Frequently Asked Questions
Things you will need before entering:
- Your news organization must be a member in good standing with the Rhode Island Press Association.
- Be sure your entry is in the correct format. Print stories must be submitted as PDFs, no larger than 50 MB, or as links to online stories. For sites with paywalls, please provide login and password information to allow judges unlimited access. View our Uploading Help section.
- In specified categories that require a nomination letter, you will upload a WORD DOCUMENT.
- In specified categories, supplementary links may be provided for online material or videos.
Fees:
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- The fee is $20 for the first submission from a publication; $10 for each subsequent entry
- Payment must be made by check or money order, payable to The Rhode Island Press Association, and mailed to RIPA 2024 editorial awards, c/o Sarah Francis, RIPA Treasurer, 43 Rector St., East Greenwich, RI 02818. (All entries must include the payment form specifying the number of entries in which categories.)
- No refunds will be issued.
- A PayPal digital pay option to be offered soon.
Deadline:
- The contest deadline is 11:59 p.m. April 6, 2026.
- All entries must be submitted online, in PDF format, or as links to online stories, by this deadline. Photos may be submitted in jpeg format.
Categories:
There are 51 categories in four divisions: Design, Distinction, Photography and Writing.
WRITING (31)
Business
Arts/entertainment story
Best news coverage from a hyperlocal source
Community journalism
Crime and courts
Economy
Education story
Feature story – in-depth
Feature story – short
Food/dining story
Government coverage
Health care
Higher education
History journalism
Investigative/analytical
Local tourism story
Most unexpected
Neighborhood coverage
News/editorial columnist
News/feature columnist
News story – in-depth
News story – short
Profile/personality story
Religion/spirituality coverage
Reporting on the environment
Science
Single-topic series
Sports feature story
Sports story
Spot news story
Uniquely Rhode Island
DISTINCTION (3)
Photographer of the year
Best Website
Distinguished journalist
MULTIMEDIA (5)
Best email newsletter
Best food newsletter
Best news video
Best Rhode Island-based podcast
Best use of social media
PHOTO (8)
Feature photo
Food photo
General news photo
Personality photo/portrait
Photo series/picture story
Sports photo
Spot news photo
Weather and climate photo
DESIGN (4)
Best cover
Best newspaper front page
Headline writing
Special section – digital or print
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Judging and Notification:
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Who judges the contest?
- The Idaho Press Association provides judges for all categories and publications.
When are winners notified?
- Publications will be notified in early May whether they have won awards in any categories.
- First-, second- and third-place winners will be announced at the RIPA annual awards banquet.
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2026 RIPA BANQUET
The Rhode Island Press Association's annual banquet will be held on June 26, 2026. More details to come.
In addition to revealing the winners of the 2024 Editorial Contest, RIPA will also induct the 2026 Hall of Fame members and award its annual scholarship.
2026 RIPA Scholarship
What is the Rhode Island Press Association Scholarship?
The Rhode Island Press Association is seeking applications for its annual $1,000 scholarship, which is awarded to an outstanding Rhode Island high school senior or college student preparing for a career in journalism.
Nominees must be residents of Rhode Island, attending or accepted to any college or university who are entering the 2026-27 academic year, or full-time graduate students.
The scholarship money is paid directly to the student.
Students need not be a major in journalism to be eligible. Instead, judges are looking for academic achievement and a demonstrated interest in journalism, such as work on a school or community newspaper.
A panel of editors and journalists will judge the nominations. The Rhode Island Press Association will award the scholarship at its annual banquet on June 26, 2026.
What is the scholarship application deadline?
- Applications must be received by Friday, April 6, 2026.
What are the requirements?
- Interested students should send a letter of nomination from a high school or college official or instructor detailing the student’s accomplishments, a cover letter, résumé and samples of work, including newspaper stories, classroom assignments or any other supporting material.
- Nominees must be residents of Rhode Island attending or accepted to any four-year college or university or nonresidents enrolled at a Rhode Island college or university who are entering the 2026-27 academic year as full-time undergraduate and graduate students.
- Students need not be majoring in journalism to be eligible.
- Judges looking for academic achievement and a demonstrated interest in print journalism, such as work on school or community newspapers.
- The scholarship money is paid directly to the student.
How do I apply?
- Interested students should send a letter of nomination from a high school or college official or instructor detailing the student’s accomplishments, cover letter, resume and samples of work via links or attachments, including newspaper stories, classroom assignments or any other supporting material, to Lynne Tungett, Newport This Week Publisher/Editor, news@newportthisweek.net.
- The Rhode Island Press Association will award the scholarship at its annual banquet on June 26, 2026.
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Uploading Help
Audio Requirements:
All audio files must be .mp3 (preferred), .wav, .aiff. Audio in other formats will not be accepted. A script or transcript with lead-in is strongly recommended, but not required.
Video Requirements:
Entrant should upload the work to an online video site and submit the
URL (preferred), or upload a video file to the awards site. [50 MB file
limit]
— All video files must be one of the following formats: .wmv, .mov, .mpeg or .mp4.
— A script or transcript with lead-in is strongly recommended, but not required.
Linking Files:
If your entry file is larger than the 50 MB upload limit, we suggest that you host it on a 3rd party website and use the Entry File Link area on the upload page to submit the link to download your file.
Still need help?
If you still need help uploading your entry files, please contact us on our awards specific contact form.
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