APSE members will see several changes to the organization’s annual contest for work produced in 2026, including new categories for sports photography and transgender sports coverage, changes to Event Coverage and Projects, and new entry limits in several writing categories.
The changes are designed to streamline parts of the contest while adapting categories to better reflect the work APSE members are producing.
Here is a look at what will change for the 2026 APSE Contest:
Explanatory and Breaking News
Organizations will be limited to one Explanatory entry, down from two. APSE also expects to consolidate Explanatory into two divisions — A/B and C/D — rather than four separate divisions.
The limit for Breaking News will drop from three entries per organization to two.
APSE will also eliminate the current maximum of two writers on entries in the Breaking News and Explanatory categories, allowing organizations to enter work involving larger reporting teams.
Special Sections and Projects
The standalone Special Sections category will be eliminated, but special sections will remain eligible for recognition in two parts of the contest.
Special sections can be entered in Projects, which will continue to allow entrants to submit up to five stories or other content elements. If all five submitted elements were published on the same day as part of a special section, entrants also may include the print layout as a sixth element so judges can evaluate how the complete package was presented.
The Print Portfolio rules will also be adjusted to allow a special section as part of a full-day entry.
A special section cannot be entered in both places. If an organization enters a special section in Projects, it cannot also include that section in its Print Portfolio.
New Sports Photo Portfolio
APSE will eliminate the separate Action Photo and Feature Photo categories and replace them with a Sports Photo Portfolio category.
Each portfolio will consist of four photographs and must include at least one action photo and at least one feature photo. Entrants will select the other two photographs that best demonstrate the strength and range of their work.
Excellence in Transgender Sports Coverage
APSE will add a new category recognizing Excellence in Transgender Sports Coverage.
The basic entry parameters will include:
- Organizations may submit up to two entries.
- In Divisions C and D, each entry will consist of one story.
- In Divisions A and B, each entry will consist of two stories, with the same author represented across both pieces in an entry.
- News stories, features, and columns will be eligible.
- Work submitted in this category also may be entered in another eligible APSE contest category.
Additional guidance for the category, including more detailed entry and judging criteria, will be provided in the coming weeks.
Podcast and Video Analysis
The current Podcast category will be expanded to include podcast and video analysis.
Organizations may submit between one and three podcast or video selections as an entry.
Entrants may identify 20 total minutes from their submissions for judges to evaluate. If no 20-minute selection is provided, judges will decide which portions to evaluate.
Judges may listen to or watch more than 20 minutes if they choose, but they will not be required to do so.
Event Coverage returns to a 24-hour window
The Event Coverage category will return closer to its earlier format, with entries limited to a 24-hour window instead of 48 hours.
The requirement that the entry window include both the start and finish of the event will be eliminated.
Entrants must list the publication time for every submitted item next to its entry number, with all entries presented in chronological order.
The category will continue to focus on coverage produced around an event rather than work that was overwhelmingly reported in advance.
Excellence in Video citations eliminated
APSE will eliminate the separate Excellence in Video citations awarded through the Digital Contest.
Video will remain eligible as part of Digital entries and in other categories where the contest rules allow it.
General rule cleanup
APSE will also remove a redundant clarification stating that entries completed by multiple organizations must be entered by the largest organization involved. Rules addressing work involving multiple publications already appear in the contest’s General Rules, so the additional clarification will be eliminated to simplify the instructions.
Complete rules for the 2026 APSE Contest, including entry requirements, deadlines and judging information, will be released before the contest opens.
