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The International Format Awards 2020 Full Entry Criteria

The 2020 Format Awards are now closed. Please check back here in January 2021 for information on entering next years awards.

Before entering please be sure to review the full entry criteria, which gives tips on how to submit your entry in each category.

Format Awards

If you are unsure about anything please call C21 on +44 (0) 20 7729 7460 and ask to speak to someone about entering the Format Awards.

Click here to download the entry criteria

The entry period is January 8 – February 8
The judging period is February 20 – March 13
The finalists will be announced on March 15
The awards will be presented at a gala dinner on April 7 during MIPFormats

Entry Criteria

The Awards are open to any show that first went to air during 2018 and is being marketed to the international community as a format.
Best scripted format category: Please note the first episode of the remake should have aired in the new territory during 2018.

*All trailers must be in English or with English subtitles/dubbing.

Entrants must supply:
One clip or promo trailer of up to three minutes in length with all rights cleared for online screening. If entering ‘Best Host’, please assure you send in a clip that focuses on the nominee.
Specs are: output 640×347 pixels minimum in mp4, H.264 codec, under 500MB
-A holding image of the show logo at 620 pixels wide by 348 pixels high.

-A 60 word pitch outlining why the series should be considered in the appropriate category.

Cost for entry is £45 (per show).

Full entry criteria by category

Best Brand Driven Format

More than just a bit of product placement or brand integration, this category is about formats that owe their existence to a brand or advertiser which has played a crucial part in the formats creation. The format could be a studio-based gameshow or factual entertainment chat show, but it was brought to television with the key input of a brand.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Competition Reality Format

Competition reality can encompass everything from survival format Bear Grylls – Mission Survive to talent searches The X Factor and So You Think You Can Dance. At it’s core, there is a winner. Participants (celebrities or public) are playing to win – be that a job (The Apprentice), money or even a relationship (The Bachelorette). Even though some of the competition takes place in a studio, nowadays, nearly all have out of studio elements not least of which is public voting.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Comedy Format

Comedy format is for unscripted comedies, not sitcoms. These are comedy formats in studio or the field that might involve comedy sketches, improv, panels or hidden cameras. These are often confused with quiz shows except in comedies the answers aren’t important. The laughs are the thing.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Factual Entertainment Format

In our awards, factual entertainment has a broader definition than used in Britain where factual and factual entertainment mean different things. For these awards, factual entertainment formats are formats, shot in the field or in studios where there is not competition but rather the exploration of a slice of life either for elucidation or for entertainment. The topics could be life or death (Deadliest Catch) or lifestyle (cooking).
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Multi-platform Format

These are formats that at their core have some platform aside from television integral to the show’s narrative. A website or social network page that is merely a promotional vehicle for the show would not qualify. The other non TV platforms have to interact with the casting, narrative or outcome of the show to make it a significant multi-platform format.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Scripted Format

These are scripted shows (either comedy or drama) that have been formatted for territories outside their country of origin. The first episode of the remake should have aired in the new territory during 2018. The show should be entered by those responsible for it’s remake, not the originators.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Studio Based Gameshow Format
Studio based gameshows can cover everything from serious quizzes to physical studio games, from cooking to dating games. At their core, they must take place in a closed studio environment and some games must be played, almost always with competition and winners.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Returning Format
This category awards an existing format which aired a season (domestic or international) during 2018.
On the occasion that more than one iteration of the show is eligible, entrants should either choose to enter one specific 2018 season, or the show franchise as a whole.
For example, The Amazing Race could enter this category using either The Amazing Race Canada (2018) or The Amazing Race (2001-present).
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Reality Format
Unlike competition reality formats, reality doesn’t require any element of competition. Shows entered in this category may be documentary-style, following central characters in their assumed ‘real’ lives, such as The Only Way Is Essex. It also includes structured-reality, where the circumstances surrounding the show are manipulated for the purpose of the show, like Wife Swap. This category may include self-improvement/makeover shows, hidden camera shows, survival or social experiments.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

Best Host of a Television Format
This award is designed to recognise talent in front of the camera and will be given to the person the judges feel have played a key role in enhancing a format by the sheer strength of personality, flair and unique approach to fronting a television format.
ENTRY NOTES
After submission you will be contacted for:
A clip of up to three minutes.

The International Formats Business Gold Award 2018

This award will be chosen by the C21, EMC, FRAPA and MipFormats boards for outstanding contribution to the formats business.

For more information please contact C21:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7729 7460

 

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