24 Content Marketing Awards to Target Now for 2021 Recognition

Regardless of the form it takes, content powers your company's marketing and sets the tone for the public's perception of your products and/or services. With all the effort you and your team put into creating it, wouldn't it feel amazing to be recognized for your work? That's where content marketing awards enter the arena.

There are dozens of marketing competitions to set your sights on where you can submit your content and campaigns to test your mettle against other creatives across different categories and industries. To narrow your focus, we've compiled a list of content awards coming up in 2021, including some with submission dates approaching really soon. Others have yet to announce submission deadlines or ceremony dates, so the awards with announced submission deadlines are listed first. Best of luck on all your entries!

Image attribution: Kampus Production on Pexels.

The Webby Awards

"The Webby Award Competition is open to all organizations and individuals involved in the process of designing, building, managing, maintaining, marketing or promoting digital work. Entries do not, however, need to have been created this year. To be eligible for the current season, the work must be live and accessible to its intended audience for some period of time between October 2019 and February 2021 (regardless of release or launch date)."

Entry fees: $150 to $595 per entry, per category

Entry Submissions Closing Date: Final Entry Deadline: December 18, 2020; Extended Deadline: February 12, 2021

The American Business Awards (The Stevie Awards)

"The Stevie Awards are the world's premier business awards. They were created in 2002 to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide. In short order, the Stevie has become one of the world's most coveted prizes."

Entry fees: $195 to $555 per entry, per category

Entry Submissions Closing Date: First Early Bird Deadline: November 18, 2020; Second Early Bird Deadline: December 16, 2020; Entry Deadline: February 10, 2021; Late Entry Deadline (Late fees apply): March 10, 2021

Effie Awards United States

"The Effie Awards are known by advertisers and agencies globally as the preeminent award in the industry, and recognize any and all forms of marketing that contribute to a brand's success. For over 50 years, winning an Effie has become a global symbol of achievement. Today, Effie celebrates effectiveness worldwide with over 50 programs, including the Global Effies, regional programs in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East / North Africa and Latin America, and national Effie programs. The Effie Awards were launched in 1968 by the New York American Marketing Association as an awards program to honor the most effective advertising efforts. The awards now honor all forms of effective marketing and the companies and individuals creating effective work across the globe. In July 2008, the New York AMA assigned its rights in the Effie brand over to a separate non-profit organization, Effie Worldwide, to continue to enhance Effie's mission and educational offerings."

Entry fees and submission deadlines: January 26, 2021 - $995; February 4, 2021 - $1,595; February 18, 2021 - $2,345; February 25, 2021 - $2,745; Non-Profit Submissions: Entries for non-profit organizations receive a 50% discount on entry fees. (This discount is automatically applied when you select that you are entering work for a non-profit brand.)

Digiday Content Marketing Awards

"The Digiday Content Marketing Awards recognize the companies and campaigns using content to modernize media and marketing. Over the years, the awards have honored leading work from brands, agencies, publishers and tech providers like Atlantic re:think, Popeyes, Rogers and Cowan PMK and more."

Entry fees: Early deadline: $449 per entry; Regular Deadline: $549 per entry; Last Chance Deadline: $699 per entry

Entry Submissions Closing Date: Early Deadline: December 11, 2020; Regular Deadline: January 29, 2021; Last Chance Deadline: February 19, 2021

AVA Digital Awards

"AVA Digital Awards is an international competition that recognizes excellence by creative professionals responsible for the planning, concept, direction, design and production of digital communication. Work ranges from digital campaigns to audio and video production, to website development to social media engagement, to mobile marketing."

Entry fees: $110 or $175 per campaign, per category

Entry Submissions Closing Date: January 21, 2021

European Content Awards

"The European Content Awards celebrate excellence in content marketing and rewards agencies and in-house teams across Europe who are creating high quality, valuable content which attracts, informs, engages and retains an audience to ultimately deliver traffic and profit. There were 20 categories, which were judged by a panel of industry experts in a rigorous two stage judging process. You can find more about the entry process here. The awards are brought to you by Don't Panic—reputable, ethical and credible awards organisers and the team behind the successful Search Awards Series, the UK Social Media Awards, the UK Content Awards and the UK Biddable Media Awards."

Entry fees: £155 + VAT per entry through January 22, 2021; Late submission fee: £205 + VAT through January 29, 2021

Entry Submissions Closing Date: Regular Deadline: January 22, 2021; Late Deadline: January 29, 2021

AME Awards

"New York Festivals AME Awards celebrates brave and effective campaigns that achieve the essential mission of making the client's products and services successful. AME is the ultimate measure of success. Since 1994, AME has honored innovative campaigns that demonstrate groundbreaking solutions to challenging marketing problems, proving that strategic planning and creative execution can produce extraordinary results."

