Awards FAQ
About
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What do the Hashtag Sports Awards celebrate?
The Hashtag Sports Awards set the benchmark for effective fan and consumer engagement. The pink carpet awards ceremony takes place during the annual Hashtag Sports Festival in NYC.
The awards spotlight and celebrate top trends and proven fan engagement practices to inspire the global sports media, marketing, and entertainment industries to raise the bar of the fan experience.
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Why should I want to win a Hashtag Sports Award?
Individuals and organizations who win Hashtag Sports Awards will be viewed as experts in engaging the modern sports fan—a highly coveted consumer. Winning one of our awards will future-proof your organization in the increasingly digital sports landscape by showcasing engagement expertise and proving your work’s effectiveness in driving revenue & achieving business results—not to mention opening up the door for industry-wide exposure, new business, and more.
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What are the rules for the Hashtag Sports Awards?
Click here to view the official rules.
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What are the categories can I apply for?
The Hashtag Sports Awards will feature 70+ categories spread across ten areas: Brands & Partnerships, Campaigns & Marketing, Content, Design & Creative, Fan Experience, Impact, Podcasts, Social Media, Video, and Special Achievement.
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How are winners determined for each category?
We have assembled a diverse group of judges to review entries for each panel. Judges include brand marketers, league CMOs, media luminaries, agency heads, athletes and creators. Together, the judging panels comprise the Engagement Academy of Sports & Entertainment, a prestigious group designed to put the fan first and push the industry forward.
Judges will review and score entries based on the following criteria: engagement; creativity & innovation; and results & impacts.
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What are the key dates and deadlines?
To be eligible for the current season, the work must be live and accessible to its intended audience for a period of time between January 1, 2023 and February 18, 2024—regardless of release or launch date.
Entries that have won awards in past Hashtag Sports Awards competitions are eligible for the current competition.
Kickoff Rate Deadline ($425 USD): November 17, 2023
Early Entry Deadline ($475 USD): January 4, 2024
Regular Entry Deadline ($545 USD): January 31, 2024
Late Entry Deadline ($625 USD): March 4, 2024
Extended Late Entry Deadline ($625 USD): March 15, 2024Finalists Announced: Late April 2024 / Early May 2024
Awards Show ($595 USD): June 6, 2024
The Entry Process
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How do I submit an entry?
Click here and begin by creating an account for our awards entry portal.
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Can I save my entry and come back to it later?
Yes! After creating an entry, you can save your progress, return to it later, and/or edit it after submission. The deadline for all entries is March 4, 2024.
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Can I enter more than one category?
Of course! We encourage you to enter multiple categories—even for the same work. The most prestigious award for organizations is the Outstanding Achievement in Overall Engagement. This award honors the entrants by organization type that is the most highly rated in their peer group through a combination of total shortlist nominations and weighted scores of judges. Consider it the “Best in Show.”
You will receive a 15% discount on fees for all entries after the first entry. This discount is automatically applied upon checkout. If you’re entering the same work into multiple categories, all entries will be judged separately for each category it is entered into.
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What information will I need to enter?
All entries require basic information about the entrant organization, engagement objectives and results, and samples of the work (for categories related to content or campaigns).
We also require all entrants to submit an image (minimum 2400 x 1200 pixels) representing the entry for use in our winner’s gallery and public display of finalists on our website.
As part of our mission to recognize doers and creators, we require proper credits & contributors for all people who contributed to the entry. Those who do not properly attribute credit will be penalized in scoring. There is a fee to add contributors after finalists have been announced.
You can download this season's entry template here.
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The entry portal says any video link I submit must be downloadable. Why?
If selected as a finalist, your content/campaign will be displayed in our gallery and shown during the live show. In order to maintain the highest resolution, we ask you to upload the original video file or provide a way for us to download the original file.
We highly recommend uploading the video to Vimeo, Dropbox, or Box. If the video has the be password protected, make sure to submit the password within your entry and ensure the download link is not set to expire.
By submitting your entry, you agree to the official Awards Rules and consent to abide by the conditions of the License Agreement.
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Can I upload my video to the entry portal?
Yes, this is an option. You can upload the .mov or .mp4 file directly into our entry portal (maximum 500MB). However, please keep in mind that upload times are dependent upon your internet connection. If you already have the original file uploaded to Dropbox or Vimeo, it will likely make for an easier entry process to provide the video URL.
Judges will review and score entries based on the following criteria: engagement; creativity & innovation; and results & impacts.
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How long does it generally take to apply?
If you have all your information ready, the application should take no more than 30-45 minutes per entry. This does not include attachment upload time. Please ensure you have a fast and stable internet connection if uploading attachments.
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My entry has been submitted. What happens next?
You will receive a confirmation email within a few hours of submitting your entry which contains your entry ID. Use this if you need to make any additions or changes to the entry. Judging will not begin until after the last entry date (February 17, 2023). After the deadline has passed, you will receive an email from our team if you have been selected as a finalist.
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What if I don’t get through to the second round of judging?
Due to a high volume of expected entries, we may not be able to notify all entrants of their standing. Finalists will be notified in May via email.
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I did not receive a confirmation email after submitting my entry. Does that mean it wasn’t submitted?
Check your spam/junk folder first. If it’s not there, please contact hello@hashtagsports.com and our team can confirm whether your entry was successfully submitted. To see an invoice, navigate back to the "My Entries" tab.
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I’m not in the United States. Am I still eligible to enter?
Yes, the Hashtag Sports Awards prides itself on its large (and growing) international community. Submissions outside the U.S. are eligible in all categories.
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Does my entry need to be in English?
We welcome content or campaigns that are produced in other languages. However, the entry form itself must be completed in English. We also highly recommend all non-English entries have subtitles or dubbing to aid our judges.
