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Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards
 
The NAGC Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards is a national and international awards program held each year to recognize excellence in the field of government communications.
 
Employees or contractors of federal, state, county, local, military, tribal or other government entities can apply for communications projects produced or implemented during the prior calendar year.

 

View the application requirements

Submit your application! 


2026 Awards

Projects must have been produced or implemented between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025, to be eligible for submission. If payment is not received by the submission deadline of February 10, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Time, your submissions may be disqualified.

We offer a variety of categories and subcategories covering a broad range of communications products. You can enter as many projects and categories as you choose. Up to three awards (first, second, third) may be awarded to top-scoring applications in each subcategory. Entries must meet minimum scoring criteria to earn placement. 

Do you need to know NAGC's EIN Tax ID number? Download our W9.
 
 
 


Entry Fees and Important Dates

Submission Type

Entry Fee
Early Bird Member (Deadline January 9, 2026)  $190
Early Bird Non-Member (Deadline January 9, 2026)  $275
Regular Rate - Member (Deadline February 10, 2026)  $250
Regular Rate - Non-Member (Deadline February 10, 2026)   $350
Multiple Submissions Discount  10%
 *discount applied automatically at checkout


Key Activity

 Deadline
Awards Open for Submissions December 2, 2025
Judge Application Open for Submissions December 2, 2025
Early Bird Discount Ends January 9, 2026
Awards Submissions Close February 10, 2026
Judge Application Submissions Close February 10, 2026
Award Winners Notified April 2026
Awards Ceremony and Reception May 13, 2026
Trophies Mailed to Winners June 2026
 

 


Awards Ceremony and Reception

The Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards Ceremony and Reception will be held in person on Wed. May 13, 2026, during NAGC Communications School in Palm Springs, CA.
 
Please note that this event will not be available to view virtually.
 
Tickets for the BPGS Awards Ceremony and Reception are available starting in January 2026, when Communications School registration opens.
 
You can either attend the full Communications School, which includes the awards ceremony and reception, or you can register just for the awards ceremony and reception.

 


Questions?

For questions about judging, awards categories and other guidelines, please contact Competitions Director Andrea Iglar. For questions about the awards platform, please contact our Events Team.

National Association of Government Communicators
400 South 4th Street, Suite 754e | Minneapolis, MN 55415
P: (888) 285-8556 | E: info@nagc.com
Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Central