Guidelines

Submission Guidelines

  • An entry for every single application must be completed on separate forms.
  • The NCRA/ANREC will only accept submissions from member stations in good standing. If you are unsure if you are in good standing please contact the NCRA/ANREC office. 
  • The individual submitting must have the approval / authority to represent and submit on behalf of the member.  
  • All submissions should have been created in the previous calendar year.
  • Each entry must have a primary applicant. In the case where multiple people worked on a submission we ask that one primary applicant be indicated. Additional names can be included in the description. If a part of a group or committee, we suggest providing the group name. 
    • If you are showcasing different segments or elements of a program, then the primary creator for that segment or element can be entered as the primary applicant. The audio and description should showcase this. If unsure please contact the NCRA/ANREC. This will be limited to 4. 
  • For collaborative submissions, with multiple applicants, a program can only be submitted once for each award, unless different segments which are substantially different are submitted.  This will be limited to 4. 
  • Each award submission MUST CONTAIN A UNIQUE AUDIO FILE. For every award submission the audio must be unique. If a radio programmer is applying for multiple awards, the audio file must be different for each submission. 
  • You are permitted to submit for the same program to different awards as long as the audio provided is unique, and you are not duplicating the information. Each submission should be curated to reflect the criteria of the award with a unique audio. 
  • The NCRA/ANREC will disqualify applications that appear to be spamming multiple awards categories.  
  • Unless otherwise indicated, all applications and programming may be submitted in English or French.
  • Application material may be posted to the awards website to showcase its content. 
  • Winning entries will be announced at the National Community Radio Conference Awards Gala. Winners may be live-tweeted during the ceremonies and contacted following the event with more details. 
  • The awards must receive at least 3 submissions to be considered. If less than three submissions are received that award will not be granted within that year. 
  • Stations have 15 submissions that they can make for free. Above 15 submissions, stations will be charged at $20 per submission. 

Submitting Audio

  • For audio, you are required to provide the share link for your audio file through Google Drive, or DropBox. 
  • Please ensure that the link can be accessed by anyone, and that the link is maintained for 3 months.  
  • Please submit all audio to the NCRA in the following format: MP3 320 Consistent Bite Rate, 44.1 MHZ
  • If this is not possible, please use ‘WeTransfer’  under the free option you can send files of up to 2GB. You can send the file to eloisa@ncra.ca, please clearly state your name and station in the accompanying note, as well as what category you are submitting for. Ensure each link has appropriate sharing access.
  • Please take note of your maximum length of audio files. The standard is 10 minutes or less. Entries which exceed this length will not be eligible.  
  • You can submit a montage or a single continuous clip, as long as the total is 10 minutes or less. A montage will make your submission more competitive. Be sure not to include entire songs in your submission, and focus on the skill/story of the DJ/presenter.

Automatic Disqualification

Award submissions that do not comply with the submission guidelines above will be automatically removed from consideration, you may, or may not be notified of the disqualification. 

CRABO Awards: Station Excellence

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

The Volunteer of the Year, Community Development and Community Radio Legend awards are limited to one nomination per NCRA/ANREC Member station in good standing. 

Please include a letter of support describing why your station’s nomination should win. Any other materials to support the nomination are accepted but not required. 

Volunteer of the Year

Volunteer of the Year honours the person who has worked tirelessly for your station without getting any financial remuneration. They may have worked at one, or many positions

Criteria: Letter(s) of reference detailing why the volunteer deserves the award. If desired, an audio clip no longer than 10 mins (optional). 

Excellence in Community Engagement 

This award honours how your station has helped your community in the past year. This can include programming, special events, charity, fundraising, partnerships with other local organizations or anything else that made a difference. This award may also recognize the effort made in extraordinary programming, such as a one-day marathon or broadcast local event. The focus will be on programming which engages the community. 

Criteria: A letter written by the station on the work conducted in the past year to improve the community. If desired, letters from the community. Audio no longer than 10 mins (optional). 

Local Talent Development

Local Talent Development honours how your station has contributed to supporting the work of local artists in the past year. This support can come in a variety of ways, from promoting local bands to hosting live events, the application needs to answer the question, ‘How has my station helped the local music scene?’

Criteria: A letter written by the station on the work done over the past years. If desired letters from the community. An audio clip no longer than 10 minutes (optional). 

