Rules & Criteria
ENTRIES CLOSED
Contents of this page:
General Rules
The eligibility period for the BSME Awards 2022 is 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022 (this is the on sale/availability date, not the date on the cover). Only work published during this period may be submitted.
You don’t have to be a BSME member to enter the awards.
For the editor categories, you must have edited your brand for a minimum of six months during the eligibility period.
You must edit, art-direct or be in charge of content for a print and/or digital title (except the columnist categories).
If you edit or art direct more than one brand, you may enter each brand individually, or enter for multiple titles.
If you are editor-in-chief (or equivalent title) of one or more than one brand you can enter the Editor-in-Chief of the Year category but may also enter other categories, as long as there is no named day-to-day editor on your title. If there is, the editor should enter the Editor of the Year category, and the editor-in-chief should enter the Editor-in-Chief of the Year category.
Both digital and print editors can enter any of the Editor of the Year categories, and may enter more than one category.
A brand may only be entered in one Art Director of the Year category.
If your title has launched since 1 April 2021 you can only enter the Launch of the Year category.
To enter the Launch of the Year category you must be the editor responsible for the launch and have edited for four months during the eligibility period.
You may enter a brand in only one Art Director of the Year category but in any number of other categories.
You may enter as many columnists as you wish in the Columnist of the Year categories.
If you are entering more than one award, please ensure that you submit a complete set of materials for each entry.
Incomplete entries will not necessarily be considered and you may be charged the full entry rate.
Any material you submit must have been edited or art directed by you.
Acting editors and acting art directors may not enter and periods spent as acting editor will not be considered.
Content must be published in English and edited and published in the UK.
We now accept print-only titles that are published only once a year.
Only digital editions produced by UK companies and organisations are eligible.
Student magazines are not eligible.
The BSME reserves the right to re-allocate or refuse entries where appropriate and will inform the editor(s) of the brand(s) concerned.
Entries must also comply with specific rules for each category which are individually outlined below.
The decision of the BSME committee/judges is final and feedback is not given.
To avoid any conflict of interest, members of the shortlisting and judging panel may not be involved in judging categories where a magazine, digital edition or app they are associated with on a day-to-day basis or within their publishing company has been entered.
Judges are eligible to be nominated for any category.
Winners will be announced at the BSME Awards 2022 event in November.
Anything that falls outside of the criteria below will be considered by the judges on a case-by-case basis.
ENTRY FORMS & SUPPORTING ASSETS
All entries will be submitted via our online Awards Entry Forms.
For print titles, you have 3 options to provide your supporting magazine for Editor of the Year and Art Director categories.
Upload the 3 complete issues on the entry form as a PDF. Two issues are acceptable if it’s a bi-annual title. One issue is acceptable if it’s only published once annually.
Provide a URL to a digital version of the magazines for each of the 3 complete issues (eg, a link to a server containing content, Dropbox, Google Drive, Issuu, Readly, FlippingBook, etc. Please ensure any required passwords work for multiple browsers and do not expire before October 2022.)
Post 3 copies of each of the 3 supporting issues (total 9 magazines per entry) to the BSME office using the postal instructions.
For Cover of the Year, covers should be uploaded in PDF/JPEG format.
For Columnist of the Year, columns should be uploaded in PDF format or via URL.
For digital entries, provide URLs to relevant websites and/or specific features as well as any login credentials necessary to view the content. Logins should be valid at until at least October 2022.
Many of the circulation/statistics/performance/success fields have been removed from the entry form. You may include this kind of information in the supporting statement to demonstrate your brand’s success.
Ensure all names of people, brands and titles are entered correctly and spellings are accurate as what you enter on the entry form is how it will appear on screens, web pages, social media and printed material throughout the awards.
Please also add, in the relevant field on the form, the phonetic spelling of any names that are subject to mispronunciation.
We require a head shot for each entrant. Please ensure it is of high quality and without sunglasses or hats.
Unlike previous years, we will not be requesting shortlist assets for entries that are shortlisted.
Ensure you have your PDFs of magazines, columns, covers, supporting statements and any other documentation (such as web analytics if required) ready before completing the entry forms.
