Apply for the 2023 LION Publishers Local Journalism Awards

Awards season for local, independent, online news publishers has arrived! 

The fifth annual LION Publishers Local Journalism Awards will recognize LION members that have achieved transformational impact for their news businesses and the communities they serve. 

The 2023 LION Awards will feature:

• $55,000 in cash prizes (each winning entry will receive at least $1,000)
• The LION Awards Ceremony and Dinner, which will be hosted in-person on Tuesday, October 3 in Durham, North Carolina, during LION’s Southeast News Sustainability Meetup 
• 10 award categories, as well as the Community Member of the Year award
• The opportunity for independent publishers to be evaluated alongside peer news organizations with a similar budget
• A sliding scale for entry fees based on annual revenue

Submit your entries by Jun 22, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

The LION Awards reflect our focus on helping independent news publishers build more sustainable businesses through the intersection of journalistic impact, financial health and operational resilience. 

Based on our members’ feedback, we are no longer evaluating each award entry based on all three of LION’s pillars of sustainability (journalistic impact, financial health and operational resilience). Instead, each award category will be evaluated based on characteristics our members said were most relevant to their work. 

Here are our 2023 LION Award Categories (detailed descriptions and criteria here):

1. LION Business of the Year
2. New LION Business of the Year 
3. Operational Resilience Award
4. Financial Health Award
5. Collaboration of the Year
6. Product of the Year 
7. Accountability Award 
8. Community Engagement Award
9. Outstanding Coverage Award
10. Public Service Award 

SUBMIT YOUR LION AWARDS ENTRIES HERE

We will also recognize one individual as our 2023 Community Member of the Year. The Community Member of the Year Award recognizes someone who exemplifies LION’s core values. They routinely go above and beyond to help support, acknowledge and celebrate their fellow news entrepreneurs. They are dedicated to building a sustainable news business, and helping other LIONs do the same. LION staff will select a winner based on nominations from staff, board and the LION community. Get inspired by last year’s winner — Madison Minutes co-founder Sam Hoisington!

Each of the 10 award categories have the potential to recognize up to three winners. LION members will submit entries based on their membership tier, which reflects their organization’s reported annual revenue:

• Micro: Less than $50,000 in annual revenue
• Small: Between $50,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue
• Medium: Between $500,000 and $1.1 million in annual revenue
• Large: More than $1.1 million in annual revenue 

LION’s membership, as of April 2023, is made up of approximately 43% Micro members, 38% Small members, 13% Medium members, and 7% Large members. Because our Medium and Large tier members represent 20% of our overall membership, we typically award one winner in a combined Medium/Large tier for each category.

Just as LION’s membership dues reflect a sliding scale based on annual revenue, we are also implementing a sliding scale for entry fees based on revenue tier:

• Micro tier members: $15 per award entry
• Small tier members: $20 per award entry
• Medium tier members: $25 per award entry
• Large tier members: $30 per award entry

Eligibility Requirements:

• Complete this submission form and pay the sliding scale entry fee for each LION Award category you want to be considered for. 
• LION’s Local Journalism Awards are exclusively open to current LION members that have both paid annual membership dues and completed the annual membership application as either a new or renewing member. If your organization has not yet completed the annual membership application, you must do so before you can be recognized as a LION Awards winner or finalist.  
• The 2023 LION Awards recognize journalism published or work achieved between June 30, 2022 and June 21, 2023. 
• Applicants must meet the submission deadline of Thursday, June 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT to be considered for a LION Award. 

Award Categories and Criteria 

LION Business of the Year

Recognizes a LION member that has achieved transformational impact for their news business by working to achieve sustainability through operational resilience, financial health and journalistic impact. 

Judges will consider progress toward sustainability alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, collaborative and data-informed way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Enlace Latino NC, Santa Cruz Local and Montana Free Press! 

New LION Business of the Year 

Recognizes a LION member — founded after January 1, 2022 — that exhibits, even in its very early stages, a clearly-defined commitment to working toward achieving sustainability through operational resilience, financial health and journalistic impact. 

Judges will consider progress toward sustainability alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, collaborative and data-informed way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — The Food Section, Shasta Scout and Fort Worth Report!

