October 10, 2016
Contact: Joan Lawrence: jlawrence@ntra.com / 646-335-6835
GUIDELINES FOR 2016 MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), in conjunction with Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters today released the guidelines for the 2016 Media Eclipse Awards. The media awards are presented by the NTRA, Daily Racing Form and the NTWAB for outstanding achievement in media coverage of Thoroughbred racing. Eclipse trophies will be presented to the Award winners at the 46th annual Eclipse Awards, presented by Daily Racing Form, the Breeders’ Cup and The Stronach Group, on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
All submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m. (ET), Friday, November 18, 2016.
Categories for the 2016 Media Eclipse Awards are:
- Writing – News/Enterprise
- Writing – Features/Commentary
- Photography
- Television – Live Racing Programming
- Television – Features
- Audio/Multi-Media Internet
Beginning with the 1998 Awards, Eclipse Awards voting has been presented by the NTRA, Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters. Previously, the Eclipse Awards were sponsored by Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA) in conjunction with Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers Association. Prior to the start of the Eclipse Awards in 1971, the TRA and Daily Racing Form separately honored racing’s annual champions. The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and sire Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.
The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.
2016 ECLIPSE AWARDS FOR MEDIA
The Eclipse Awards for Media are presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters. Rules governing the Media Eclipse Awards are established by representatives of the three presenting organizations.
MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARD CATEGORIES
Writing – News/Enterprise
Writing – Feature/Commentary
Photography
Television – Live Racing Programming
Television – Features
Audio/Multi-Media Internet
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS
Entries must be RECEIVED by 5:00 p.m. (ET), Friday, November 18, 2016. Entries received after that time will not be accepted.
Entries for the Writing, Photography and Audio Multi-Media and Internet awards will be accepted via email.
Entries for the Television Awards will be accepted via regular mail or overnight courier service.
ENTRY FEE
None
RULES
Entries should display outstanding achievement in the coverage of North American Thoroughbred racing and must have been published or aired for the first time between November 13, 2015 and November 17, 2016. Articles submitted that focus on other equine breeds will not be accepted.
Print submissions (news/enterprise writing, feature/commentary writing and photography) must have been published in a paid-circulation publication OR on the Internet at a Website that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication, recognized broadcast news organization (e.g., The Blood-Horse Interactive, the Boston Globe Online, MSNBC) or a Thoroughbred racing Website.
Television entries must have aired on a commercial, subscription or public television station.
Audio/Multi-Media Internet entries must have aired on a commercial or public radio station or been broadcast on the Internet at a site that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast news organization.
Fiction or entries that constitute a commercial application (e.g., advertisements, publicity or promotions) are not eligible in any category.
Entries are limited to independent media entities. Submissions from racetracks or racing organizations in any of the categories are not permitted.
LETTERS OF ENTRY
Entries must originate with the author (print submissions) or producer (audio/multi-media Internet and television submissions). All entries must include a cover letter from the author (for print submissions), photographer (for photography submissions) or producer (for audio/multi-media Internet and television), stating his/her wish to enter his/her materials; publication/broadcast information (outlined below); and contact information (name, address, telephone, fax, cell phone and e-mail, as applicable).
Please indicate the category of each submission in your cover letter. If you are submitting in two different categories please include two separate cover letters.
The cover letter must be written in a stand-alone Word Document as an attachment and NOT be part of an open email. Please include the date that the media organization published the article, in the cases of the writing and photography awards, or the air date of a television or multi-media/internet submission.
Please DO NOT include information in your cover letter extolling the virtues of your story and the “impact” on the public at large, or the time and effort devoted to producing the entry. The judges will not see your letter, and it will have no bearing on the outcome of the competition.
Editors may submit print materials on behalf of authors, provided such submissions include the cover letter described above. All other third-party submissions will be rejected. In the writing categories, submissions by editors on behalf of multiple writers from a publication on a feature subject, special section or a compendium of stories on breaking news will be rejected.
The presenting organizations reserve the right to determine the eligibility of all entries, and to disqualify an entry at any time, including after determination of an award, at their sole discretion. The presenting organizations reserve the right not to bestow an award in a particular category, based on the quantity or (as determined by a panel of judges) the quality of submissions. Questions concerning eligibility should be directed to the address for entries, listed below.
