Contest Overview
EPA hosts two annual contests: the Awards of Excellence contest (for your publication as a whole) and the Higher Goals contest (for the individual pieces you and your team produced—writing, photography, design, etc.). Both contests open in mid November and the entry deadline for both is early January. Entries must be from work published during the previous calendar year. Awards are announced in April during the annual EPA convention.
Contest Fees
- Awards of Excellence — $55 per entry
- Higher Goals — $30 per entry
The 2025 contest is open now. The entry deadline for the 2025 contest is January 24, 2025.
Winners will be announced at the Awards Presentation during the EPA convention in Branson, MO, on May 4-6, 2025.
New for 2024 and continued for 2025
Awards of Excellence
- Traditional is defined as a print or PDF-generated publication
- Digital is defined as a content-driven website
Note: Publications that produce only a PDF for a digital publishing platform (i.e., ISSUU) are considered Digital members, but they enter the Traditional division of the Awards of Excellence.
Higher Goals
- Associate members (freelancers) may enter any Higher Goal category for which they have an appropriate entry. There are no restricted categories other than certain obvious ones (i.e. Publication Design, etc.). This is a one-year trial period. Entries must have been published on their website or blog or in an EPA member publication (make sure the publication is not entering the same piece). Material published in a non-EPA member publication is permitted as long as it has a faith-based context.
Awards of Excellence — Start Here
Returning/Experienced Users — If you are a returning user and are already familiar with the contest entry system, you can go directly to the contest platform.
Enter Awards of Excellence Platform
Enter Higher Goals Platform