Categories | 8th Hashtag Sports Awards

Best Activation or Experience

This award recognizes an innovative brand activation, stunt, or experience that is designed to build fan loyalty and help turn fans into consumers. Entries may include live events, immersive experiences, or digital/social media.

Best Brand Sponsorship

This award recognizes a brand relationship that demonstrates the power of partnership. Judges will look for entries that exceeded marketing objectives and drove measurable business results while uniquely engaging fans.

Best College Sports Partnership

This award recognizes a brand relationship that championed collegiate athletics and student-athletes and demonstrated excellence in building fan loyalty, reaching new audiences, and/or enhancing the fan experience.

Best Gaming or Esports Partnership

This award recognizes a brand relationship that demonstrated excellence in building fan loyalty, reaching new audiences and gamers, enhancing the fan experience, and/or increasing the visibility of esports.

Best Women’s Sports Partnership

This award recognizes a brand relationship that increased the visibility and/or accessibility of women’s sports, enhanced the fan experience, built deeper relationships with fans, and created new audiences.

Best Youth Sports Partnership NEW!

This award recognizes a partnership that increased the visibility and/or accessibility of youth sports with players, fans, and/or new audiences. Entries may include sponsorships and co-marketing partnerships.

Most Creative Partnership

This award recognizes excellence resulting from a collaboration between two or more organizations. Partnership need not be a sponsorship and may exist between any combination of brand, technology company, publisher, property, or other organizations.

Most Creative Partnership With an Athlete or Influencer

This award recognizes excellence resulting from a collaboration with an athlete, creator, or social influencer. Partnership need not be a sponsorship and may exist between any type of organization.

Best Communications Strategy

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective public relations or communications strategy used to tell the story of a partnership, brand/product launch, or other announcement. Entries may be part of an integrated campaign but will be judged on engagement derived through earned media.

Best Event or Experiential Campaign

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective marketing campaign that connected fans through innovative live, hybrid, or virtual experiences to create unique and memorable moments. Entries may include celebrity, athlete, and influencer partnerships.

Best Global Campaign

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective global marketing campaign. Entries should describe how the campaign reached an international audience and adapted to various markets while maintaining a consistent message that drove results.

Best Integrated Campaign

This award recognizes campaigns that meld new media and traditional channels (out-of-home, PR, print, etc.) to create a unified and engaging message. The mix of marketing channels, strategy showcasing how content was enhanced across each platform, and engagement that drove measurable results are key factors judges will assess.

Best Launch Campaign

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective launch campaign. Entry should describe how a brand, product, or service was propelled into a marketplace, to the relevant target audience, at the right place and time, and how digital & social media was utilized to reach fans and consumers.

Best Social Media Campaign

This award recognizes a marketing campaign that involved the use of one or more social media platforms. Judges will be looking for viral or coordinated campaigns that generated fan/consumer conversation, connection, and results. Entries may be part of a multi-platform or integrated campaign but will be judged on engagement derived through social media.

Best Athlete Storytelling

This award recognizes exceptional efforts in telling stories through the lens of an athlete or multiple athletes. Judges will look for entries that resonate with fans by sharing the personal stories and passions of an athlete or multiple athletes from unique vantage points and/or perspectives.

Best Branded Content

This award recognizes content that is sponsored by or fused with a marketer’s product, brand, or message. Judges will be looking for any form of content, media, or combination of mediums that offer entertainment or educational value to fans and effectively amplify both the brand sponsor and publisher’s core message.

Best Life or Legacy Tribute

This award recognizes exceptional storytelling about the life or legacy of an athlete, coach, sports celebrity, executive, entertainer, or other influential personality. The tribute may be posthumous or spotlight someone still living, such as a retirement, retrospective, comeback story, etc.

Best Sports Betting Content

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective use of sports betting to build deeper relationships with fans through media, including original content, digital video or audio, studio shows, podcasts, dedicated social media accounts, influencers, and more.

Best Use of Culture, Music, or Entertainment

This award recognizes the most engaging and creative integration of popular culture into sports content, campaigns, or activations. Entries may utilize music, comedy, celebrities, film, fashion, culinary, or other verticals to highlight the increasing convergence.