Community Radio Legend Award (criteria will be updated in January 2025)

In 2006 the NCRA/ANREC introduced the Community Radio Legend award, which is a lifetime achievement award for our sector. 

This award honours individuals who have contributed enormously to community and campus radio as a sector. This person may have contributed to any part of the sector, and may either still be involved or no longer actively engaged in this work.

Criteria: Letter(s) of reference detailing why the individual deserves this award. 

The Radio Legend Committee: The living past winners of the Radio Legend Awards, form our Radio Legends Committee. They are provided with a short-list of candidates who have been nominated via the submission process, previous years, and by NCRA/ANREC staff and Board. The Radio Legends Committee then deliberates on whether or not to award the Radio Legend to an individual(s). 

Game Changers

This was first awarded in 2019 in response to exceptional circumstances and effort by individuals at a station. They were able to change the game and impact the future of multiple stations. This award is only given at the discretion of the NCRA/ANREC staff in response to exceptional leadership shown by a representative of a member station. 

Criteria: At the discretion of NCRA/ANREC staff. 

Outstanding Individual Achievement

Breaking Barriers

Open to shows or individual radio pieces. This category is devoted to programming that clearly fights oppression, discrimination, and promotes equity, for example, for people living with disabilities. 

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form.

Best in Podcasting

Open to shows that are primarily podcasted online. The primary audience should be podcast listeners. The sound should reflect the more intimate nature of podcasts, and reflect standards being established in podcasting. This should be a part of a series or recurring podcast. 

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form. A link to where the podcast is available. 

Creative Production

Open to audio art, PSAs, Station IDs or advertisements. Not open to regular programming. 

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the production. A written description of the work and a completed entry form.

Current Affairs Or Magazine Show

Open to one episode or a selection of excerpts of a regular spoken word program.  This can include opinion, or soft-news programming. 

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form.

Documentary

Open to all documentaries (non-fiction radio reports) which devote themselves to covering a particular subject in depth. It must be primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining the historical record. The primary audience is radio. 

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form. 

Excellence in Sports Broadcasting

Open to sports shows with a focus on analysis, player and athlete interviews and individual sports stories. Either a talk show format, or featuring live coverage of sports.  

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form. 

Excellence in Student Programming  ($250 AWARD)

Open to any currently enrolled students: The award is for programming by currently enrolled students for students. Must be currently enrolled in a highschool, or post-secondary institution.

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form. 

The Neskie Manuel Award For Aboriginal Affairs And Culture Programming

Open to shows or individual radio pieces. Submissions should be by, for, or about Indigenous people. Submitted audio should fall under one of these three categories. For more information about Neskie Manuel and this award please contact the NCRA/ANREC

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form. Work may be submitted in an Indigenous language, but the completed entry form and the written description of the work must be English or French. 

Music Programming Awards

Criteria For All Music Programming Awards: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form.

The Music Programming Awards: 

  1. Music Variety Program: A program that showcases a diverse and eclectic range of music from different genres. 
  2. Alternative or similar music.
  3. Blues or similar music.
  4. Classical Century or similar music.
  5. Country or similar music.
  6. Electronic or similar music.
  7. Folk or similar music.
  8. Jazz or similar music.
  9. Metal or similar music.
  10. Loud or similar music.
  11. Pop or similar music.
  12. Punk or similar music.
  13. Rap or similar music.
  14. R&B or similar music.
  15. Reggae or similar music.
  16. Rock or similar music.

 

NEWS

Open to newscasts, news programs, live news or individual news stories. This is not for opinion or editorial content. The programming should convey factual information in keeping with hard news programming.  

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form.

‘OUT LOUD’  Best in LGBT+ Programming

Open to shows or individual pieces. Submission should be by, for and/or about the 2SLGBT+ Community (2-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and others). 

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form.

Syndicated Radio Show

Open to shows broadcast on a member station and at least two other member stations.

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form. A list of what stations syndicate the program. 

Third Language

Open to music or spoken work programming, where more than half of the spoken word, or music selections is in a language other than French or English

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. Work may be submitted in any language, but the written description of the work and completed entry form must be in English or French.

Woman’s Hands and Voices

Open to shows or individual pieces. Submission should be by, for and/or about Women’s issues and subjects. The Submitted audio should fall under at least one of these categories.

Criteria: Audio excerpts of the program, no longer than 10 minutes. A written description of the work and a completed entry form.

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