Entry fees: $845

Entry Submissions Closing Date: Regular Deadline: February 11, 2021; Final Deadline: April 16, 2021

IABC Gold Quill Awards

"For more than 40 years, IABC's Gold Quill Awards have recognized and awarded excellence in strategic communication worldwide. Gold Quill is the only awards program that honors the dedication, innovation and passion of communicators on a global scale. Since 2008, more than 4,451 projects have been entered in the Gold Quill Awards. While the style of the Gold Quill logo has changed through the years, the golden feather symbolizing a quill writing pen is a universal icon recognized throughout the industry. All IABC Gold Quill Award entries are evaluated by international professional communicators with more than 10 years of experience. The majority of evaluators have earned Gold Quill Awards. Many are either IABC accredited or certified by the Global Communication Certification Council. And, all are trained to evaluate entries against established criteria aligned to IABC's Global Standard of the communication profession."

Entry fees: Student members: $25/$40/$50; Non-member students: $60/$75/$90; IABC members: $299/$350/$525; Non-members: $399/$450/$625

Entry Submissions Closing Date: Early-bird deadline: 8 January 2021; Deadline: 20 January 2021; Final deadline: 1 February 2020

REGGIE Awards

"Since 1983, the REGGIE Awards have been the premier industry awards program recognizing the best brand activation marketing campaigns activated by brands and agencies. The name—REGGIE—was originally chosen because it symbolizes results by "making the cash register ring" with consumers. The Super REGGIE recognizes the highest level of achievement and is awarded to the "best-in-class" from the Gold category winners. It is the most honored award in the Brand Activation industry, recognized as the creme de la creme in the marketing world. Today, there are 23 REGGIE Award categories which have evolved over the years to stay current with the rapid changes and advancements in our industry. The categories range from national and local campaigns with different budget levels, down to specific discipline options. These discipline categories include: Experiential, Promotion, Relationship, Content, Shopper/Retail, Influencer Marketing focused campaigns and many others"

Entry fees: ANA members Standard: $695 per entry; Final: $795 per entry; Non-members: Standard: $895 per entry; Final: $995 per entry

Entry Submissions Closing Date: Standard: February 3, 2021; Final: February 17, 2021

Internet Advertising Competition Awards

"The Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) Awards were developed by the Web Marketing Association to honor excellence in online advertising, recognize the individuals and organizations responsible for creating work, and showcasing the award winning Internet advertising. The IAC Awards provides an opportunity to highlight your best online advertising in 97 industries and 9 online formats including, online ad, video, mobile, newsletter, email and social media."

Entry fees: Single entries: $230; Campaign entries: $255; Non-profit: $199

Entry Submissions Closing Date: January 31, 2021

OBIE Awards

"The OBIE Awards. The oldest and most prestigious honors for creative excellence in out of home advertising design. OBIE, short for obelisk, refers to the ancient stone pillars that served as the foundation of modern advertising—where posts and pictures informed the masses in town squares across ancient Egypt, and then around the world. For the last 79 years, the OBIEs have honored the best, most innovative, breath-taking activations in our industry. From spectacular digital screens with addressable video to inventive transit takeovers, from eye-popping billboard campaigns to state-of-the-art augmented reality and experiential programs, out of home (OOH) grows every day, in whole new ways."

Entry fees: $250 per entry

Entry Submissions Closing Date: December 31, 2020

MarCom Awards

"MarCom Awards honors excellence in marketing and communication while recognizing the creativity, hard work and generosity of industry professionals. Since its inception in 2004, MarCom has evolved into one of the largest, most-respected creative competitions in the world. Each year about 6,000 print and digital entries are submitted from dozens of countries. MarCom is administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international organization, founded in 1995, consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, digital and web professionals. AMCP administers recognition programs, provides judges, and rewards outstanding achievement and service to the community. Entrants are not charged entry fees for work they perform pro bono for nonprofits. In the past few years alone, AMCP has contributed more than $250,000 to charitable causes."

Entry fees: 2020 fees: $95 per entry or $175 per campaign or plan

Entry Submissions Closing Date: 2021 TBA; Previous deadline: October 22, 2020 (if you need an extension, call 214-377-3524 or email info@marcomawards.com)

Snackable Content Awards

"The Snackable Content Awards honours excellence in the creative industry as it pertains to content intended for social & mobile consumption. Winners are selected by members of the jury, a diverse group of brand and agency representatives, as well as creative professionals. Submitted entries and leading candidates are reviewed and rated during the entry period. Top entries and candidates are then included in category-specific shortlists and further evaluated by Jury members with category-specific expertise. There isn't a pre-set number of shortlists and winners per respective category. All work is evaluated solely on its own quality, creativity, and resourcefulness. Judges base their decisions on learned perceptions of creative excellence. The Snackable Content Awards is organized by The Source, brands and agency's source for leading digital artists, specialized in creating thumb-stopping short-form branded content for mobile and social."