Your session will not "time out" if you don't complete the entry all at once as long as you keep your browser/tabs open.
Once submitted, your entry cannot be edited. If you need to make amends to the entry please contact us.
COST OF ENTERING
If you were not a member of the BSME by the launch date of 1 August 2022, the non-member rate applies.
The independent rate is only applicable to publishers of no more than a few core titles and where the annual turnover is less than £10m.
Non-independent entries:
For every 3 entries for a single title, you get the fourth entry FREE. Subsequent entries are discounted at 50%
Entries will be invoiced following the closing date. Discounts will be calculated for multiple entries.
Ensure you complete invoice details (including PO numbers if required) when submitting your entries.
Invoices must be settled prior to shortlisting.
Entries will not be considered for shortlisting until payment is received.
FEES
MULITPLE ENTRY DISCOUNTS
Enter your brand in 3 categories, receive a fourth entry FREE. Subsequent entries receive a 50% discount. For example,
Entry 1 - Full price
Entry 2 - Full price
Entry 3 - Full price
Entry 4 - FREE **
All subsequent entries - 50% OFF **
** The complimentary fee for the fourth entry and discounted entries thereafter apply to the lowest-priced entries for the brand.
Criteria
Specific criteria for entering are listed under each category group. In essence, awards will be given to the entrant whose brand, in the judges’ opinion, has achieved, maintained and advanced consistently high editorial quality appropriate for their audience. Entries will not be judged on scale and reach of the title – judges will instead be looking for proof of editorial excellence allied to commercial performance and strategic development.
Editor of the Year categories
Editor of the Year - Finance & Money
Editor of the Year - Branded Content
Editor of the Year - Culture, sponsored by TikTok
Editor of the Year - Current Affairs & Politics
Editor of the Year - B2B
Editor of the Year - TV, Entertainment & Celebrity
Editor of the Year - Food & Drink, sponsored by Asahi
Editor of the Year - Homes, Gardens & Country
Editor of the Year - Independent, sponsored by magCulture
Editor of the Year - Men’s & Women’s Bi-Weekly/Monthly/Less Frequent
Editor of the Year - Men’s & Women’s Weekly/More Frequent
Editor of the Year - Motoring
Editor of the Year - Newspaper Magazine
Editor of the Year - Specialist
Editor of the Year - Science, Technology & Environment
Editor of the Year - Sport, Fitness & Health
Editor of the Year - Travel
Editor of the Year - Youth
ELIGIBILITY
The eligibility period is 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.
For all Editor of the Year categories:
Any editor of a British magazine or digital title who has been editing the brand for at least six months during the eligibility period. Print titles must be published at least twice a year. Any editor of a digital product (including digital-only magazines, websites, the digital arm of a print title, or any associated standalone products including apps, iPad editions, intelligence platforms, etc. published in Britain) that was operating for at least six months during the eligibility period.
For digital titles:
Any editor of a British magazine or digital title who has been editing the brand for at least six months during the eligibility period. Print titles must be published at least twice a year. Any editor of a digital product (including digital-only magazines, websites, the digital arm of a print title, or any associated standalone products including apps, iPad editions, intelligence platforms, etc. published in Britain) that was operating for at least six months during the eligibility period.
JUDGING WILL BE BASED ON EDITORS
Whose brand, in the judges’ opinion, has achieved, maintained and advanced consistently high editorial quality appropriate for their audience.
Who can demonstrate innovation and their success in communicating with their audience.
Who can show how their brand has developed successfully during the year.
Who can demonstrate inspiring leadership (e.g. nurturing talent etc).
DIGITAL ENTRIES SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER
Effective and creative use of digital platforms to bring stories and issues to life with innovative formats.
A good user experience, including ease of navigation and digital best practice
Evidence that digital products have high engagement and are delighting their users
SUPPORTING STATEMENT QUESTIONS
Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:
Who is your audience and how does your brand fit into the marketplace?
What are your brand objectives and how have you met them?
What have you done to change, improve or maintain your title?
How have you made use of your resources?
How have you demonstrated leadership and management skills?
Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it.
Provide statistics to demonstrate performance, sales and success.
SUPPORTING ASSETS
Include 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period.
