Contests
NMPW sponsors several contest to recognize excellence in all areas of communications: New Mexico Communication Contest, Zia Award, High School Communications Contest, Doris Gregory Memorial Scholarship and Cary Herz Photojournalism Scholarship. Guidelines for the 2010 Communication Contest are linked below. Guidelines for the other contests will be posted in late 2009.
NMPW also annually honors one member as the Communicator of Achievement for lifelong dedication to their field and to Press Women. The 2009 winner is Susan Walton.
New Mexico Communication Contest
The annual New Mexico Communication Contest recognizes excellence in print, broadcast, electronic or Internet media, photography, marketing, public relations, graphic arts and journalism in New Mexico. Contest winners are announced in spring and awards are presented at New Mexico Press Women’s annual banquet. First place winners advance to the national contest.
The purpose of the contest is to improve professional skills by recognizing excellence in communication. The message is what is important. The message — how well it communicates, how it is directed to its target audience, how well it achieves its objectives — is the judging standard.
2010 Communication Contest Guidelines
2010 Communication Contest Entry Form
Zia Award
Women writers living in New Mexico are invited to submit books for consideration for the Zia Award, given each year by NMPW at the annual spring conference. Each year the award rotates to one of three categories: children’s literature, non-fiction and fiction. To accommodate this schedule, a book published in the last three years is eligible.
The 2011 award is open to children’s books.
2010 Winners: Jeanette Boyer, “Junkyard Dreams” (first place) and Robin Romm, “The Mother Garden” (second place)
High School Communications Contest
The NMPW High School Communications Contest is part of the National Federation of Press Women High School Communications Contest. It inspires students to do their best work, which earns them recognition and reflects well on their teachers and advisers.
Students may enter work in one of 14 categories: Editorial, Opinion, News Story, Feature Story, Sports Story, Columns, Feature Photo, Sports Photo, Cartooning, Review, Graphics, Single-Page Layout, Double-Truck Layout and Environment. First place winners continue to the NFPW High School Communications Contest and will compete with students from all over the country. Professional journalists judge all New Mexico entries and provide written comments. All first place, second place, third place and honorable mentions receive certificates.
Doris Gregory Memorial Scholarship
NMPW offers two $750 scholarships to male and female students majoring in journalism, broadcasting, photography, graphic art, writing, communication, public relations or advertising.
2010 Winners: Florencio Olguin and Abigail Ramirez, University of New Mexico
2009 Winners: Jennifer Vieth, University of New Mexico and Sarah Campos, New Mexico State University
Cary Herz Photojournalism Scholarship
For a limited time, NMPW offers one $2,000 scholarship for students studying photojournalism.
2010 Winner: Gabbi Campos, University of New Mexico
2009 Winner: Vanessa Sanchez, University of New Mexico
