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NZPA Rules

We are proud to be the premier outlet for celebrating the top achievements and best performers of the industry from the past year. Our selection process strives to be as fair and transparent as possible, with an emphasis on professional excellence and impact.

 

NZPA RULES

 

1. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

What constitutes a Podcast? a digital audio file made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device, typically available as a series, new instalments of which can be received by subscribers automatically. For the purposes of the New Zealand Podcast Awards, this shall include, but not be limited to:

  • Programmes or shows that had their first airing on radio; and

  • Audio versions of video blogs, TV programmes or other audiovisual formats.

Podcasts and submissions for the New Zealand Podcast Awards must have been either produced in New Zealand, by New Zealanders, or for New Zealand audiences and published between 19th August 2022 and 10th September 2023 (inclusive) (the “Submission Period”)

All episodes, including those from which samples or excerpts have been provided for submission, must have been available to download or stream during the Submission Period and must still be free to access from now up until 30th November 2023.

The Organiser may request additional information in support of your application, for example, to verify any statements made in your submission. Failure to provide such information may result in disqualification from the Awards and any such determination shall be made at the sole discretion of the Organiser. 

Each Entrant grants the Organiser and any of the Organiser’s affiliates, staff, contractors and agencies a non-exclusive, perpetual licence to use, display, stream, represent and modify the Showreel* (including any audio snippet(s)) and the Podcast Artwork supplied by the Entrant in their Award submission(s) for the purpose of promoting the New Zealand Podcast Awards (including finalists, winners, sponsors and partners), on www.nzpodcastawards.com and all associated social media pages and via any other media outlet and via any press release, radio announcement, or digital (display, social media, video), audio, television, print, outdoor or other media. 

 

2. CATEGORIES & ELIGIBILITY
 
Audio from the entries must have been available to download via RSS from the qualifying period, or free to access for a period of time and subscribable-to on an audio app or website. All episodes featured in the entry must be available now until the end of December 2023. 
 
Each entry MUST be submitted as a single MP3
 
There should be material from at least three separate episodes from within the qualifying period (Best Documentary, Best Fiction and The Climate Award can be from one or more episodes)
 
There should be a clear fade in/out between extracts. 
 
Your entry should include 2 to 5 clips (except for Best Interview, Best Documentary & Best Fiction where you can have 1-5 clips)
 
Your entry should be a maximum 15mins (in total - that’s the time of all the clips together) in all categories.
 
No non-podcast audio should be included (so don't include any specially made introductions for us).
 
Entries should be predominantly in English or any Maori / Pasifika language.
 
You may enter your podcast into no more than three categories - choose categories that will best reflect your series and that will help new audiences discover you.
 
Written submissions (for most categories) should be no more than 250 words (except for, The Climate Award and Rising Star where you have up to 1000). In addition, we welcome listening statistics and track-listings.
 
Each nominee agrees to provide the New Zealand Podcast Awards with non-exclusive rights to present submissions in their entirety (or through clips we make) to promote the awards, both on the New Zealand Podcast Awards site and via other media outlets.
 
Best New Podcast
 
The Best New Podcast category is exclusively for shows that launched their first episode after 31st July 2022, and have produced at least six episodes between then and the 31st August 2023. 
 
Independent Award
 
The Independent Award is for independent podcasts (or companies with an income under $100k) and is free to enter when you submit to any standard category - just opt-in on the Your Details page.
 
Spotlight Award
 
The Spotlight Award is for podcasts with 30,000 downloads or greater per episode within a month of release. It is free to enter when you submit to any standard category.

 

3. NOMINATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS

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Any person or entity may enter any podcast meeting the above criteria via www.nzpodcastawards.com/nominate by midnight (NZT) on 10 September, 2023.

A sub-committee of the judging panel will review all nominated podcasts and develop a shortlist for each Award category. Any ineligible podcasts will be removed from consideration at this stage. 