Print titles:
Provide 3 complete issues, hard copy or digital versions (2 issues for bi-annuals, 1 issue for annuals).
Digital titles:
Enter 3 URLs linking to the content.
A copy of web traffic analytics to show audience engagement (such as a screengrab, Google Analytics or similar).
Art Directors of the Year categories
Art Director of the Year - B2B
Art Director of the Year - Consumer
Art Director of the Year - Branded Content
ELIGIBILITY
The eligibility period is 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.
Any art director of a British magazine or digital title who has been overseeing the design of the brand for at least six months during the eligibility period.
The entrant should be the most senior person in the art department.
JUDGING WILL BE BASED ON
An art director whose brand has achieved, maintained and advanced consistently excellent and appropriate design within its market sector.
Design quality, evidence of creative and strategic vision and innovation will all be taken into consideration.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT QUESTIONS
Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:
What were your objectives across the year and how successfully did you achieve them?
Who is your audience and how does your brand fit into the marketplace?
What have you done to improve, change or consistently maintain your title?
How have you made use of your resources?
Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it
SUPPORTING ASSETS
Include 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period.
Print titles:
Provide 3 complete issues, hard copy or digital version (2 issues for bi-annuals, 1 issue for annuals).
Digital titles:
Enter 3 URLs linking to the content.
A copy of web traffic analytics to show audience engagement (such as Google Analytics or similar).
Columnist of the Year categories
Columnist of the Year - B2B
Columnist of the Year - Consumer
ELIGIBILITY
The eligibility period is 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.
Any named columnist who writes regularly for a print magazine or digital title and who has contributed to the title at least three times during the eligible period.
If the columnist writes regularly for more than one brand then each brand may enter.
The columnist must be entered by their editor.
THE JUDGES WILL BE LOOKING FOR A COLUMNIST WHO
Consistently delivers engaging, relevant, entertaining and/or informative copy.
Enhances the brand’s content.
Raises the profile – and game – of your brand.
Is synonymous with your brand and provides a reason to return for readers and/or talk about factors beyond the page or on social media.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT QUESTIONS
Tell us in no more than 500 words what marks your columnist out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:
What contribution does this columnist make to your brand?
How have readers responded and reacted to the column?
Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it
SUPPORTING ASSETS
Print titles:
Provide 3 columns, which may be from consecutive issues, during the eligible period.
For digital titles:
Enter 3 URLs linking to the content of the columns available during the eligible period.
Launch of the Year
This award is to celebrate the editor who has bucked the trends and launched a successful new title - print and/or digital - in the past year.
THE CATEGORY IS OPEN TO
Editors of British magazines and digital publications whose titles launched after 1 April 2021 and who have been editing the title for at least four months since the launch date, including content-based brand extensions (e.g events, awards, clubs etc) and excluding campaigns.
If your title has re-launched but retained the same name you are not eligible to enter the Launch category and should enter the relevant Editor of the Year or other categories.
You may, if eligible, enter other award categories, excluding the Editor of the Year categories.
THE JUDGES WILL BE LOOKING FOR EDITORS
Who demonstrate editorial innovation and excellence.
Whose brand has made a significant impact on its market and on its audience.
Who are offering inspiring leadership and management and motivating a new team on a new project.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT QUESTIONS
Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done that marks you out as exceptional.
Key points to address might be:
What are your brand objectives, who is your audience and how does your brand fit into the marketplace?
How have you met your objectives?
How have you made use of your resources?
What has been the response, audience measurement or feedback?
What leadership and management skills have you shown, and how have you motivated your team?
Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it
SUPPORTING ASSETS
Include a maximum of 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period.
Print titles:
Provide examples of content (including the launch issue) or a download link to the issue (2 issues for bi-annuals, 1 issue for annuals).
Digital titles:
Enter 3 URLs linking to the content.
A copy of web traffic analytics or other data to show audience engagement (such as Google Analytics or social media activity).
Cover of the Year categories
Cover of the Year - B2B
Cover of the Year - Consumer
ELIGIBILITY
The eligibility period is 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.
Any magazine cover that was published during the eligibility period.
The award will be given to the magazine title and will be presented to the editor and/or art director.
