Rules & Criteria

Cost of entering

MEMBER RATES

If you were not a member of the BSME before 1 July 2025, the non-member rate applies for both entries and the awards event.

The member rate applies when

a member enters themself in

Editor of the Year
Art Director of the Year
Editorial Director of the Year
Innovation of the Year
Launch of the Year
The DEI Leadership Award

an editor member enters a columnist in a Columnist of the Year category
an editor member or art director member is a named entrant in a Cover of the Year category

EARLY BIRD

Early bird fees are valid until strictly Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 6pm. No exceptions.

INDEPENDENT ENTRIES

The independent rate is only applicable to publishers where the annual turnover is less than £10m.

ENTRY FEES

The BSME is a non-profit organisation and the awards are its primary source of revenue. These fees enable the BSME to continue delivering year-round events, networking opportunities and industry support in line with its mission to champion editorial excellence and nurture the next generation of talent.

Type
Early Bird
Standard

BSME Member
£275.00
£320.00

BSME Non-Member
£325.00
£385.00

BSME Indy Member
£150.00
£170.00

BSME Indy Non-Member
£185.00
£210.00



Fees are exclusive of 20% VAT

MULTIPLE ENTRY DISCOUNTS

Enter your brand in 3 categories, receive a complementary fourth entry. Subsequent entries receive a 50% discount.
For example,

Entry 1 - Full price
Entry 2 - Full price
Entry 3 - Full price
Entry 4 - FREE **
All subsequent entries - 50% OFF **

** The complimentary fee for the fourth entry and discounted entries thereafter apply to the lowest-priced entries for the brand.

When you have completed your entries for the awards (indicated by selecting “final entry” on the form), we will calculate discounts for multiple entries and members. An invoice or credit card payment link will follow shortly.

Invoices are due by return. Entries will not be considered for shortlisting until payment is received.

Criteria

Specific criteria for entering are listed under each category group. In essence, awards will be given to the entrant whose brand, in the judges’ opinion, has achieved, maintained and advanced consistently high editorial quality appropriate for their audience. Entries will not be judged on scale and reach of the title – judges will instead be looking for proof of editorial excellence allied to commercial performance and strategic development.

ELIGIBILITY

Any editor of a British magazine or digital title who has been editing the brand for at least six months during the eligibility period.

Print titles must be published at least twice a year, with the exceptions of annuals.
Any editor of a digital product (including digital-only magazines, websites, the digital arm of a print title, or any associated standalone products including apps, iPad editions, intelligence platforms, etc. published in Britain) that was operating for at least six months during the eligibility period.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Quality - The BSME Awards recognise excellence in digital and print magazines. The judges commend editors who have consistently produced high-quality content appropriate for their audience, and who can show how their brand has developed successfully during the year.
Creativity - The Awards celebrate brands with exceptional visual appeal and a unique editorial voice. The judges look for editors who consistently produce compelling content and who are brilliant in communicating with their audience.
Innovation - Judges are looking for magazines that push boundaries and engage their audiences in unique ways. Editors who experiment with new formats, designs and techniques, and bring fresh perspectives and strategies, will be recognised.
Leadership - The awards recognise editors who can demonstrate inspiring leadership – spearheading new strategies, new initiatives, steering editorial teams through periods of change, as well as nurturing talent.
Impact and influence - The judges consider the impact a magazine has had on its readership, industry and society at large, and the editors who have helped grow their brands. The best editors create content that sparks ideas, shapes opinions and drives cultural trends. Brands that have made a significant influence in their field will be celebrated.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done during the eligible period that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title for judges who may not be familiar with it.
Who is your audience and how does your brand fit into the marketplace?
What are your brand objectives and how have you met them?
What have you done to change, improve or maintain your title?
How have you made the most of your resources?
How have you demonstrated leadership and management skills?
Provide statistics to demonstrate performance, sales and success.
What challenges have you overcome this year?

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Include 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period.

Print titles:

Provide 3 complete issues, hard copy or digital versions (2 issues for bi-annuals, 1 issue for annuals). See point 2 in ENTRY FORMS & SUPPORTING ASSETS above.

