Get your entries ready: Texas BNC opens Jan. 19

It’s time to enter the Texas Better Newspaper Contest. The contest opens for entries on Jan. 19 on the ACES contest platform. Entries submitted should have been published during the 2025 calendar year. Deadline for entries is Feb. 13.

Rules, along with eligibility information, are available online at www.texaspress.com/better-newspaper-contest-0.

Participants are reminded that online-only content is allowed in some categories; please read the rules carefully. In addition, the rules specify AI generated or AI modified/enhanced content is not eligible for submission. The rule regarding AI is meant to prevent clearly AI-created content and images, not to prevent the use of writing and editing tools. This is part of the criteria for judging that we supply to our judges each year.

All registrations are new for the 2025 contest. Contest managers will set up new accounts at www.newspapercontest.com/Texas and select new passwords on the ACES content site. As in the past, the Association Code for registration is TXPRESS.

When registering, contest managers will select their newspapers’ names from the drop-down menu and will also specify the publication frequency. Please remember that newspapers are listed in the drop-down menu in alphabetical order by city where the newspaper is located. For example, the Texas Press Messenger is listed under Austin, Texas Press Messenger rather than T for Texas or M for Messenger.

Newspapers will compete in divisions determined after all entries are submitted. Division 1 consists of the top five metro dailies –  Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News – which will compete exclusively in the General Excellence category. Divisions 2 and higher will be divided based on total number of participating newspapers, frequency of publication (dailies, semiweeklies and weeklies) and by circulation. Circulation breakdowns will be based on newspapers’ Statements of Ownership, Management and Circulation (PS Form 3526) published in October 2025.

Competition categories for the 2025 TxBNC include sweepstakes categories Advertising, Column Writing, Editorial, Feature Photography, Feature Writing, General Excellence, Headline Writing, News Photography, News Writing, Page Design, Sports Coverage and Sports Photography. Non-sweeps categories are Best Magazine, Best Website, Community Service, Online Live Coverage and Special Section.

In addition to content in print and digital replicas (eEditions), content published on newspapers’ websites will be accepted as entries in the writing and photo categories, including Column Writing, Editorial, Feature Photography, Feature Writing, News Photography, News Writing and Sports Photography. In submitting website-published materials, PDFs of website pages or URLs (links) may be submitted; however, the name of the newspaper and date of publication must be shown on each entry.

Entries in the Advertising, General Excellence, Headline Writing, Page Design and Sports Coverage categories should be from print or digital replicas (eEditions) only. This is specified in the instructions for these categories on the contest website.

Judges have the authority to disqualify any entry determined to be inconsistent with contest rules, including the rule regarding AI-generated content.

Newspapers whose TPA membership is in good standing (dues paid for 2026) and who were members throughout the 2025 calendar year are eligible to enter the contest.

Members of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association will judge Texas BNC entries, and in return volunteers from TPA will judge WNPA contest entries.

Awards will be presented at the TPA Convention and Trade Show June 18–20 at the Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport in Dallas.

For more information, contact Contest Manager Candace Velvin at TPA, (512) 477-6755 or cvelvin@texaspress.com.