Operational Resilience Award

Recognizes a LION member that has achieved transformational impact for their organization’s operational resilience by establishing processes, policies and a company culture designed to support staff and manage growth in order to prevent burnout among the very people whose talent and buy-in are critical to their success. 

Judges will consider progress toward strengthening operational resilience alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, people-centered and iterative way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Santa Cruz Local and Montana Free Press!

Financial Health Award (now combined with Revenue Campaign of the Year)

Recognizes a LION member that has achieved transformational impact for their organization’s financial health by making progress toward developing a plan for earning money, managing a budget, and/or monitoring revenue and expenses to extend their financial runway. This can also include the development of a successful and creative strategy to grow or diversify revenue while positively impacting their financial health. 

Judges will consider progress toward strengthening financial health alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, data-informed and people-centered way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Sahan Journal (General Excellence: Financial Health) and Block Club Chicago (Revenue Campaign of the Year)!

Collaboration of the Year

Recognizes a LION member that has successfully formed a short-term or long-term collaboration with at least one other organization to positively affect their journalistic impact, financial health and/or operational resilience.

Judges will consider evidence of impactful collaboration alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, people-centered and data-informed way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Enlace Latino NC and Southerly Magazine and Columbia Missourian!

Product of the Year 

Recognizes a LION member that developed a successful and creative short-term or long-term product (ex: email newsletter, event, podcast, etc.) to strengthen their journalistic impact, financial health and/or operational resilience. 

Judges will consider evidence of impactful people-centered design alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, systemic-thinking and iterative way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Sioux Falls Simplified, KHOL/Jackson Hole Community Radio and Montana Free Press!

Accountability Award 

Recognizes general excellence in journalistic impact that led to the accountability of those in positions of power and a demonstrable positive outcome for the affected community. 

Judges will consider evidence of impactful people-centered journalism alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, data-informed and systemic-thinking way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Asheville Watchdog, Wausau Pilot & Review and Documented!

Community Engagement Award

Recognizes a LION member that achieved general excellence in journalistic impact by demonstrating an intentional and systematized approach to community engagement that consistently tells stories for, with and by the people they are working to serve. 

Judges will consider evidence of impactful people-centered journalism alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, collaborative and iterative way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — The Kansas City Defender, Borderless Magazine and Mississippi Free Press!

Outstanding Coverage Award: 

Recognizes a LION member that achieved general excellence in journalistic impact by building increased awareness or influencing public conversation about a specific issue that has reverberated throughout a community. The intent of this award is not to be prescriptive of a specific topic, community or area of coverage, but rather to allow LION members to demonstrate the impact of their journalism based on their community’s information needs. 

Judges will consider evidence of impactful people-centered journalism alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, collaborative and systemic-thinking way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Watershed Voice, Santa Cruz Local and Block Club Chicago! 

Public Service Award 

Recognizes a LION member that achieved general excellence in journalistic impact by successfully connecting people with the information and services they need to navigate their lives and help make their communities more inclusive and equitable. 

Judges will consider evidence of impactful people-centered journalism alongside a clear demonstration of working in an equitable and inclusive, collaborative and systemic-thinking way. 

Get inspired by last year’s winners — Watershed Voice, Enlace Latino NC and Chalkbeat!

Those submitting entries to the Awards agree to the following terms:

• Any submission to the LION Awards remains the intellectual property of you and your organization.
• By submitting the application for an award, you grant LION Publishers the right to publish what you submit on our various websites. We do this to showcase the work of the winners and to promote our awards in the future.
• By submitting an entry, you represent and warrant that the entry is original work, that you have the right to submit the work as an entry to the LION Awards and that you have the right to grant LION Publishers the rights granted above.
• Award recognition, determination of entry validity, judging criteria, choice of judges, selection and announcement of winners, and interpretation of any and all contest rules and regulations shall be at the sole discretion of LION Publishers.

FAQ

How did the awards category and criteria change from last year?

1. We have one Financial Health Award, which was combined with Revenue Campaign of the Year. 
2. Based on our members’ feedback, we also are no longer evaluating each award entry based on all three of LION’s pillars of sustainability (journalistic impact, financial health and operational resilience). Instead, each award category will be evaluated based on characteristics our members said were most relevant to their work. 

