Billie Jean King has served for decades as a champion of gender equality in sports.
And now, the former world No. 1 tennis player and winner of 39 Grand Slam titles has partnered with the Associated Press Sports Editors and the APSE Foundation to create the Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage, an annual sports journalism prize for coverage of girls’ and women’s sports.
The contest is open to North American media organizations and individuals involved in sports writing, including newsletters and collegiate media. Freelance writers are eligible to submit work published in various publications.
Apply here: https://apsportseditors.com/billie-jean-king-award/
“The APSE Foundation is proud to work with APSE and with a true pioneer, Billie Jean King, on this long overdue award to recognize the stellar work being done in the coverage of women’s sports,” said Foundation Executive Director Lisa Wilson of The Athletic.
A panel of judges will select at least five finalists and a winner. Judges may award honorable mentions and special citations.
Said APSE President Naila-Jean Meyers of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis: “Billie Jean King has been a champion for gender equality in sports for more than 60 years, and creating a prestigious award in her name specifically for coverage of women’s sports – I’ve already started affectionately referring to it as The Billie — elevates the great work being done and incentivizes this coverage in a way that is commensurate with the popularity and growth of women’s sports.
“It is time for writers who are consistently and expertly telling the stories of female athletes to have an award of their own.”
APSE and the APSE Foundation share a mission of amplifying the world’s best sports journalism, as well as bringing attention to untold stories. APSE’s membership currently includes more than 170 news organizations of all sizes.
How to enter: Billie Jean King Award for Excellence in Women’s Sports Coverage
Submit a portfolio of four (4) stories published in 2023 about women athletes or events, or issues and trends in girls and women’s sports at any level — professional, college, high school and/or youth.
When is the deadline?
The entry deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
When can I submit?
Entries can be submitted at https://apsportseditors.com/billie-jean-king-award/
Cost to enter?
An early-bird entry fee of $50 per portfolio is applicable through March 23. The entry fee will increase to $75 from March 24-31.
About the organizations
The Associated Press Sports Editors, founded in 1974, is a national sports journalism organization, representing more than 170 publications. It annually bestows the Red Smith Award, given to a person who has made major contributions to sports journalism, and the Jack Berninger Award, given for exemplary service to APSE, along with its writing, photography, print and digital contests.
The APSE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established to support journalism education and diversity, including the APSE Diversity Fellowship for women sports journalists, sports journalists of color and LGBTQ+ sports journalists.