All shortlisted podcasts will then be invited to enter a full submission, which shall include:

  • Podcast name, description and links to download

  • Your contact details 

  • Links to any accompanying social media channels/pages, plus a podcast logo that we can use in our website, social media and other external communications

  • The Award category/categories you wish to enter (you can enter as many categories as you wish so long as you and/or your podcast are eligible)

  • Your award submission, including a description of what makes your podcast great and a ~5 minute showreel* to give our judges a flavour of your content

  • An overview of your download/streaming numbers

*Your showreel should be:

  • Approximately 15 minutes long; We won’t accept anything more than 15 minutes’ duration;

  • uploaded as a single MP3 or WAV file;

  • Representative of the podcast series or, where applicable, the podcast episode(s) to which your submission applies;

  • Predominantly in English or Te Reo Maori;

  • Free of any 3rd party content or other material in which copyright is held by a 3rd party or, if copyrighted material forms part of your entry, the details of relevant agreements should be mentioned in your written submission.

 

4. JUDGING 

The New Zealand Podcast Awards was set up to recognise the amazing work of independent and professional Kiwi podcast producers across the country and abroad.

We are looking for Kiwi content, presenters and publishers/producers that represent the best of the podcast medium. Our aim is to reward high-quality, engaging podcasts across a broad range of categories. 

Our judges will be looking for:

  • Ability to entertain and/or inform

  • Best-practice audience development

  • Creativity and innovation

  • Quality, production values, consistency

  • Impactful content

  • Engagement with your audience

  • Listenership

  • Dynamic between talent

  • Quality of guests

  • Providing something uniquely “Kiwi” 

Conflict of Interest: individuals or companies directly involved in production, judging and/or sponsorship of these Awards must alert us to any conflicts. We may choose to exclude an entry in certain categories; any potential conflicts of interest will be decided by the Organiser.

Judges’ decisions are Final and any disputes will be resolved by the Organiser exercising their sole authority and discretion. 


 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Organiser of the New Zealand Podcast Awards is New Zealand Podcast Awards Limited, NZBN 9429049293166. The New Zealand Podcast Awards programme is owned and operated privately and independent of any formal industry body.

By entering the New Zealand Podcast Awards, the Entrant will be deemed to have read and understood these Terms and Conditions and to be bound by them. These Terms include the NZPA Rules and any instructions or other information on www.nzpodcastawards.com (“Official Website”).

Entry is by invitation only, following submission of a nomination via the Official Website. Entries will only be accepted if they are completed in full and submitted through the Official Website via the designated entry form. 

The Organiser reserves the right at its absolute discretion to reject any entry that it deems inappropriate, irrespective of whether the entry breaches any law.

Submission of all entries for 2023 must be completed in accordance with the Schedule available at https://www.nzpodcastawards.com/schedule-1.

The Organiser reserves the right to amend any aspect of the Awards, including but not limited to the Schedule, Categories, judges and Award Criteria at any time. The decision of the Organiser on all matters affecting this competition is final and legally binding. No correspondence will be entered into.

No fees are payable by any entrant for the 2023 New Zealand Podcast Awards. 

The Organiser accepts no responsibility for any lost, late or mislaid entry and any entry which is damaged, defaced, illegible or incomplete, or which otherwise does not comply with the NZPA Rules or these Terms and Conditions may be deemed invalid at the sole discretion of the Organiser.

A judging panel shall be appointed by the Organiser using its sole discretion and shall include representatives from relevant industries and organisations. Judges shall be required to declare all conflicts of interest and, accordingly, be recused from judging podcasts where a conflict of interest exists. 

The prize for each category winner shall be a digital badge and official designation as a Gold, Silver or Bronze Winner, New Zealand Podcast Awards 2023. The Organiser grants a non-exclusive and perpetual licence to each winner for the use of their digital badge in any media. 

Sponsors may offer additional prizes for individual award categories, in which case the Organiser bears no direct responsibility or liability for the failure of a sponsor to deliver such prize(s).

Winners for each category will be announced in accordance with the schedule published on the Official Website. Details of winners will be published on the Official Website and associated social media pages and any other media. 

These Terms and Conditions are governed by New Zealand law and the courts of New Zealand shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

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