Each award category will be judged against just four specific questions out of the nine questions listed below (see award descriptions for the specific criteria for each award):

• Sustainable: Tell us about the progress your organization has made over the last year toward achieving sustainability by strengthening your organization’s operational resilience, financial health and journalistic impact. (Limit: 125 words)
• Operationally resilient: Tell us about the progress your organization has made over the last year toward strengthening your organization’s operational resilience by establishing systems, processes, policies and a strong company culture. (Limit: 125 words)
• Financially healthy: Tell us about the progress your organization has made over the last year toward strengthening your organization’s financial health through efforts to earn enough revenue to comfortably cover your expenses and strategically build for the future. (Limit: 125 words)
• Equitable and inclusive: How did your work related to this award reflect your community’s diverse perspectives and incorporate equity to prioritize those who have been historically marginalized? (Limit: 125 words)
• Collaborative: How did you collaborate with others to accomplish your work related to this award? This could include collaborating with your audience, broader community, staff members, and/or other partners or groups that are impacted by your work. (Limit: 125 words)
• Data-informed: How did you rely on data and insights for your work related to this award? Describe how using a data-informed approach impacted your work. (Limit: 125 words)
• People-centered: How was your work related to this award responsive to peoples’ needs? This could include the needs of your audience, broader community, staff members, collaborators, and/or other partners or groups who are impacted by your work.  (Limit: 125 words)
• Iterative: How did you iterate upon your work related to this award based on insights you gained throughout the process? Describe the lessons you learned that shifted your approach moving forward. (Limit: 125 words)
• Systemic-thinking: How did your work related to this award further develop or align with your organizational goals and/or mission? (Limit: 125 words)

How many winners will be determined?

We will award up to three winners (based on annual revenue) for the following award categories: 

• LION Business of the Year
• New LION Business of the Year 
• Operational Resilience Award
• Financial Health Award
• Collaboration of the Year
• Product of the Year 
• Accountability Award 
• Community Engagement Award
• Outstanding Coverage Award
• Public Service Award 

For example, for one award category, we may have a winner in the “Micro” tier, another winner in the “Small” tier, and another winner in the “Medium/Large” tier, depending on how many entries are received for each award. 

We will select one winner for Community Member of the Year. 

How many cash prizes will be provided?

LION will award at least $55,000 in cash prizes (we anticipate each winning entry will receive at least a cash prize of $1,000). LION will award up to three cash prizes to up to three winners for the following award categories: 

• LION Business of the Year
• New LION Business of the Year 
• Operational Resilience Award
• Financial Health Award
• Collaboration of the Year
• Product of the Year 
• Accountability Award 
• Community Engagement Award
• Outstanding Coverage Award
• Public Service Award 

LION will award one cash prize to the individual recognized as Community Member of the Year. 

How long will it take to complete a LION Awards entry?

We recommend that you block off about one hour per award entry.

How much does it cost to submit a LION Awards entry?

Just as LION’s membership dues reflect a sliding scale based on annual revenue, we are also implementing a sliding scale for entry fees based on revenue tier:

• Micro tier members: $15 per award entry
• Small tier members: $20 per award entry
• Medium tier members: $25 per award entry
• Large tier members: $30 per award entry

For example, if you are a Micro tier member and submit three entries, the total cost would be $45. Refunds will not be issued. 

When and where will the LION Awards Ceremony take place?

The 2023 LION Awards Ceremony and Dinner will take place the evening of Tuesday, Oct 3, 2023 in Durham, North Carolina during LION’s Southeast News Sustainability Meetup. Our event venue is The Cookery, located at 1101 W Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC 27701. 

Who will attend the LION Awards?

The 2023 LION Awards Ceremony and Dinner is open to all attendees of our Southeast News Sustainability Meetup. You do not need to be a LION member to attend! 

Can I still be recognized as a LION Awards finalist or winner even if I can’t attend the in-person LION Awards Ceremony?

Of course!

Can I volunteer to be a LION Awards judge?

Yes! Please fill out this form to indicate your interest. As a judge, you’ll have the chance to evaluate exceptional work and celebrate the achievements of outstanding candidates.