Entry fees: Free

Entry Submissions Closing Date: TBA; Previous deadline: March 31, 2020

Content Marketing Awards (Content Marketing Institute)

"The Content Marketing Awards are presented and owned by the Content Marketing Institute to recognize and award the best content marketing projects, agencies and marketers in the industry each year. The 2020 Content Marketing Awards include 85 categories recognizing all aspects of content marketing, from strategy to distribution, from design to editorial. The Content Marketing Awards program is the leading international awards program for corporate content creation and distribution.

Entry fees: 2020 fees: Early Bird: $199; Regular: $249; Late: $299 (all per entry; 2021 fees TBA)

Entry Submissions Closing Date: 2020 Dates: Early Bird: April 24, 2020; Regular: May 29, 2020; Late Entry: June 18, 2020 (2021 dates TBA)

The Drum Content Awards

"Branded content and native advertising has become commonplace, but what does good look like? When does an article or image turn into an effective media strategy? The Drum Awards for Content celebrates the work that cuts through in the branded content space."

Entry fees: TBA; Previous fees: Super early bird - First entry - £206.50 + VAT, Additional entries - £108.50 + VAT; Early bird - First entry - £236 + VAT, Additional entries - £124 + VAT; Standard - First entry - £295 + VAT, Additional entries - £155 + VAT

Entry Submissions Closing Date: TBA; Previous deadlines: Super early bird deadline: April 30, 2020; Early bird deadline: June 12, 2020; Official deadline: September 11, 2020; Extended deadline: on request, with late fee

PR Daily's Content Marketing Awards

"PR Daily's Content Marketing Awards celebrates the best work from organizations, agencies and independent consultants. We're looking for creative content that told stories strategically. We want to know how you crafted engaging narratives that captivated distracted audiences—in any medium. This awards program will spotlight the marketing and communications content creators who write, edit, film, curate, broadcast, publish or just plain create superb content to promote their brand or organization."

Entry fees: 2021 fees TBA; 2020 fees: $425 per entry ($475 for Grand Prize categories); $199 late fee

Entry Submissions Closing Date: TBA; Previous deadline: July 24, 2020

UK Content Awards

"The UK Content Awards celebrate excellence in content marketing and rewards agencies and in-house teams across the UK who are creating high quality, valuable content which attracts, informs, engages and retains an audience to ultimately deliver traffic and profit. The awards are brought to you by Don't Panic—reputable, ethical and credible awards organisers and the team behind the successful Search Awards Series, the UK Social Media Awards, the UK Content Awards, the UK Biddable Media Awards and the sister event, the European Content Awards."

Entry fees: TBA; Previous fees: Standard: £145 + VAT per entry; Late: £195 + VAT

Entry Submissions Closing Date: TBA (The previous standard deadline was July 3, 2020, and the extended deadline was August 7, 2020)

The Killer Content Awards (The Finnys)

"B2B brands today must break through the noise and resonate with their audiences in a more authentic way. That means embracing new storytelling vehicles, messaging strategies and even design themes. Since 2012, the Killer Content Awards have spotlighted the B2B organizations doing all this, and more. Winners of the 2020 awards truly upped the ante, proving that B2B doesn't have to be boring -- whether they're using podcasts, interactive content, influencer marketing or a killer theme to captivate audiences. "

Entry fees: 2021 fees TBA; Previous fees: Standard: $149; Extended Deadline: $249

Entry Submissions Closing Date: TBA

International Content Marketing Awards

"The International Content Marketing Awards are the biggest night in the content marketing calendar. Agencies and brands from across the world offer up their greatest work from the past 12 months for judgement by some of the biggest names in marketing. The event provides the industry with a stunning showcase of talent, expertise, inspiration and insight for brand marketers the world over. After a rigorous judging process, we have a shortlist of organisations and individuals that have surpassed tough competition and have shown incredible talent and campaigns from this year.

Entry fees: TBA

Entry Submissions Closing Dates: TBA

CynopsisDigital Model-D and IT List Awards

"An annual must for all digital innovators in the media space, the Cynopsis Digital Awards have been honoring the best in online video content, advertising, talent and digital media's movers and shakers for 8 years running. Nominations are also open for the Cynopsis Digital "It List" Awards. We're looking for executives at every level who excel in digital content, marketing, advertising and social media."

Entry fees: TBA

Entry Submissions Closing Date: TBA

Featured image attribution: Anna-Louise on Pexels.