Digital titles:

Enter 3 URLs linking to the content.
Web traffic analytics to show audience engagement (such as a screengrab, Google Analytics or similar) - optional.

New Editor of the Year

ELIGIBILITY

Submissions are welcomed from any print or digital editor of a British brand within their first two continuous years of editing (ie. who was not an editor of any title before 1 August 2022) and at least six months into their current editorship.
Editors may only enter once during the two years.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Quality - The BSME Awards recognise excellence in digital and print magazines. The judges commend editors who have consistently produced high-quality content appropriate for their audience, and who can show how their brand has developed successfully during the year.
Creativity - The Awards celebrate brands with exceptional appeal and a unique editorial voice. The judges look for editors who consistently produce compelling content and who are brilliant in communicating with their audience.
Innovation - Judges are looking for magazines that push boundaries and engage their audiences in unique ways. Editors who experiment with new formats, designs and techniques, and bring fresh perspectives will be recognised.
Leadership - The BSME seeks to recognise editors who can demonstrate inspiring leadership – spearheading new initiatives, steering editorial teams through periods of change and nurturing talent.
Impact and influence - The Awards consider the impact a magazine has had on its readership, industry, and society at large. The best editors create content that sparks ideas, shapes opinions and drives cultural trends. Brands that have made a significant influence in their field will be celebrated.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done during the eligible period that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title for judges who may not be familiar with it.
Who is your audience and how does your brand fit into the marketplace?
What are your brand objectives and how have you met them?
What have you done to change, improve or maintain your title?
How have you made the most of your resources?
How have you demonstrated leadership and management skills?
Provide statistics to demonstrate performance, sales and success.
What challenges have you overcome this year?

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Include 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period.

Print titles:

Provide 3 complete issues, hard copy or digital versions (2 issues for bi-annuals, 1 issue for annuals). See point 2 in ENTRY FORMS & SUPPORTING ASSETS above.

Digital titles:

Enter 3 URLs linking to the content.
Web traffic analytics to show audience engagement (such as a screengrab, Google Analytics or similar) - optional.

Art Director of the Year categories

Art Director of the Year - B2B
Art Director of the Year - Consumer
Art Director of the Year - Branded Content
Art Director of the Year - Independent
Art Director of the Year - Newspaper supplements (NEW in 2025)
Art Director of the Year - Digital

ELIGIBILITY

Any art director or creative director of a British magazine or digital title who has been overseeing the design of the brand for at least six months during the eligibility period.
Art Director of the Year - Digital is open to art directors of digital-only magazines/websites and/or art directors who DON’T oversee a print version of the title.
The entrant should be the most senior person in the art department.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Design excellence – art editors/directors whose brand has produced consistently brilliant design for their title. The Awards recognise the work of art directors who create visually compelling content that enhances the reading experience, resonates with the target audience and stands out in a crowded market.
Vision – art directors who have defined a unique visual personality for their publication and can show how their brand has developed successfully during the year.
Creativity – judges are looking for magazines that push boundaries and engage their audiences in unique ways; art directors who experiment with new formats, designs and techniques, and bring fresh perspectives will be recognised.
Resourcefulness - whether working solo, with a small team or on a tight budget, we are looking for an art editor/director who demonstrates ingenuity, resourcefulness and a flair for making the most out of what resources they have.
Impact and success - the awards consider the impact a magazine has had on its readership, industry and society at large. The best art directors create content that sparks ideas, shapes opinions and drives cultural trends. Brands that have grown or have shown significant influence in their field will be celebrated.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done during the eligible period that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it.
What are your brand objectives and how have you met them?
Who is your audience and how does your brand fit into the marketplace?
What have you done to improve, change or consistently maintain your title?
How have you made use of your resources?
How have you demonstrated leadership and management skills (if appropriate)?
What have been your stand-out successes this year?

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Include 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period.

