Competition Entry FAQ
Entries
Do I need to be a Member of the Academy to submit my program(s)?
Any non-U.S. organization or individual (i.e. a network, a local or regional television station, producer, director, or writer) may submit a program. Organizations or individuals who do not hold copyright ownership of a program must obtain consent from the rights owner before presenting a submission. This process is independent from Membership.
Can I submit my program into both the domestic and the international competition?
No. If your program is eligible in both competitions, you will have to choose which one you would like to submit your program to. Choose wisely!
My series was only made public online – e.g. YouTube, streaming service, etc. Is it still eligible to compete with programs that were broadcast on television?
Yes, as long as it was commissioned/produced by a professional media company, and made available within the eligibility dates, it’s eligible – no matter the viewing platform.
When is the deadline?
January 31, 2025 at 12 noon E.S.T.
Does the Academy pre-select the programs in the competition?
No. All eligible submissions are entered into the competition and then judged by television professionals around the world.
Do I need to submit my program through a third-party organization?
No, all programs must be submitted directly to the Academy.
Subtitles
My program is in English. Do I still need to subtitle it?
Yes. All dialogue, including English dialogue must be subtitled in English; the closed-caption file may be used. Subtitles must be embedded into the video and may not be submitted as a separate file.
If not in English, all on-screen text must be subtitled. This includes the names and job titles of interviewees, on-screen text message exchanges, and all chyron text.
Song lyrics must only be subtitled if they are part of the storytelling (e.g. Opera, Musical, etc.).
My program is in another language than English but contains English dialogue. Do I also need to subtitle this?
Yes. All dialogue, including English dialogue, must be subtitled.
Can I submit a separate file for subtitles? Can I submit a transcript?
No. Subtitles must be embedded into the video and may not be submitted as a separate file. Transcripts will not be accepted.
Categories
I am not sure which category my program fits best in, what should I do?
All programs are reviewed for appropriate category placement. We will contact you if we believe your program should be moved to a different category.
How many programs can I submit into one category/ into the competition?
You may enter any number of programs in each category. There is no limit to the number of programs one entrant may submit. The more programs submitted, the better the chances!
Can I enter more than one performer from my program?
Yes. You can submit your entire cast, each performer being considered as an independent submission. Please make sure that each performer complies with our Rules & Regulations, and appears in at least 10% of the episode submitted.
Can I submit my program into different categories?
A program may only be submitted into one category. This category will be checked by the Academy in order to ensure it is the most appropriate one. We will contact you if we believe a change of category is in order. Of course, if your program is a Drama Series, Comedy, or TV Movie/ Mini- Series, please feel free to also submit the actors and actresses into our Performance categories.
Fee and Payment
How much is the submission fee?
The fee is $550 per submission. Should the Academy grant you an extension (at your request) to submit your program/performer after the deadline, a $50 late fee per submission will be automatically added.
How can I pay?
Payments are only accepted online. Should you be unable to use a credit card, our accounting department will review the situation for alternative modes of payment.
Can I receive an invoice?
You may print your Cart page before processing payment, and use this document as the official invoice.
Once you have completed checkout, you may also access your Orders page in your user navigation in order to download an invoice.
Can I receive a receipt?
Once a payment is processed, you will receive an email confirmation. This email will be sent to the email address associated with your user account.
I made a mistake with my entry. Can I receive a refund for my entry fee?
The entry fee is non-refundable. Please make sure you read the Rules & Regulations carefully.
Upload
Where do I upload my program?
You will be able to submit your entries after your payment provider has fully validated your payment. In case of credit cards/instant payments, this should only take a few moments. In case of bank transfer/deferred payments (starting at 10 submissions), it may take several business days.
Please go to your Library page to review the current payment status of your purchased entries. Once an entry has the "Not Uploaded" status, this indicates that payment has been validated. You may proceed with the submission process by clicking the entry in order to access the upload and submission page.
My upload was rejected, why?
You will receive an email with the reason for which your program was rejected. The most common errors are the lack of subtitles (even English dialogue must be subtitled), lack of subtitles for chyron text (lower-thirds) or incorrect format.