Best Women’s Sports Content

This award recognizes exceptional efforts to fuel the growth momentum and fandom of women’s sports leagues, teams, and female athletes. Entries may include all forms of content, marketing, advertising, campaigns, and/or other story-driven work.

Best on Instagram

This award recognizes the most engaging and creative content on Instagram. Judges will evaluate how the entry establishes a unique brand or creator voice, fosters a community, and reaches its fans to drive engagement.

Best on TikTok

This award recognizes the most engaging and creative content on TikTok. Judges will evaluate how the entry establishes a unique brand or creator voice, fosters a community, and reaches its fans to drive engagement.

Best on YouTube

This award recognizes the most engaging and creative content on YouTube. Judges will evaluate how the entry establishes a unique brand or creator voice, fosters a community, and reaches its fans to drive engagement.

Best on Multi-Platform

This award recognizes the most engaging and creative content on multiple platforms. Judges will evaluate how the entry establishes a unique brand or creator voice, fosters a community, and reaches its fans to drive engagement.

Best Art Direction

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective art direction. Work that is either standalone or utilized in a campaign is eligible. Creative integrity, strategic integration, vision, cohesiveness, novelty, and effectiveness will be considered.

Best Graphic Art or Design

This award recognizes the most creative use of graphics or design work to effectively engage fans. Work that is either standalone or part of a greater campaign is eligible. Creative integrity, cohesiveness, novelty, shareability, and effectiveness will be considered.

Best Photography

This award recognizes photography that is not only an encapsulation of a moment or a series of moments but also does so in a way that demonstrates an outstanding level of visual perception, situational awareness, and/or creativity. Entries may include a singular photo, photo series, or portfolio of work.

Best Use of Animation or Motion Graphics

This award recognizes the most effective use of animated content including motion graphics to engage and entertain fans. Work that is either standalone or utilized in a campaign is eligible. Creative integrity, novelty, shareability, and effectiveness will be considered.

Best Use of Visual Storytelling

This award recognizes the most effective use of visual storytelling through photography and visual media to build compelling narratives and brand identities that engage fans and build emotional connection. Work that is either standalone or utilized in a campaign is eligible.

Best Broadcast or Streaming Experience

This award recognizes production excellence and innovation of a live sporting event, show, or entertainment. Entries may include, but are not limited to, craft, creative, studio, talent, technology, and on-air integrations.

Best Event Experience NEW!

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective event or event series that creates memorable moments for fans and/or active participants. Entries may include any type of event and in any type of environment.

Best Gaming or Esports Experience

This award recognizes the most effective use of esports or video gaming to engage with sports fans and audiences. Entries may include partnerships, events, tournaments, teams/leagues, content, or other forms of engagement.

Best New Fan Experience

This award recognizes a new type of experience for fans that demonstrates a breakthrough innovation, technology, or approach to fan engagement, including social media, video, or audio. Entries may be digital, hybrid, or in-person.

Best Use of Technology

This award recognizes an innovative approach to leveraging technology and/or data that builds deeper relationships with fans or creates personalized experiences to engage fans and audiences.

Best Website or Mobile Experience

This award recognizes an online destination that puts the fan at the heart of the experience. Judges will look for experiences uniquely well-designed that drive campaign engagement and/or business objectives.

Best Engagement for Good

This award recognizes work that has a positive impact on individuals or society. Entries may include content, campaigns, or experiences related to social activism, CSR, community work, charitable efforts, and more.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging

This award recognizes content, campaigns, or organizational initiatives that champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in sports and entertainment—whether in the boardroom, on the court/field, on the production set, or in the studio—and promotes equal opportunities for all.

Excellence in Black Storytelling

This award recognizes content, campaigns, or other forms of storytelling and media that empower Black voices, history, culture, and stories through the lens of sports and entertainment.

Excellence in Latinx & Hispanic Storytelling

This award recognizes content, campaigns, or other forms of storytelling and media that empower Hispanic and Latinx voices, history, culture, and stories through the lens of sports and entertainment.

