The 2026 NPDC Communications Contest officially opened October 15. Get your submissions in before January 21, 2026, to take advantage of the early bird rate. Several NDPC members brought home national awards from the NFPW conference this fall. Let's do it again in 2026!
About the Contest
The NDPC Communications Contest, a state affiliate of the NFPW Communications Contest, recognizes the work of professional communicators over the age of 18 living or working in North Dakota regardless of their gender or professional status. Entrants must be both NDPC and NFPW members.
PLEASE NOTE: This contest is open to NDPC entrants who are also NFPW members. Non-member or Associate NDPC member submissions will not be accepted. Any entries from non-members submitted despite this rule will be disqualified.
Please join or renew your NDPC memberships via the NFPW site PRIOR TO submitting to the contest. The organizations' memberships run on the calendar year, January through December.
You are not eligible to enter the 2026 Communications Contest if you have not yet paid for your 2026 membership. Every person included in a group award submittal must also be a member of NDPC and NFPW. The costs for combined NDPC/NFPW memberships are listed below:
Professional Memberships $110
Student $35
Retired $35
Important dates
- All work must have been published or broadcast between Jan. 1, and Dec. 31, 2025, to be eligible for entry in the contest.
- The early bird deadline is January 21, 2026, at noon. A one-time $25 fee will be assessed to all entrants after this date.
- The book final deadline is February 4, 2026, at noon. Due to the extended time it takes to judge book categories, all books must be entered by this date.
- The final deadline for entries is February 18, 2026, at noon. All remaining entries must be entered by this date.
Cost
Before the early bird deadline, the first entry costs $30 and each subsequent entry costs $15. After the early bird deadline, the first entry costs $55 and each subsequent entry costs $15.
Preparation
- Before you start gathering submissions, familiarize yourself with the available categories and their descriptions.
- When you decide which categories to enter, please read the requirements for each category carefully.
- Before you start entering your work online, we recommend organizing your entries into a folder.
Registration
Contest submissions will be handled online through the NDPC Communications Contest web page.
Judging
Judging will be completed by March 16, 2026. NDPC Communications Contest winners will be contacted directly and recognized by NDPC.
National competition
First-place NDPC Communications Contest winners will advance to the national competition, the NFPW Communications Contest. In order to compete at the national level, entrants must be members of the National Federation of Press Women and be in good standing.
Questions
If you have questions about the contest, you may contact NDPC Contest Co-Chair Heather Syverson.
