You may already know about the NCRA's annual Community Radio Awards, which recognizes the amazing programming, people and activities of campus and community radio stations across Canada.

Now we have extended the deadline to give more time for your good work to flood in. The new deadline is midnight EST April 1, 2010. (No fooling!) So get cracking on your application.

Winners will receive national recognition at the NCRC Awards Gala on June 11, 2010 on Gabriola Island, British Columbia and on the NCRA website.

Unless otherwise indicated, all applications and programming may be submitted in English or French. The French description of these Awards is available at http://www.ncra.ca/projects-and-services/community-radio-awards

The application form is attached to this post and is also here: http://www.ncra.ca/sites/default/files/NCRA_2010entryform.pdf

1) Volunteer of the Year:
Volunteer of the Year honours the person who has worked tirelessly for your station without getting any money. Candidates must be submitted by the station, one per station, and include a letter of reference with details about why the volunteer deserves to win the award.

2) Community Development:
How has your station helped your community in the past year? This can include programming, special events, charity fundraising, partnerships with other local organizations or anything else that made a difference.

3) Local Talent Development:
How has your station contributed to supporting the work of local artists in the past year?

4) Community Radio Legend/Lifetime Achievement Award:
Who has contributed enormously to community radio as a sector? Tell us their story.

5) Outstanding Achievement:
Are you one of Canada’s best community radio programmers? Submit your best work of the last year for the following categories:

a) News
Open to newscasts, news programs or individual news stories. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than five minutes as well as a written description of the work.

b) Documentary
Minimum of four minutes. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than 10 minutes as well as a written description of the work.

c) Aboriginal Affairs and Culture
Open to shows or individual stories. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than 10 minutes as well as a written description of the work. Work may be submitted in an aboriginal language, English or French but please submit the written description in English and/or French.

d) Special Programming
Open to non-regular programming that covers a specific event or issue, such as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than 10 minutes as well as a written description of the work.

e) Current affairs/Magazine Show
Open to one episode or a selection from episodes of a regular spoken word program. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than 10 minutes as well as a written description of the work.

f) Creative Production
Open to audio art, PSAs, Station IDs or advertisements. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than five minutes as well as a written description of the work.

g) Third language
Open to music or spoken word programming where more than half the spoken word content is in a language other than English or French. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than 10 minutes as well as a written description of the work. Work may be submitted in any language but please submit the written description in English and/or French.

h) Syndicated show or podcast
Open to shows broadcast on a member station that are also podcasts or air on at least one other community radio station. Please submit excerpts of anything longer than 10 minutes as well as a written description of the work.

i) MusicProgramming Jury Selection
Open to music shows in any of the following categories: hip-hop, indie rock, loud, classical, folk/roots/country, jazz and blues, electronic, world, experimental and mixed genre. Please submit excerpts of 10 minutes as well as a written description of the show.

If you have any questions about which category your work falls into, please feel free to contact the national office.

And, as the NCRA Awards are always evolving, if you have any suggestions to help make the categories or judging process better reflect community radio, please let us know.

Deadline for submissions: Monday, March 22 at 6pm EST

Eligibility

The Volunteer of the Year, Community Development, Local Talent Development and Community Radio Legend awards are limited to one nomination per station.

Please include a letter of support describing why your station’s nomination should win. Any other materials to support the nomination are happily accepted, but not required.

For Outstanding Achievement awards, any individual from an NCRA member station may apply, with a maximum of one submission per show and three submissions per person. Each submission must have a separate entry form.

Digital, snail mail and fax applications are accepted. The NCRA is not responsible for any lost, damaged or missing applications. Application material cannot be returned.

All work must have been aired on an NCRA member station between April 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010. The station must belong to the NCRA by the submission deadline.

Send questions, entry forms, and submissions to awards@ncra.ca

Or snail mail: NCRA/ANREC Radio Awards
325 Dalhousie, Suite 230
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 7G2
Toll-free phone: (866) 859-8086
Fax: (613) 321-1440