Print titles:

Provide 3 complete issues, hard copy or digital version (2 issues for bi-annuals, 1 issue for annuals).
Provide digital/social assets that may support your entry if relevant (optional)

Digital titles:

Enter 3 URLs linking to the content.

Cover of the Year categories

Cover of the Year - B2B
Cover of the Year - Consumer
Cover of the Year - Independent
Cover of the Year - Newspaper supplements (NEW in 2025)

ELIGIBILITY

Any print or digital magazine cover that was published during the eligibility period.
The award will be given to the magazine title and presented to the editor and/or art director.
Each entry must be submitted on a separate entry form.
There is no limit to the number of covers you can enter but each cover is a separate entry.
Where there is more than one cover for an issue, only one version may be submitted - ie. we can only accept one stand-alone image per entry.

SHORTLISTING CRITERIA

A stand-out cover that perfectly serves and reflects the interests of the readers
Originality and relevance to a brand
Evidence of success

WINNING ENTRY

The shortlisted entries in each Cover of the Year category are voted for on the evening of the awards by attending guests. The entry in each category with the most votes wins.
Covers and supporting statements will be available to view online in advance of the awards event.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT QUESTIONS

Tell us in no more than 250 words what you’ve done during the eligible period that marks your cover out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it.
Why does your cover deserve to win?
How was the cover conceived?
How have you made use of your resources?
What was the reaction/response to the cover?
For digital covers, explain how you took advantage of a range of digital platforms.
For digital covers, the brand’s editor and cover designer should have taken into account the needs of the digital medium and have conceived or altered the cover treatment accordingly, to ensure maximum engagement and shareability.

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Upload (only) one high-res cover of your title in PDF/JPEG/MPEGs/M4V format that was published during the eligibility period. We can only accept one cover even if the issue has multiple versions.

Columnist of the Year categories

Columnist of the Year - B2B
Columnist of the Year - Consumer

ELIGIBILITY

Any named columnist who regularly writes for a print magazine or digital title and who has contributed to the title at least three times during the eligibility period.
If the columnist regularly writes for more than one brand then each brand may enter.
Columnist of the Year must be entered by the columnist’s editor.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Writing excellence – writers who consistently deliver compelling, relevant columns in a manner that expresses complex ideas clearly and resonates with readers.
Originality – columnists who captivate readers, and bring a fresh perspective, showcase a unique personality, challenge conventional wisdom or demonstrate innovative thinking to stand out in a crowded field.
Audience engagement – writers who understand intimately the passions and concerns of their readers, and connect deeply with their audience, fostering a sense of community and eliciting regular feedback.
Impact and influence – columnists who address current issues in a way that provokes thought, influences perspectives and shapes broader conversations.
Brand awareness – writers who align their columns with the brand's values, mission and target audience to enhance the profile of the publication they represent.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Tell us in no more than 500 words what marks your columnist out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it.
What contribution does this columnist make to your brand?
How have readers responded and reacted to the column?

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Print titles:

Provide 3 columns, which may be from consecutive issues, during the eligibility period. Only upload, or provide URLs to, the supporting columns.

For digital titles:

Enter 3 URLs linking to the content of the columns available during the eligible period.

Innovator of the Year

The judges are looking for an editorial leader who has introduced groundbreaking innovations that benefit their brand, team or audience - whether that is the editor of the title or a member of their team. This could be the result of a specific innovation during the eligibility period or a series of innovations and fresh ideas, but in each case judges will be looking for evidence that the innovation has engaged the audience beyond standard editorial output or succeeded in bringing in a new audience or additional revenue to the brand.

ELIGIBILITY

Open to editors, editorial directors/EICs or art editors/directors
It can be either a new idea or an existing one that has been taken to a new level.
It could include apps, podcasts, content programmes, award schemes, competitions and reader events. It could simply be a great idea that has improved productivity for the editorial team - or something so innovative, it’s outside any of these potential areas. (Covermounts and gift promotions not supported editorially are excluded.)
You may submit more than one entry for this category.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Measurable benefits - how has the innovation benefited the brand, team or audience? Entries should cite specific, measurable benefits with supporting evidence.
Originality - in what way is the innovation genuinely groundbreaking, a fresh idea, or brought something unique to the brand, team or audience?
Resources - How have you made the best use of your resources to deliver the innovation?
Managing change - How was the innovation implemented, communicated and successfully delivered?
What’s next - How are you going to evolve the innovation(s) further in future?