By submitting an entry for consideration, the entrant represents and warrants that submission is a factual and accurate depiction of the subject it concerns.
LIMITS ON ENTRIES
Two per entrant, per category (with an exception for a multi-part series as noted below). Entrants in the writing categories are submitted by individual authors.
Upon submission you will receive an automatic reply from NTRA to notify you that it your entry or entries have been received. The NTRA will contact you directly if there are any rules issues with your submission.
MEDIA ECLIPSE AWARDS CATEGORIES
News/Enterprise and Feature/Commentary Writing eclipsewriting@ntra.com
There are two categories of competition for Writing awards:
News/Enterprise – Submission guidelines for works in this category are the following: timely, hard news articles and expository pieces involving concentrated background research, investigative reporting or news analysis.
Feature/Commentary – Submission guidelines for works in this category are: columns, opinion pieces, essays, viewpoints, and biographical profiles.
Please note that competition in the Writing categories is limited to two (2) authors in the byline for single articles or for articles submitted as a multi-part series.
-No Q&A submissions will be accepted in either category.
Multi-Part Series Rules
Within each category of writing, authors may submit a multi-part series of related articles that:
- A) Have been pre-arranged by the editors and stated in the published work that the articles constitute a specified series; with the same subject matter (e.g., racing surfaces, medication) examined or profiled in each article of the series. Articles submitted under the title “occasional series” will not be accepted. Collections of articles under the title “The Year in Horse Racing” will not be accepted.
Authors submitting a multi-part series may not submit an additional piece in the same category. They may, however, enter in another category, subject to the rules outlined above.
Submission in either the News/Enterprise or Feature/Commentary category excludes the candidate from submitting the same written piece in the Audio and Multi-Media Internet category.
Excerpts taken directly from books will not be accepted in the competition.
Entry Submissions Rules – EMAIL –
All writing submissions and correspondence for these two categories are to be sent to eclipsewriting@ntra.com Submissions sent to other NTRA email addresses, including personal email addresses, will not be accepted.
COVER LETTER
Please send in an email with a cover letter in an attachment stating the name, date and publication of your submission and the category you have selected. Please also send a web link of your article as proof that it was published during the time period of the competition.
NOTE: The cover letter is to be sent as a single stand/alone attachment and not an open document in the email part of the submission.
- SUBMISSIONS TO THE JUDGES
- Authors must submit ONE copy of each submission in common Microsoft Word format. No Zip files will be accepted.
DO NOT PLACE A WEBLINK IN YOUR SUBMISSION TO THE JUDGES. This will get you immediately disqualified.
b.) Submissions must appear as the article was worded in the PUBLISHED form.
c.) All Headlines, Sub-Headlines, Bylines and Hyperlinks must be removed from the submission.
d.) No publication dates or publication names are permitted on the submission.
e.) You MUST remove the name of your publication if it appears in your submission, and insert the words “name of publication removed”; e.g. “According to a recent study by the Anywhere USA Times…” must be changed to “According to a recent study by (Name of Publication Removed)…”
f.) Photos, graphs, charts or other graphic elements appearing within the article(s) should be deleted.
g.) The author must indicate for which writing category the work is being submitted (e.g., “News Enterprise” or “Feature Commentary” in the cover letter).
h.) All submissions in the two writing categories are to be sent via email to eclipsewriting@ntra.com
2) Photography – eclipsephoto@ntra.com
Photography entries are limited to images for events that took place in North America.
- COVER LETTER
Please send in an email with a cover letter in an attachment stating the name, date and publication of your photography submission. Please also send a web link of your article as proof that it was published during the time period of the competition.
NOTE: The cover letter is to be sent as a single stand/alone attachment and not an open document in the email part of the submission.
- SUBMISSION OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographers must submit via email in jpeg format one image of each photo, with NO identifying marks (e.g., photographer’s name). The submission must be accompanied by a single “Web print” of the published photo showing date, publication title and photographer’s name. Note: No Zip Files will be accepted.
