December 1, 2021, from the U.S. Harness Writers Association
The best of harness racing
journalism in 2020-21 will be honored by the U.S. Harness Writers Association
with the John Hervey Awards for writing, Sam McKee Awards for broadcasting, and
George Smallsreed Awards for photography. The deadline for entries is 5 p.m.
Dec. 20.
Entries will be accepted for
news/commentary writing, feature writing, broadcasting, race photography and
feature photography. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, entries will be accepted
from a two-year period. Entries published or broadcast between Dec. 1, 2019,
and Nov. 30, 2021, are eligible. All entries must be in English.
Judges in each category will
select a winner and, where appropriate, up to two honorable mentions. There are
no entry fees or cash prizes. Winners will be announced in January and will be
recognized at the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s annual Dan Patch Awards
festivities Feb. 20 in Orlando.
Photo and written submissions
must have appeared in a paid-circulation publication or on the website that is
the same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication, recognized broadcast
news organization, or established industry/news website. Content that appeared
on personal websites, message boards or lists, and similar entities is not
valid for inclusion in the competition. The final decision on eligibility is in
the hands of the Journalism Awards Committee.
Broadcast entries will be an
accepted feature or live racing segment no longer than 10 minutes. The entry
must have appeared on a network television or cable station, recognized news
and/or industry website, or have been included in a racetrack’s simulcasting
presentation. Documentaries or other long-form productions are not eligible
although one segment of that documentary, edited only to fit the length
limitations of no more than 10 minutes, may be submitted for consideration.
The awards are not open to
entries that are fiction, in the form of Q&As, or were prepared for
commercial purposes (for advertisements/promo/publicity purposes).
There is a limit of one
submission per person per category. A person may enter more than one category,
but not with the same submission. An entry may only be submitted in one
category and the category must be indicated clearly. The Journalism Awards
Committee, at its discretion, may disqualify an entry at any time in the
process, and reserves the right not to bestow an award in a particular category
based on the quality and quantity of entries.
All entries must originate with
the author/photographer/producer and must include a signed cover letter
expressing the wish to enter materials in the contest and granting permission
for the materials to be used for promoting the awards in press releases. The
letter must also include the following contact information for the
writer/producer/photographer: name, full address, telephone numbers (home,
office, cell) and email address. The letter must also include the date that the
media organization published/aired the submission and specify the category for
which the entry is being submitted.
Editors may submit entries
provided the cover letter includes contact information for the
writer/producer/photographer as well as for the person submitting the entry.
All other third-party entries will be rejected.
Written entries must specify the
category — news or feature — for consideration. All print entries must include
a PDF version or screenshot of the entry as it appeared in print plus a plain
text version with no identifying information (bylines, publication name,
graphs, photos or other graphic elements).
Broadcast entries must not exceed
10 minutes and must not contain commercials. Each submission (one per person or
organization) should have a cover letter. Submissions should be provided via a
file-sharing service or link to the entry online.
Photography entries must include
a cover letter designating the category for the photo, race or feature, and a
PDF version or screenshot of the entry as it appeared in publication or online.
Photographs should not be digitally enhanced beyond the basics needed to
achieve realistic color balance and sharpness. Failure to follow these rules
will result in disqualification. Photographs should be sent via email.
Entries in all categories should
be emailed to ken.weingartner@ustrotting.com.
The decisions of the Journalism
Awards Committee and the judges are final.
Questions can be directed to Ken
Weingartner, Journalism Awards Committee member, at the above email address.
