2025 NMPW New Mexico Professional Communications Contest

The 2025 New Mexico Press Women Communications Contest opens for entries November 1, 2024. The state contest is the first tier in the National Federation of Press Women’s contest. Entries are submitted through the National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest portal. Please read important details below:

The New Mexico Press Women’s Communications Contest is judged at the state level. First place winners in the state level contest are eligible to move to the national level of judging. To be eligible to move to the national contest, the entrant must be a member in good standing with the National Federation of Press Women.

There are categories covering writing, editing, photography, graphic design, radio and television, web and social media, advertising, communication programs and campaigns, public relations materials, information for the media, speeches and collegiate/education.

All work must have been published or broadcast between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, to be eligible for entry.

• Entry fees for New Mexico Press Women members are $25 for the first entry and $15 for each additional entry.
• Entry fees for Nonmember fees are $30 for the first entry and $20 for each additional entry. Student fees are $10 for the first entry and $10 for each additional entry.
• A one time $25 late fee will be assessed to all professional contest entrants after the January 29, 2025 deadline.
• February 5, 2025, is the entry deadline for all books, and February 19, 2025 is the final contest deadline for all other entries.

Judging will be completed by March 12, 2025 and first place winners that want to go on to the national contest must be members of the national organization by March 25, 2025. The national judging will be completed by April 23, 2025. New Mexico Press Women will pay the national entry fee for one qualified entry by an NMPW member (who was a paid member by January 31, 2025); $25 national fees for additional entries by NMPW members and all entries for nonmembers must be paid by the entrant (entrants will be notified by email).

State level contest winners will be announced at the annual NMPW conference planned for March 21-22, 2025 at Isleta Hotel and Resort. For more information go to newmexicopresswomen.org.

Finalists and winners of the New Mexico Communications contests for books may order attractive foil stickers. The stickers do not have a date, so previous finalists and winners can use them. The cost is $25.00 for 100 stickers. Order stickers at our online store.

This is one of only a few nationwide communications competitions for high school students. It inspires students to do outstanding work in their quest for excellence.

It is that time of year again when students in newspaper, broadcast, video, and yearbook activities may enter the 2025 National Federation of Press Women High School Communications Contest. It is a great way to see how well you perform among high school students across the nation. The contest is now open.

Because New Mexico Press Women, a state affiliate of NFPW, does not host a state high school contest, New Mexico students may enter the NFPW At-Large High School Communications Contest. Students attending the Department of Defense Schools overseas also are eligible to enter the At-Large Contest. First-place winning entries in the At-Large Contest are eligible to advance to Level 2.

In Level 2, students who won first place in their categories in the At-Large Contest may enter the NFPW National High School Communications Contest. First place winners at this national level will receive an awards certificate, an invitation to the National High School Luncheon at the NFPW National Conference in Golden, CO Sept. 11-13, 2025, and a check for $100 per first-place entry. Team entries will split the prize money. Their entries will go on to Level 3.

Level 3 is called the Julie Hoffman Memorial Best of the Best. All first-place entries from the national contest will be judged against one another. The student or team whose national first-place entry is judged best among all national first-place entries will receive the Julie Hoffman Memorial Best of the Best Award and a check for $250. Team entries will split the prize money. Another $250 is awarded to the school or program the student attends. The winner of the Julie Hoffman Memorial Best of the Best Award will receive an awards certificate and an invitation to speak at the National High School Luncheon.

The contest opened Nov. 1, 2024, and the entry deadline is noon in the entrant’s time zone on Feb. 19, 2025.

All 2025 contest entries must have been published, e-published, broadcast, or issued between February 1, 2024, andJanuary 31, 2025. Entries must be produced by a current high school student or a recently graduated student who produced the work in their senior year after February 1, 2024. This is a firm requirement and cannot be changed.

Entries must have been professionally published/produced or published/produced by a school or professional publication in a recognized medium for the category such as a school, local or national newspaper, a website, a school, local or national television production and the like. No social media posts are accepted at this time.

For more detailed information at the NFPW High School Contest web page. When you get to that site, you will need to click on the prompt to create a user ID and password to submit a contest entry. The high school advisor usually creates one for all the students in one school. That gives NFPW information about each entrant in case there is a question or issue with the entry.

Entrants in the high school contest are NOT required to be NFPW members to participate or advance in the high school contest.

The non-member fee for the first entry is $30, and each additional entry costs $20. If a student is a member of the National Federation of Press Women, the entry fee is slightly lower – $25 for the first entry and $15 for every additional entry.

To find more information about the contest, go to https://www.nfpw.org and click on High School Communications Contest near the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions about the NFPW High School Communications Contest, email NFPW Contest Director Teri Ehresman at islandpark723@gmail.com.