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Describe in no more than 500 words the details of the innovation and an explanation about why it deserves to win, including the role played by the individual being nominated, addressing the key points above and including evidence to demonstrate the success of the innovation(s).

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Provide examples of the innovation that allow the judges to understand what has been delivered, what has changed as a result, and its impact. This could include up to 3 URLs or digital documents (PDFs, images, screenshots, etc) or printed material that complement your supporting statement.

Launch of the Year

This award celebrates the editor who has launched a successful new title - print and/or digital - in the past year.

ELIGIBILITY

Editors of British magazines and digital publications whose titles launched after 1 April 2024 and who have been editing the title for at least four months since the launch date, including content-based brand extensions (e.g events, awards, clubs etc) and excluding campaigns.
If your title has re-launched but retained the same name you are not eligible to enter the Launch category and should enter the relevant Editor of the Year or other categories.
You may enter other award categories if you fulfil the eligibility criteria.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Vision – editors who have developed a compelling and innovative concept for a new digital or print publication, including identifying a gap in the market, defining the magazine's target audience and crafting a unique proposition in order to stand out in a crowded market.
Editorial excellence – curation of high-quality content that resonates with the target audience, showcasing the editor's ability to identify talented contributors, secure engaging features and produce an innovative product.
Design excellence – editors who have collaborated with the art team to create a visually appealing package with a clear identity that enhances the reading experience and reflects the magazine's brand.
Impact – editors who demonstrate a strategic approach to marketing and promotion, which has resulted in the brand making a significant impact on the market and its audience, gaining recognition within the industry.
Leadership – editors who provide inspiring leadership that has helped drive the new project forward while nurturing talent.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done during the eligible period that marks you out as exceptional.

Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title, its frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with it.
What were your objectives for the launch and how successfully did you achieve them?
Who is your audience and how does your brand fit into the marketplace?
How have you met your objectives?
How have you made the most of your resources?
What has been the response, audience reaction or feedback?
What leadership and management skills have you shown, and how have you motivated your team?

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Include 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period.

Print titles:

Provide 3 complete issues including the launch issue (or as many as are available within the eligibility period). See point 2 in ENTRY FORMS & SUPPORTING ASSETS above.

Digital titles:

Enter 3 URLs linking to the content.
Web traffic analytics to show audience engagement (such as a screengrab, Google Analytics or similar) - optional.

Editor-in-Chief/Editorial Director of the Year

ELIGIBILITY

An editorial director or editor-in-chief

Who looks after one or more brands.
Who manages a team/s of editors and a wider editorial team.

An editor-in-chief may also enter other categories, as long as there is no named day-to-day editor on the title. If there is, the day-to-day editor should enter an Editor of the Year category for the title, and the editor-in-chief should enter the Editor-in-Chief of the Year category.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Vision and strategy - Demonstrate a clear and ambitious editorial vision that sets the agenda within your sector, and show how you develop strategic planning across marketing and commercial functions.
Leadership - Judges will be looking for someone with exemplary leadership skills, including a clear ability to define and evolve the editorial voice and effectively respond to audience trends.
Innovation - demonstrate your ability to develop or redevelop products, manage projects and provide leadership in change management.
Impact and influence - Describe how you have achieved impact through audience growth, standout editorial campaigns, awards or other events, revenue-driving editorial initiatives and/or broader industry influence.
Growth - demonstrate how your brand/s have developed editorially during the year.
Driving progress - describe how internal and/or external programmes have been created to champion diversity, sustainability, career development and mentoring.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done during the eligible period that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title/s, their frequency and market position for judges who may not be familiar with them
What were your objectives across the year and how successfully did you achieve them?
How have you developed your brands and illustrated strategic vision
How have you made the most of your resources?
How have you developed the people, the workplace or your products?
Have you overseen a new project/product development?