Submissions will be judged based on the following criteria: originality, creativity, composition, and magnitude of the moment.
Please note that cropping of the original photo by the editor in the picture’s final published form will be accepted. However, photographs which include color enhancement, “Photo shopping” or deliberate alteration of the image will not be allowed in the competition.
All submissions in the Photography category are to be sent via email to eclipsephoto@ntra.com
3) Television – Live Racing Programming and Features
Television entries (features or live racing programming) from a recognized over the air, cable or satellite outlet are to be submitted in DVD format. The DVDs must be accompanied by a letter detailing the name of the entrant, the date each program aired and the name of the station or network on which it aired. Commercial breaks must be deleted or the entry will be disqualified. Please send just one copy of your submission. We will make duplicates for the judges.
Only television media outlets may submit entries in this category. Submissions from racetracks or racing organizations will not be accepted into the competition. (i.e. The Breeders’ Cup telecast must be submitted by NBC Sports)
There are two television categories:
- Live Racing Programming entries must be from a live racing program of Thoroughbred horse racing. Programs with the subject matter primarily devoted to morning workouts will not be included.
- Features entries may be submitted as either single, stand-alone pieces, a documentary, historical piece, news report or as part of a live-racing program. Entries in the Features category are limited to 120 minutes. Features may NOT be submitted for separate consideration in this category if the same program has been submitted for entry in the Live Racing category. “Medley” tapes containing more than two features, of any duration, will not be accepted.
All submissions in the Television categories are to be mailed to:
Jim Gluckson
Eclipse Awards
215 East 68th Street
Ste. 17G
New York, NY 10065
646-335-6835
4) Audio/Multi-Media Internet eclipseaudio@ntra.com
Audio/Multi-Media Internet entries must have aired on a commercial or public radio station or been on the Internet at a site that is a same-name affiliate of a paid-circulation publication or recognized broadcast news organization. Entries airing exclusively on YouTube will not be accepted.
All entries in this category must be limited to 60 minutes. Entries for live radio broadcasts may submit a compilation of the best work over the course of one program. Please send your submission in the form of a web link, not a CD.
The Audio/Multi-Media Internet category may consist of audio only (e.g., a radio or Internet-based broadcast) OR a multi-media, Internet-based submission, whose components include audio. No more than two (2) individual radio or Internet-based audio broadcasts may be submitted. “Medley” tapes containing more than two radio shows or Webcasts, of any duration, will not be accepted.
The Multi-Media Internet entries must have one integrated theme and be presented in a Webcast centering on a news event, subject or feature. To be eligible, the Webcast must include at least two forms of media, one of which must be audio. The complementary form(s) of media may be video, photographs, graphics and/or print (e.g., a story or stories). Please note that if the entry includes video, the video must be produced as original content.
The entry, in its entirety, must be retrievable from one Internet frame, with links to components of the package being considered part of the frame, provided they link back to pages within the originating Web site and not to other, external Web sites. Entries that first appeared over the air or on cable television prior to appearing on the internet will not be accepted.
Submission in the Multi-Media Internet category excludes the candidate from submitting the same written piece in the News Commentary or Feature/Enterprise categories.
Multi-Media Internet submissions must be accompanied by a letter from the editor or equivalent senior official of the Website, attesting that the package is the work of the author(s) or organization that submitted it and that it appeared on the Website on the date(s) in question.
Audio/Multi-Media Internet entries may be submitted as a single URL Web address. No CD-ROMs will be accepted.
Commercial breaks for radio entries must be deleted or the entry will be disqualified. However, an opening “billboard” with sponsor mentions will be permitted.
Submissions of Webcasts and Radio Programs must be accompanied by:
- A letter from the Web producer or equivalent senior official of the Web site attesting that the work is that of the author who submitted it and including the date the program was Webcast and the name of Web site on which it aired.
- Program title and air date of the production or webcast
- The name of the network, radio station or web outlet
All submissions in the Multi-Media Internet category are to be emailed to eclipseaudio@ntra.com
NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS
Winners will be notified by the NTRA no later than Monday, January 2, 2017. Winners will be honored at the Eclipse Awards dinner and ceremony to be held Saturday evening, January 21, 2017 at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
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