Best Athlete Podcast

This award recognizes the most engaging athlete-hosted podcast across all formats and lengths. Judges will look for podcasts that set the industry standard for conversation, storytelling, format, talent, and/or marketing.

Best Documentary Podcast

This award recognizes the most engaging podcast that examines sports-related documentary content in narrative form, interviews, and conversation.

Best New Podcast

This award recognizes the most engaging new podcast of the year across all formats and lengths. Judges will look for podcasts that set the industry standard for conversation, storytelling, format, talent, and/or marketing.

Best Podcast

This award recognizes the most engaging podcast across all formats and lengths. Judges will look for podcasts that set the industry standard for conversation, storytelling, format, talent, and/or marketing.

Best Radio Show NEW!

This award recognizes the most engaging radio show across all formats and lengths including sports comedy, culture, and entertainment. Judges will look for podcasts that set the industry standard for conversation, storytelling, format, talent, and/or marketing.

Best Women’s Sports Podcast

This award recognizes the most engaging podcast across all formats and lengths that is topically focused on women’s sports leagues, teams, and/or female athletes. Judges will look for podcasts that set the industry standard for conversation, storytelling, format, talent, and/or marketing.

Best Advertisement: 60 Sec and Under

This award recognizes an ad 60 seconds or less in length that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, emotionally engages fans, drives business outcomes, and exhibits elements of exceptional film craft.

Best Advertisement: 61 Sec and Over

This award recognizes an ad more than one minute in length (over 61 seconds) that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, emotionally engages fans, drives business outcomes, and exhibits elements of exceptional film craft.

Best Documentary: Short-Form

This award recognizes a documentary (less than 10 mins in length) that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, emotionally engages fans, and exhibits elements of exceptional film craft. Entries may be a single film or docuseries.

Best Documentary: Long-Form

This award recognizes a documentary (more than 10 mins in length) that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, emotionally engages fans, and exhibits elements of exceptional film craft. Entries may be a single film or docuseries.

Best Original Film or Series: Short-Form

This award recognizes an exceptional original short-form (less than 10 mins) show or film released on digital, social, or linear TV that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, emotionally engages fans, and exhibits elements of exceptional film craft. Entries may be scripted or unscripted.

Best Original Film or Series: Long-Form

This award recognizes an exceptional original long-form (more than 10 mins) show or film released on digital, social, or linear TV that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, emotionally engages fans, and exhibits elements of exceptional film craft. Entries may be scripted or unscripted.

Best Short-Form Video

This award recognizes short-form content made strategically for the platform on which it lives. Entries may be standalone videos (e.g. game day hype videos) or part of a marketing campaign or series.

Best Use of Live Video

This award recognizes the most engaging and effective use of live streamed video on one or more social or streaming platforms. Entries may feature a single stream or series and may promote concerts, festivals, tours, and other events related to a sports venue or competition.

Evolution Award

This prestigious award honors a professional athlete whose post-athletic career contributions in business, media, and/or entertainment is raising the standard of excellence for engagement and shaping the future of fan experiences.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This prestigious award honors an individual who has played an integral role over time shaping the fan experience and furthering the creative, technical, or professional progress of sports and entertainment.

Agency of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the agency with the most wins and distinctions received across all categories.

Brand of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the brand with the most wins and distinctions received across all categories.

League or Property of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the league or property with the most wins and distinctions received across all categories.

League or Property of the Year (Under 30)

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the league or property in existence for less than 30 years with the most wins and distinctions received across all categories.

Podcast Company of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence in audio and honors the company with the most acclaimed podcasts across all categories.

Production Company of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence in video and honors the company with the most acclaimed films, shows, and/or originals across all categories.

Creative Team of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the company or team with the most wins and distinctions across all creative & design categories.

Social Media Team of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the company or team with the most wins and distinctions across all social media content and presence categories.

Sports & Entertainment Company of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the sports & entertainment company with the most wins and distinctions received across all categories.

Sports Team of the Year

This honor recognizes engagement excellence for the sports team with the most wins and distinctions received across all categories.

Award Categories

Brand & Partnership

Campaign & Marketing

Content

Design & Creative

Fan Experience

Impact

Podcast & Audio

Video