You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Close
Search
Join TLA

Texas Youth Creators Award

Promoting excellence in amateur media production.

The Texas Youth Creators Awards, previously named the Texas Media Awards, promote excellence in amateur media production and its importance in lifelong learning. Since 1988, it has been an annual, statewide event open to school-aged Texas residents. Each entry will be reviewed and submitted by a sponsoring librarian to ensure copyright compliance and to highlight the important roles librarians play in technology integration and instruction. Qualified, impartial volunteers judge entries on criteria for each individual contest division.

Students with winning entries receive awards at the Texas Youth Creators Awards Program during the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. The most outstanding entry overall earns the Bob Bennett “Best of Show” Award. Texas Youth Creators Awards Program sponsors include the Texas Youth Creators Awards Committee, the TLA Media and Related Technologies Round Table, and the Texas Association of School Librarians.

You will need to submit a separate form for each entry, listing only the student or students that worked on that particular project.

Entry Deadline: All materials must be submitted or postmarked by January 26, 2024.

Contest Rules

  • Every entry must have a sponsoring public library, public school library, or private school library.
  • Individuals or groups may submit entries.
  • A sponsoring library may submit up to ten entries per grade-level subdivision in each of the ten contest divisions.
  • Participants may submit either one individual project or one group project in each contest division.
  • Entries must adhere strictly to all applicable copyright laws and guidelines. The Texas Library Association reserves the right to disqualify any entry based on a reasonable belief that the entry has infringed the copyright laws of the U.S. or any other country.
  • In accordance with United States copyright laws, some projects may not be eligible to be shown publicly during the awards ceremony.
  • A bibliography must be submitted for each entry that is not original work.
  • Entries must comply with specific contest division guidelines. Animation Guidelines, Black and White Photography Guidelines, Book Trailer Guidelines, Color Photography Guidelines, Coding and Gaming Guidelines, Music Digital Composition Guidelines, Graphic Design Guidelines, Multimedia Presentation Guidelines, Video Recording Guidelines, Web Design Guidelines.
  • Paperwork must be submitted and fees received by the deadline for an entry to be judged.
  • Please ensure all links to entries are able to be viewed by judges.
  • Judges will rate entries in four grade levels: PK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9 – 12; group projects with mixed grade levels will compete in the higher grade-level category
  • Entries created between the 4th Friday in January and the award deadline for the following year (4th Friday in January) will be accepted. For example, entries created between Jan. 26, 2024 and Jan. 24, 2025 will be accepted for consideration of 2025 awards.
  • Please fill out, print, and include this document listing all submissions for which a payment is being made. Submissions will not be judged until entry fees have been received. Please make checks payable to Texas Library Association.

Mail entry lists and fees to:
Texas Youth Creators Awards
Texas Library Association
3420 Executive Center Dr., Ste. 301
Austin, TX 78731

Entry Fee

  • For a single entry by 1-10 students, the fee for the entry submission is $10
  • For a single entry by 11-20 students, the fee for the entry submission is $20
  • For a single entry by 21-30 students, the fee for the entry submission is $30
  • For a single entry by more than 30 students, contact the TYCA Committee

These nominal fees help defray the costs of awards and prizes.

Contest Divisions

Online submissions are recommended. For Animation, Book Trailers, Digital Compositions, Multimedia Presentations, and Video Recordings categories we suggest using YouTube links. For Black and White Photography, Color Photography, Graphic Design, Web Design, and Coding Games please use a shareable link (i.e. Dropbox).

Please click on the hyperlinked category buttons below to submit your entries. Please include the names of projects and students when sending payment.

Copyright

All entries must adhere to copyright law. Refer to the following sources if you are unfamiliar with copyright as it applies to K-12:

Educational CyberPlayground’s Copyright Resources

Copyright With CyberBee

Because copyright exemptions may not apply to public performances in the same way that they apply to classroom use, the Texas Library Association reserves the right not to show an entry during the awards ceremony based on a reasonable belief that showing the entry may infringe the copyright laws of the U. S. or any other country.

Please note:

  • You no longer have to include Student Work Release Forms or Copyright and Sponsor Certification Forms with the entries. However, the Texas Youth Creators Awards Committee assumes that the sponsoring librarian has on record a Work Release Form and a Copyright Certification Form signed by both the student and the parent/guardian.

Judging & Awards

Qualified, impartial volunteers will serve as judges. The judges base their decisions on the criteria listed for each contest division. Judges will not evaluate contest divisions in which they may have assisted students with entry production. Awards may be given for first place, second place, third place, and honorable mention. At the discretion of the judges, awards may not be presented for every place in a contest division.

Each participant in a winning entry created by an individual or small group will receive an award ribbon. Classes that submit one entry will receive one award ribbon and certificate for the classroom, as well as individual certificates for each participant in the class. The most outstanding entry over all earns the Bob Bennett “Best of Show” Award.

Awards will be presented at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. Winners will be contacted by the end of March 2024. The Awards will be presented at the TLA Annual Conference in Austin in April 2024.

The decisions of the judges and the Texas Youth Creators Awards Committee are final.

Latest News
View all News

Between the Lines: March Member Spotlight

Between the Lines: Member Spotlight, TLA Membership, TLA News

Linda Stevens Division Director – Programs, Partnerships & Outreach Harris County Public Library   What inspired you to become a librarian? I always felt at home in the library, in school […]

Read More

Staff Spotlight: Alison Urban

TLA News, TLA Staff Spotlight

Alison Urban Director of Administration   What are your job responsibilities at TLA?  I oversee the administrative functions, including office management, finance, accounting, budgeting, and Human Resources. Tell us three […]

Read More