Columbia Scholastic Press Association

The Gold Circle Awards are available to members as part of the Regular Membership, Associate Membership or Basic Membership.

Gold Circle Awards are offered to recognize superior work by student journalists usually as individuals but sometimes as an entire staff working with either print or online media. These media are published in schools or colleges throughout the United States and in overseas schools following an American plan of education.

For the 30th annual Gold Circles, the deadline for Newspapers and Magazines is now June 17, 2013. Eligibility for these categories is June 16, 2012 through June 17, 2013. Your publication must be have a CSPA membership to enter the Gold Circle Awards. Click here to find out more about the three different types of membership available. 

All Newspaper and Magazine entries must be POSTMARKED by June 17th.

The deadline for the 31st annual Gold Circles, the deadline for Yearbook, Video and Online Media is November 1, 2013. Eligibility for these categories is November 2, 2012 through November 1, 2013.

All Yearbook and Digital Media entries must be POSTMARKED by November 1st.

Presently, 204 different categories of entry are provided with detailed information given here. Recognition is given by various certificates of award. Secondary schools are judged separately from colleges and universities so that each student’s work is evaluated against others produced in similar circumstances. Judges are experienced journalists and educators familiar with the context surrounding student journalism as produced in schools and colleges. In recent years, more than 15,000 entries have been submitted for this annual competition and about 1,000 awards were given in the various categories.

Gold Circle Awards were first given in 1984 but follow a long tradition of CSPA awards for individual achievement by student editors.

Download Forms

Click on the PDF icon to download the 2013 Gold Circle Form for Newspapers and Magazines entries due June 17 2013.

To enter the Gold Circles, your publications must be a Regular, Associate or Basic member of CSPA. For membership information, click here.

Click on the PDF icon to download the fillable PDF 2013-2014 Membership Form.