inside Page Design
Submit a single inside page only. Do not include the cover. A spread or doubletruck page counts as a single entry. A doubletruck is defined as two pages designed as a single unit.
- 6 D.a — News
- 6 D.c — Opinion
- 6 D.b — Sports
- 6 D.d — Features
Section Design
- 6E — Submit three (3) complete, regularly-appearing sections within the magazine. Each section should come from a different month.
Story Design
Enter one complete story from a single issue. If a story is the cover story, the cover may be included with the entry, but is not required. An entry must come from a single story, section and day that spans multiple pages. Each story constitutes one multiple page entry.
- 6 F.a — News
- 6 F.b — Sports
- 6 F.c — Opinion
- 6 F.d — Features
Category 7: Illustration
Do not submit original artwork. Submit the illustration in the context of how it was published. This category recognizes the illustration(s) entered, not the whole page. Work must be staff-generated and/or first-use. Work may have appeared in print or online. For online entries, submit a PDF of the web page it appeared on. If the illustration is animated, please also attach an mp4 or gif of the animation. Several illustrations that combine to create a single image are considered multiple illustrations and should be entered in 7G. Images created using AI are not accepted in this category. Artwork credits must be attributed to artists and should not include credits to generative AI tools.This category is open to newspapers and magazines. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English.
Single Illustrations
Submit one (1) full page for each entry. Two pages designed as a single unit are considered a single page. A single illustration may only be entered once in subcategories 7A through 7F.
- 7A — News or Business
- 7B — Sports
- 7C — Opinion
- 7D — Features
- 7E — Portrait
- 7F — Other
Multiple Illustrations
- 7G — Submit multiple illustrations for a single article or topic that spans one or multiple editions. If several illustrations combine to create a single image, submit only the combined result.
Category 8: Photography
This category is for use of photography and picture editing in a series. Do not submit original photography. Submit the photography in the context of how it was published. Work must be staff-generated and/or first-use (except category 8C). Submit full pages for each entry. All photos on a page or pages will be judged in this category. This category is open to newspapers and magazines. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English.
Single-Edition Photo Series
- 8A — Submit a page or pages from a single publication edition.
Multi-Edition Photo Series
- 8B — Submit pages from the entire series spanning more than one day.
Photo Page Design
- 8C — Submit a single page or doubletruck to be judged on quality of photographs, photo editing and design. A doubletruck is defined as two pages designed as a single unit. Photos in Category 8C do not have to be staff-generated.
Category 9: Information Graphics
This category recognizes graphic storytelling. Work must be staff-generated and/or first-use. Graphics created using AI are not accepted in this category. Graphic credits must be attributed to graphic artists or staffs and should not include credits to generative AI tools.Spread or doubletruck pages count as a single page entry. A doubletruck is defined as two pages designed as a single unit. Several graphics designed over more than two (2) pages or spreads to work together as a single image should be entered in subcategory 9G. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English.
Single Graphic
Submit one (1) full page for each entry. Two pages designed as a single unit are considered a single page. Multipage graphics should be entered in subcategory 9G. A single graphic may only be entered once in subcategories 9A through 9F.
- 9A — News
- 9B — Business
- 9C — Sports
- 9D — Features
- 9E — Politics, Elections
- 9F — Other
Multiple Graphics
- 9G — Submit multiple graphics for a single article or topic that spans one or multiple editions. If several graphics combine to create a single image, submit only the combined result.
Category 10: Portfolios
If more than one portfolio is entered by the same person or staff in the same subcategory, pages may not be duplicated. A spread or doubletruck, as a part of any portfolio, counts as a single page. A doubletruck is defined as two pages designed as a single unit. For non-English entries, please include a brief explanation of the content in English.
Page Designer Portfolio
Submit six (6) pages by one (1) designer. Entries with fewer than six pages, more than six pages or that name more than one individual will be disqualified. Team projects in this category should be entered as a staff portfolio. If you’ve changed jobs, you may enter pages from multiple publications.
- 10A — News, Business, Opinion
- 10B — Sports
- 10C — Features
- 10D — Magazine
- 10E — Combination (any combination of news, business, sports, features or magazine pages by a single designer)
Information Graphics
- 10F — Submit exactly six (6) full pages showing any mix of deadline and non-deadline graphics by a single person. Multiple graphics by one artist on one page is considered one entry.
Illustration
- 10G — Submit exactly six (6) full pages showing the work of a single artist. Multiple illustrations by one artist on one page is considered one entry.
Staff Portfolio
Submit eight (8) pages showing the work of a staff or more than one designer. Entries with fewer than eight pages, more than eight pages or by a single designer will be disqualified.
- 10H — News, Business, Opinion
- 10I — Sports
- 10J — Features
- 10K — Magazine
- 10L — Combination (any combination of news, business, sports, features or magazine pages by a staff or team)
Information Graphics
- 10M — Submit exactly eight (8) full pages showing any mix of deadline and non-deadline graphics by the work of multiple people or a staff or team.
Art Direction
- 10N — Submit exactly eight (8) pages showing the planning and art direction of illustrations. This category is for the work of a staff or team.
Category 11: Combination Print & Digital
This category is for single topics that have both print and digital components that will be judged together. The print entry should contain single pages or multiple pages that best demonstrate coverage of one theme. The print entry should include content from no more than five (5) editions. Multiple page print entries do not have to be consecutive pages or consecutive publication dates. All digital submissions must have been posted to the web or made available for public viewing in 2023. SND recommends shortening a URL if it is more than 50 characters. The digital entry should include no more than five (5) URLs. All URLs will be displayed in a web browser on a laptop computer. All URLs must be live by Jan. 31, 2024, and must remain active through June 30, 2024. If digital content to be judged includes an app, please indicate the ideal device (e.g. iPad), download information and a username/password.
- 11A — News
- 11B — Sports
- 11C — Features
- 11D — Other
How to reach us
- Greg Mees, Best of Print News Design Competition Committee Chair
- Email: competitions@snd.org or greg.mees@gmail.com
- Tyler Remmel, 45th Edition Competition Coordinator
- Email: competitions@snd.org or snd45@tylerremmel.com