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Supporting data for the brands you look after (this could include PDFs or hard copies of print titles, circulation figures and analytics to prove digital engagement).
Include one example of content, a magazine issue in PDF format or URL for digital, from each of your brands created during the eligibility period.

The DEI Leadership Award

This award celebrates a leader or brand that has committed to recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion across their team and business. The winner of this award may have spearheaded a new initiative in the past 12 months to encourage more diversity, equity and inclusion on their team or made changes that have created a more inclusive workplace where all team members can thrive. The winner may also have made shifts in the past year via a campaign, partnership or ongoing content that champions underrepresented communities.

ELIGIBILITY

Leaders of British magazines and digital publications.

JUDGING CRITERIA

The judges will be looking for leaders who demonstrate how they have:

Addressed inequality - by actively tackling inequalities on their team or organization and/or prompted inclusivity and broken down barriers through their content.
Raised awareness - engaging underrepresented communities and raising awareness about challenges these communities face.
Adapted recruitment/working practices - changing recruitment or working practices to make their teams more inclusive and representative.
Embedded DEI - successfully embedded long-term DEI throughout content creation, day to day operation and campaign activity.
Overcoming opposition - taken a stand that may not have been universally popular among your organisation, audience, internally, or commercially.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Tell us in no more than 500 words what you’ve done during the eligible period that marks you out as exceptional. Key points to address might be:

Summarise your title for judges who may not be familiar with it.
How have you met your objectives?
Details of long-term changes you have put in place to make your initiative sustainable.
How have you made use of your resources?
What has been the response, audience measurement or feedback?
What leadership and management skills have you shown, and how have you motivated your team or company?
How your team or audience has changed as a result.
Provide data or other evidence to show the diversity of your team or work and progress during the eligibility period.

SUPPORTING ASSETS

Include a maximum of 3 examples of content published during the eligibility period, digitally or printed material.

Editors’ Editor of the Year

For this award, we ask you to nominate a fellow editor, editor-in-chief or editorial director whom you respect and admire. It should be someone who, in your view, deserves to be celebrated for their outstanding achievements in the past year. This could be exponential growth in a challenging environment, redirection and redefinition of an existing title, taking on more titles or taking on a wider role.

There is no fee to submit a nomination for this special category.

WHO CAN YOU NOMINATE?

Any editor, editor-in-chief or editorial director of a British magazine or digital title who has held the position for at least six months during the eligibility period.
The nominee does not have to be a member of the BSME.
Editors cannot nominate themselves nor can they be nominated by colleagues working on the same title/s.
Supporting material is not required.

WHO CAN MAKE NOMINATIONS?

Any editor, editor-in-chief or editorial director of a British magazine or digital edition may submit a nomination regardless of whether they are a BSME member or not.
Any BSME member.
You do not need to enter the BSME Awards in order to make a nomination.
Only one nomination per person may be made.

NOMINATION FORM

Mark Boxer Award

Our most cherished award for outstanding service to the industry, this award was introduced in 1988 in memory of the talented editor, writer and cartoonist Mark Boxer. It is presented to an individual who, in the opinion of the BSME committee, has made an outstanding editorial contribution to magazines in this country.

PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE MARK BOXER AWARD:

2024 - Gaby Huddart
2023 - Edward Enninful OBE
2022 - Marcus Fairs
2021 - Terri White
2020 - Lorraine Candy
2019 - Susy Smith
2018 - Jeremy Leslie
2017 - Jane Bruton
2016 - Ian Hislop
2015 - Tony Chambers
2014 - Richard Ingrams
2013 - Nicola Jeal
2012 - Dylan Jones OBE
2011 - Gill Hudson
2010 - Mike Soutar

The award will be nominated and awarded by a majority vote of BSME committee members. However, any suggestions for worthy recipients are most welcome. You do not have to be a BSME member to make a nomination.

NOMINATION FORM