REQUIREMENTS
All entries will require a written portion of their work or campaign. The writing will be in the form of a case study with an objective, strategy & implementation, and results.
You may download an entry template here.
Every entry is allowed to submit media, including images, videos, links and credits. To learn more about media, download our entry packet.
WINNERS AND HONOREES
The Shorty Awards winners and honorees, including Finalists, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Honorees, are chosen by the Real Time Academy. The decision is made based on three main criteria: creativity, strategy, and engagement. Check out the judging section to learn more about the criteria.
Finalists, winners, and honorees must meet a minimum score to be considered. In rare cases, a category may not have any distinctions if entries do not meet this threshold. As a result, some categories may have no finalists or no winners.
The Shorty Awards has a special honor given to the entry with the highest number of public votes, the Audience Honor. This distinction is based on public votes. All finalists are eligible to compete for the distinction by promoting their entries to get the highest number of votes from their FANS!
The Audience Honor is a separate distinction, meaning that it will not interfere with the decision of winners and honors, which are solely chosen by the Academy members.
OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The Of The Year Awards are the highest honor given to brands, agencies and non-profits that have excelled overall in a given season based on the type of organization identified as the award recipient in the entries. Which include:
- Named the Winner in at least one category
- Received at least three total distinctions
- Have the highest number of distinctions within their peer group (brand, agency, non-profit)
- There is a maximum (but no minimum) of one Of The Year winner per peer group
The Of The Year awards will be given based on three different categories: small, medium and large.
Size Breakdown
Agency/Brand/Nonprofit Of The Year
Agency of the Year and Brand of the Year will be awarded in each of the following categories:
- Small (<100 employees)
- Medium (101-1,500 employees)
- Large (>1,500 employees)
This will allow each agency, brand or non-profit to be recognized for their work with the understanding that larger organizations have greater resources and should be compared against other organizations of similar size.
PAYMENT POLICY
Entries are non-refundable. You may ask for credit when withdrawing entry and the team will assess on a case-by-case basis to understand the reasoning behind the credit request.
Entries can be paid online. Invoices are available for submitting five or more entries. Invoices are due receipt, hence can not be modified once they are generated and sent. To avoid this, make sure you ask for the exact number of categories you are looking to pay via invoice.
JUDGING CRITERIA
The Shorty Awards are judged by the Real Time Academy. Experts and leaders in digital and social media, members of the Academy have been selected on the basis of their deep industry knowledge, professional reputation and outstanding achievements, including previous Shorty wins. Entries will be judged based on the following criteria.
Strategy & Execution
Entries should include a clearly defined and effective strategic plan that was key to the organization meeting their objectives.
Creativity/Originality/Innovation
Entries should demonstrate how the work is memorable and/or inspiring for its well-executed, “out of the box” originality and innovation.
Results
Entries should demonstrate how effectively the project achieved its goals, engaged its target audience, and demonstrated meaningful outcomes beyond the numbers.
Please note: Selected industry experts are asked to judge The Shorty Awards according to their area of expertise. This ensures a true jury of your peers are responsible for considering the work and that it will be judged fairly and accurately.
The agencies, brands and non-profit organizations with the highest number of points will be eligible for Agency of the Year, Brand of the Year or Non-Profit of the year.