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What is the entry fee?
There is a 15% discount applied to every successive entry after your first.
Entries Open: October 31, 2023 - March 4, 2024
Kickoff Rate Deadline ($425 USD): November 17, 2023
Early Entry Deadline ($475 USD): January 4, 2024
Regular Entry Deadline ($545 USD): January 31, 2024
Late Entry Deadline ($625 USD): March 4, 2024*Entry fees do not include credit card processing fee and sales tax
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Is there a discount for multiple entries?
Yes, if you submit more than one entry, a 15% discount is automatically applied to each subsequent entry.
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I already submitted a single entry and paid for it. Now I want to submit more entries through a second purchase. Will my discount automatically apply?
Yes. The discount will apply automatically when entering more than one awards category under the same user account.
Please reach out to hello@hashtagsports.com with your first entry’s ID if you run into issues, and we’re happy to provide a special discount code for checkout.
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If multiple people from the same company are entering different projects, how can we receive the multiple entry discount?
You can reach out to our awards team directly at hello@hashtagsports.com and ask if your specific organization or company has already entered.
Note that the email must come from an official company email and not a personal account; we will not disclose any information to personal accounts. If your organization has already entered, we will provide a discount code for the equivalent amount. We can not, however, provide retroactive discounts or refunds.
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What price will I be charged if I started entering my entry during one period but didn’t submit until another?
You will be charged the price for the period during which you submit your work. The starting date of the entry has no bearing on your entry fee.
For example: If you started entering your entry on the last day of the first deadline but did not submit it until the second deadline, you will be charged the second deadline entry fee since that is when you submitted your entry for consideration.
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At what point will my credit card be charged during the submission process?
Your credit card will be charged at the end of the entry process after you select the payment button.
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I was charged twice or multiple times for my entries.
Oh no! This could happen if you clicked the payment button multiple times. If this happened to you, please email a copy of your confirmation receipt to billing@hashtagsports.com.
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I need an invoice for my order, how can I access this?
Invoices are available for download on the confirmation page after submitting your entry. Visit "My Entries" to locate your invoice. Please note that special requests for invoicing may take up to two weeks to process based on entry volume.
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Can I withdraw my entry or what happens if my entry is withdrawn? Will I get a refund?
Entries may only be withdrawn if there is an issue due to copyright, hateful/hurtful language, inappropriate images, or other legal restrictions. We generally have a no refund policy. If you have any additional questions on this, please reach out to hello@hashtagsports.com.
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My entry has a mistake on it, I forgot to credit someone, or I forgot to include an optional field that might help better explain my entry. Can I make a change after it has been submitted?
Yes, entries will be open for changes until March 1, 2024. You can adjust any entry field or add additional file uploads up until that date by logging into the entry portal.
*Please note, all entries must have complete credits or else the entry will be disqualified from shortlist consideration.
Winning an Award
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I was chosen as a finalist. Will you cover travel expenses?
No. The Engagement Academy of Sports Entertainment does not provide compensation for travel or expenses to the Hashtag Sports Awards show.
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What information will be on the website if my entry wins?
For all shortlisted entries (including winners), the following will be displayed on our gallery: Entrant Organization(s); Entry Title; Entrant Image; Video Content (if applicable); Individual Credits; Engagement Objective/Strategy/Results.
*Please ensure information that cannot be displayed is included in the "Confidential Information" section.
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Do you hold an event that I must attend to receive our award?
While attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly encouraged. The 6th Hashtag Sports Awards will take place on the night of June 6, 2024 in New York City during the Hashtag Sports annual festival and conference.
The live show is as engaging as the creators, content, and campaigns it celebrates. Winners who attend are recognized onsite, although not all awards may be given or publicized in the same manner.
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Can I share that I’ve won an award?
We wouldn’t call it The Hashtag Sports Awards if you couldn’t! Use #HSAwards and tag us @HashtagSports. High chance we RT (it’s effective engagement).
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Do I receive my trophy on-site at the awards show?
Yes, winning entries will receive a trophy onsite at the Hashtag Sports Awards live ceremony. Please note that if there are multiple official entrants, only one trophy is presented. For additional trophies, winners must order duplicates. The duplicate order form is available here.
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How do I get additional trophies for my team or co-entrants?
The duplicate order form is available here. Custom engraving with a team member's personal, team name, etc. is optional. All custom engravings are subject to approval at the discretion of the Hashtag Sports Awards and the Engagement Academy of Sports Entertainment.
Events & Insights
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How do I stay informed about everything happening with the Awards?
Join our “Events” mailing list here.
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I want to learn more about innovative work in sports media and marketing. Can Hashtag Sports help?
Yep! In fact, that’s how we got our start. We curate a weekly newsletter that has become a go-to source for sports media and marketing professionals looking to reach/engage a new generation of fans. Subscribe here.
Additionally, you can browse the case studies showcasing last year’s award winners here.
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Is it possible to get a piece written about our entry, company, campaign, etc.?
We do our best to spotlight as many entrants as possible throughout the calendar year on Engage, our digital publication. Winners are showcased through our case study Q&As.
If you have a campaign, partnership, content, or news you would like to share about your organization, please submit here.
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Will you formally announce the finalists?
Yes, we will publish a press release announcing the finalists (after they have been individually notified) and showcase their work in a gallery—featuring case studies—on our website.
Other
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How can I sponsor the Hashtag Sports Awards?
If you’re interested in sponsoring, please reach out to anthony@hashtagsports.com.
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Is there an official hashtag?
Yes, follow along with #HSAwards to stay up-to-date and join the conversation!
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I have a question that isn’t on this page.
We like creative thinkers! Send our awards support team an email at hello@hashtagsports.com