Our annual LABOR MEDIA AWARDS recognizes excellence among member publications, websites, film, video and other media.

It is the largest competition exclusively for labor communicators and journalists.

Eligibility

To enter the awards, your organization must be a current member of ILCA in good standing with all dues paid. If you are not a current member of ILCA, you can participate by joining and submit your annual membership dues click here.

Note that entries are for work published or released in the prior calendar year. Organizations entering materials agree to permit ILCA to use the work at the ILCA convention or awards presentation, and in ILCA publications, websites and social media sites. If an entry is a winner in the contest, it may be donated to the University of Maryland’s Labor Archives. 

Contest categories and eligibility rules have changed since 2025. Please make sure you reference this year's explainer document. All entries must be submitted for consideration by the author/creator, or on their direct behalf, these awards are for writing or content creation, not the placement thereof.

Judging

Judging follows strict guidelines performed by ILCA members and others with expertise in the specific categories. You will never be judged by a fellow competitor nor will judges ever review categories they have entered themselves, (i.e. local unions will not judge in the local unions category, national union's will not judge other national unions or categories with their local union affiliates, similarly for the categories with consultants entering on behalf of client work consultants will not judge, journalists similarly etc.) 

Each category is judged in two separate groups: National/International Unions, Federations, Councils & Allied Organizations; and Local/Regional/State Federations, Central/Area Labor Councils & Allied Organizations. These categories should be selected on the basis of the origin of where the work is being produced. (i.e. National unions producing work on behalf of affiliates should still enter in the national union category.) 

Judges may award First, Second and Third Awards in each category to each class group. No awards are given in categories for which judges determine entries do not merit them.

Entry Guidelines

Entries published or released in the prior calendar year are eligible. The exceptions are website or app awards which, because of the nature of the medium, may be judged on what is posted at the time of judging. All entries and entry materials should be submitted digitally online here. Entrants may choose to enter their work into more than one category, provided that it applies to the specific criteria stated within each category.

How to Enter

All entries must be submitted via this google form. If you are submitting multiple entries, you will go through the form for each submission starting with selecting the award for each entry. In the week following your submissions you will be invoiced for your total entry fee amount. Invoicing will not be immediate.

Entry Fees

I understand that I will have to pay the applicable $40 per entry fee if submitted by May 1. Entries received after May 1 will be $60 per entry, and entries received after May 29 will be $80 per entry. Submissions will close July 3, NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSIONS. If payment is not received your submissions will not be eligible.

ALL ENTRY FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

For questions or clarifications, please contact us!