This award recognises the unique contribution cartoonists make to our publications and websites.

Criteria

Judges will be looking for creativity, originality and flair. They will assess the work in terms of its ability to communicate its message, and the strength of that message - whether be through humour, pathos or other emotional tools. Judges will consider up to five individual examples.

What to submit

Aside from the five examples of work to be judged, your entry must include:

• Your brief resume or career outline. This doesn’t need to be a full CV. It must include your contact details.

• A background statement that puts each piece of work you submit into context.

Background statement

The background statement for this award does not need to be as comprehensive as it does for other categories. However, please describe as fully as possible:

• The concept and what you were trying to achieve with it

• How the concept related to the news story it was based on

• Anything else that may be relevant to the judges.

In terms of the entry coupon, it would be preferable in this category to write one background statement covering the five cartoons, and attach all the pieces of work in the area provided for the first work example.

Dates for eligible work 

All submitted work must have been published in the 12 months from August 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010. Anything published after this date may be entered in next year’s awards.

Who can enter

The award is open to all staff on all News Limited national, metropolitan, regional and community publications, websites and magazines, in Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, who have cartoons published regularly.

Permanent part-time staff are eligible, as are contractors. Casual employees, freelancers and contributors are not eligible.

You may nominate yourself or a colleague. If you are nominating someone else, you need to lodge the entry yourself and give your contact details.  

How many times can you enter?

Individuals may enter the same category only once a year.

You may enter more than one category (ie, Cartoonist of the Year and Artist of the Year), provided that different material is submitted for each different award.

How to Enter

Please read the preliminary instructions provided on the website. There are links there for guidelines for library PDF or page archive retrieval.

Entry via the website is preferred.

If you cannot do this, a CD-ROM of your entry is acceptable. Please include on the CD a document giving your name, publication or website, category and contact details. Include a CV or resume, as well as the examples of your work. Send this to: News Awards, c/o Corporate Affairs, Level 5, News Limited, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010.

You may send your entry in the internal mail, where this service is provided – but email Sarah Cullens cullenss@newsltd.com.au so we know a CD entry has been lodged.

Entries from PNG, Fiji, WA Community Newspapers and some areas of News Digital Media will need to be via CD because they have no access to the entry coupon from the website.

If you have any problems submitting your online entry, call Les Hoffman, on 02 6680 2080 or email hoffmanl@newsltd.com.au 

If you have any questions about the awards, call Lucinda Duckett on 02 9288 3125 or email duckettl@newsltd.com.au 

Closing date

Entries must be received by 5.00pm Tuesday, August 3. There will be no exceptions.