Awards FAQ
About
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What is the Hashtag Sports Awards?
The Hashtag Sports Awards is an international awards competition celebrating the best content, campaigns, and entertainment that set the benchmark for fan engagement and define culture and creativity.
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What do the awards celebrate?
The awards celebrate the best in engagement and spotlight work that inspires the global sports, media, and entertainment industries to raise the bar of the fan experience.
The pink carpet awards ceremony takes place during the annual Hashtag Sports Festival in NYC.
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Why should I want to win a Hashie?
Individuals and organizations who win a Hashtag Sports Award 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 official rules of the competition?
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 60+ categories spread across ten areas: Brand & Partnership, Campaign & Marketing, Content, Design & Creative, Fan Experience, Impact, Podcast, 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, 2024 and February 18, 2025—regardless of release or launch date.
Entries that have won awards in past Hashtag Sports Awards competitions are eligible for the current competition.
Entries Open: November 25, 2024
Early Entry Deadline ($495 USD): January 3, 2025
Regular Entry Deadline ($575 USD): February 3, 2025
Late Entry Deadline ($595 USD): March 14, 2025Finalists Announced: April 2025 - May 2025
*There is a $350 USD fee for edits to credits on the wfebsite after judging has been completed
Awards Show ($645 USD): June 2025
*Entry and ticket fees do not include credit card processing fee and sales tax
Dates are subject to change. Verified non-profits can apply for a $100 USD discount per entry per category by submitting verification documents to account support. Verification documents may include non-profit incorporation or tax-exempt documents.
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?
Entries Open: November 25, 2024
Early Entry Deadline ($495 USD): January 3, 2025
Regular Entry Deadline ($575 USD): February 3, 2025
Late Entry Deadline ($675 USD): March 14, 2025Shortlist: April 2025 - May 2025
Awards Show ($645 USD): TBA
*Entry fees do not include credit card processing fee and sales tax
Dates are subject to change. Verified non-profit organizations (professional sports leagues and associations do not qualify) can apply for a $100 USD discount per entry per category by submitting verification documents to account support. Verification documents may include non-profit incorporation or tax-exempt documents.
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Is there a discount for multiple entries?
Yes, if you submit more than one entry, a 5% 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 have a no refund policy. If you have any additional questions on this, please reach out to lindsey@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 7th Hashtag Sports Awards will take place on the night of June 24, 2025 in New York City at Terminal 5.
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.
Live Show
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What do the Hashtag Sports Awards celebrate?
The awards honor excellence in engagement and celebrate creativity.. The ceremony takes place at Hashtag Sports 2025 on June 24, 2024.
The Engagement Academy of Sports Entertainment honors work live from January 1, 2024 - February 18, 2025.
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When and where is the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards show?
The 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards presented by the Engagement Academy of Sports Entertainment will take place on June 24, 2025 at Terminal 5 which is located at 610 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019.
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Who is the host of the show?
Arielle Chambers is set to the host the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards presented by the Engagement Academy of Sports Entertainment.
Arielle Chambers, a Forbes Under 30 Honoree, is a multi-media journalist, host, and women's sports and culture amplifier. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and currently based in New York City, Chambers utilizes storytelling to amplify the voices of women and magnify their excellence. Intentionally staying on the women's side of things, Chambers seeks to show girls and women world-wide, that their potential is limitless.
Chambers stands as an independent mixed-media journalist driving the success of ESPN’s Andscape and founded HighlightHER, now BR WOMENS SPORTS, an explosively growing women's sports platform. She consistently delivers a blend of news, highlights, user-generated content, and engaging interviews featuring renowned female athletes, all centered around the world of women's sports.
Read full bio here. -
Who hosted the 6th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards?
MJ Acosta-Ruiz hosted the 6th annual awards show, and, in 2023, Richard Jefferson hosted the show.
MJ Acosta-Ruiz is an Emmy Award-winning sports and entertainment host and journalist. She became the first woman of color to host a show at the NFL Network when she was named the host of NFL Total Access in 2020. Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, she has also served as the co-host of the El Huddle Podcast, the first podcast by NFL Media dedicated to the vast and growing Latino fanbase. MJ will next be seen co-hosting season 2 of the acclaimed "Like a Girl" for Fuse.
Richard Jefferson is a 17-year NBA veteran, NBA Champion, and stand-out sports media personality. After being drafted in 2001, Richard Jefferson played a pivotal role in the New Jersey Nets’ back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. In 2004 he won a Bronze Medal with the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team at the London Olympics and scored 14,904 total career points. Jefferson closed out his NBA career by winning an NBA Championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
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Do you need tickets to attend the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards?
Yes. Tickets to the 7th Hashtag Sports Awards are available for purchase here and sold separately from conference passes.
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What is honored at the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards?
We will celebrate all nominated work and reveal winners from 50+ categories. We will also honor outstanding individuals with Special Achievement awards.
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How are winners determined for each category?
A diverse group of judges reviews entries for each panel. Judges include brand marketers, league, team, and club CMOs, media luminaries, agency heads, athletes, and creators.
Together, the judging panels comprise the Engagement Academy of Sports x Entertainment, a prestigious honorary organization designed to put the fan first and push the industry forward with values of inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity.
Judges will review and score entries based on the following criteria: engagement; creativity & innovation; and results & impacts.
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How do I prepare an acceptance speech if I win an award?
The Engagement Academy does not limit acceptance speeches to a minimum number of words or minimum time nor is there a one-size-fits-all guideline for a specific format.
We generally recommend to prepare a 30 sec - 2 min acceptance speech to acknowledge the team behind the work.
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What is the dress code?
The recommended attire is awards chic (elegantly and stylishly fashionable 😉)
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What is the format of the award show?
The evening of celebration and fun will begin with a pre-show open bar cocktail hour followed by a seated dinner with colleagues, peers, and industry friends to watch and celebrate as this year's award winners are announced.
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What time does the event start, and how long is the show?
Doors open 6:30 pm EDT for the cocktail hour. The event ends at 10:00 pm EDT.
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Do I need to purchase tickets to attend the awards show?
Yes, you must purchase tickets for admission to the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards. Priority goes to the award nominees, but others in the sports entertainment industry are welcome to attend while capacity permits.
*Tickets for Hashtag Sports 2025 conference DO NOT provide entry to the awards show and dinner. You will be denied entry without a previously purchased ticket.
Tickets are currently available for sale here.
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