Each entry must be entered on a separate entry form.
There is no limit to the number of covers you can enter but each cover is a separate entry.
JUDGING WILL BE BASED ON
A stand-out cover that perfectly serves and reflects the interests of the readers
Originality and relevance to a brand
Evidence of success
SUPPORTING STATEMENT QUESTIONS
Tell us in no more than 250 words what you’ve done that marks your cover out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:
Why does your cover deserve to win?
How was the cover conceived?
How did you make use of your resources?
What was the reaction/response to the cover?
Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it
SUPPORTING ASSETS
Upload 1 high-res cover of your title in PDF/JPEG/MPEGs format published during the eligibility period.
Editor-in-Chief/Editorial Director of the Year
ELIGIBILITY
The eligibility period is 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.
An editorial director or editor-in-chief
Who looks after one or more brands.
Who manages a team/s of editors and a wider editorial team.
An editor-in-chief can also enter other categories, as long as there is no named day-to-day editor on your title. If there is, the editor should enter the “Editor of the Year” category, and the editor-in-chief should enter the “Editor-in-Chief of the Year” category.
THE JUDGES WILL BE LOOKING FOR AN EDITORIAL DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Can demonstrate successful strategic vision within their market sector
Is offering inspiring leadership and management
Is able to develop strategic plans for marketing and sales
Is able to develop or redevelop products, manage projects and provide leadership in change management
Who works closely with a team to ensure high editorial quality appropriate to their readership
Who can show their brands have developed editorially during the year
Who may have created internal programmes to champion diversity, sustainability, career development and mentoring
SUPPORTING STATEMENT QUESTIONS
Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:
What were your objectives across the year and how successfully did you achieve them?
How have you developed your brands and illustrated strategic vision?
How have you made use of your resources?
How have you developed the people, the workplace or your products?
Have you overseen a new project/product development?
How have you improved/developed the working environment?
Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it
SUPPORTING ASSETS
Supporting data for the brands you look after (this could include PDFs or hard copies of print titles, circulation figures and analytics to prove digital engagement)
Include one example of content, a magazine issue in PDF format or URL for digital, from each of your brands created during the eligibility period.
Editors’ Editor of the Year
For this award, we ask you to nominate a fellow editor, editor-in-chief or editorial director whom you respect and admire. It should be someone who, in your view, deserves to be celebrated for their outstanding achievements in the past year.
There is no fee to submit a nomination for this special category.
WHO CAN YOU NOMINATE?
The eligibility period is 1 August 2021 to 31 July 2022.
Any editor, editor-in-chief or editorial director of a British magazine or digital title who has held the position for at least six months during the eligibility period.
The nominee does not have to be a member of the BSME.
Editors cannot nominate themselves nor can they be nominated by colleagues working on the same title/s.
You do not need to submit additional material with your nomination.
WHO CAN MAKE NOMINATIONS?
Any editor, editor-in-chief or editorial director of a British magazine or digital edition may submit a nomination regardless of whether they are a BSME member or not.
Any full, associate or honorary BSME member.
You do not need to enter the BSME Awards in order to make a nomination.
Only one nomination per person may be made.
There is no fee to make a nomination.
You can make your nomination on this form.
Mark Boxer Award
Our most cherished award for outstanding service to the industry, this award was introduced in 1988 in memory of the talented editor, writer and cartoonist Mark Boxer. It is presented to an individual who, in the opinion of the BSME committee, has made an outstanding editorial contribution to magazines in this country.
RECENT WINNERS OF THE MARK BOXER AWARD:
2021 - Terri White
2020 - Lorraine Candy
2019 - Susy Smith
2018 - Jeremy Leslie
2017 - Jane Bruton
2016 - Ian Hislop
2015 - Tony Chambers
2014 - Richard Ingrams
2013 - Nicola Jeal
2012 - Dylan Jones OBE
2011 - Gill Hudson
2010 - Mike Soutar
The award will be nominated and awarded by a majority vote of BSME committee members. However, any suggestions for worthy recipients are most welcome (you do not have to be a BSME member to make a nomination).
Make your nomination below.
For queries, further information or to make a suggestion, please contact us at admin@bsme.com.
