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Categories
Documentary & Factual
- A non-fiction documentary or factual program or series with themes and/or subject matter focusing on issues, trends or individuals within the arts and culture sphere including but not limited to showcasing musical acts or performers, dance, visual arts, circus or any mix of other art presentations.
- Note: Sketch and stand up comedy, talk or interview shows, variety programs, stage recordings and television adaptations of performing arts should be entered into the Comedy and Variety category.
- Recent winners include: Introducing, Selma Blair, Kubrick by Kubrick, Josephine Baker: The Story of An Awakening
- A non-fiction documentary or factual program or series with themes, stories, and/or subject matter dealing with crime and/or the investigative efforts thereof.
- Please note if submitting a crime and investigative program that is part of a strand, please identify the episode title and the date it first aired within the strand.
- Note: Crime shows primarily following a profession rather than actual criminal cases should be entered into the Docuseries category in the Arts & Entertainment stream.
- Ineligible: Fact-based fiction (including full-program reenactments).
- Recent winners include: Miracle Fishing: Kidnapped Abroad, The Hunt for Gaddafi’s Millions, Sea of Shadows, Silk Road: Drugs, Death and the Dark Web
- A non-fiction documentary or factual program or series exploring themes and content pertaining to wildlife, the environment, nature or natural history.
- Note: Wildlife and nature shows primarily following a profession should be entered into the Docuseries category in the Arts & Entertainment stream.
- Ineligible: Fact-based fiction (including full-program reenactments).
- Recent winners include: Tiny World, The Last Ice, Seven Worlds, One Planet
- A non-fiction documentary or factual program or series that focuses primarily on historical subjects and biographies of historical figures.
- Note: For "living history" programming, entrants should consider entering other categories in the Documentary & Factual stream or Docuseries in the Arts & Entertainment stream.
- Ineligible: Fact-based fiction (including full-program reenactments).
- Recent winners include: Surviving 9/11, Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Free Solo
- A non-fiction program or series of digital files that users can download and listen to.
- Ineligible: Video-based content
- All entries must include one MP3 file for judging.
- Recent winners include: Where Is George Gibney?, Have You Heard George’s Podcast?
- A non-fiction documentary or factual program or series whose primary emphasis is to educate audiences on and explore science, popular science, technology and medicine.
- May include biographical programs on scientists, provided at least 50% of the program focuses on the work, research, and discoveries of the subject versus the subject’s personal history.
- Ineligible: Fact-based fiction (including full-program reenactments).
- Recent winners include: Own The Room, Cosmos: Possible Worlds, Science Fair
- A non-fiction or factual short form series with episodes no longer than 20 minutes in length.
- Ineligible: Fact-based fiction.
- Recent winners include: A Nation and Her Mother, Akashinga: The Brave Ones, Stonewall Out Loud
- A non-fiction documentary or factual program or series about social issues and/or current world affairs that are either one-offs or part of a strand.
- Please note - if submitting a project that is part of a strand, please identify the project and the date it first aired within the strand.
- Ineligible: Fact-based fiction.
- Recent winners include: Dying to Divorce, The New York Times Presents, Surviving R. Kelly
- A non-fiction or factual program concerned with historical or modern day sports stories, as well as biographies or profiles of athletic figures.
- Note: For reality-style sports programming or unscripted competition series involving sports elements, entrants should submit in the Arts & Entertainment categories that are most appropriate (Docusoap, Docuseries, Competition Series & Game Shows, etc.)
- Ineligible: Sports programming, game coverage, or daily news coverage.
- Previous winners include: The Last Dance, Torn
Children & Youth
- A children's program or series that targets children ages 0 - 5 where the depiction of characters and settings is primarily (more than 65%) in the form of traditional, computer, 2D, 3D, motion graphics, and/or stop-motion animation.
- A children's program or series that targets children 5 - 13 where the depiction of characters and settings is primarily (more than 65%) in the form of traditional, computer, 2D, 3D, motion graphics, and/or stop-motion animation.
- Interactive content for audiences ages 0 - 17 with a first public exhibition on one or more digital platforms.
- Eligible projects may include but are not limited to, digital extensions of established broadcast or cinematic programs, including web content, games, mobile applications or bonus content (i.e. behind the scenes, side narratives, online/motion comics, webisodes).
- Must only include video games rated Everyone, Everyone 10+ and Teen by the ESRB or foreign equivalent.
- Note: For the submission of digital apps or interactive links, please review the submission guidelines to ensure inclusion of necessary codes, instructions and alternatives for international jurors where geo-blocking may cause interference.
- A children's program or series that targets children up to age 10 where the depiction of characters and settings is primarily (more than 65%) in the form of live action. This can include both fiction and non-fiction programming.
- A children's program or series that targets children ages 11 - 17 where the depiction of characters and settings is primarily (more than 65%) in the form of live action. This can include both fiction and non-fiction programming.
Arts & Entertainment
- A program or series showcasing sketch segments, stand up comedy showcases or festivals, talk or interview shows, or any mix of other talent generally considered 'variety' entertainment.
- Eligible in this category are awards shows, or other programming that mixes segments of different styles of performance within a single program as well as stage recordings and television adaptations.
- Ineligible: Telethons and other variety shows where the intention is to raise money, and content directly associated with promoting political campaigns.
- Ineligible: Any scripted comedy series featuring a narrative structure should be entered into the Comedy Series: English or Comedy Series: Non-English Language categories.
- Recent winners include: Friends: The Reunion, Famalam, Baroness von Sketch Show, Still Standing
- A program or series that is either a competition series or game show. This includes in-studio game and quiz shows, any competition shows framed within lifestyle-oriented situations (i.e. cooking, home renovation, fashion, etc.), competitions shot in reality-style formats which take place in constructed living environments and talent competitions.
- Recent winners include: Alone, RuPaul’s Drag Race
- A program or series focused on grittier subject matter than a docusoap, a more topical exploration into the main subject(s). Examples may include a focus on professional activities, unique (non-artificial) living environments or subcultures.
- Note: Competition series or game shows should be entered in the Competition Series & Game Shows category.
- Recent winners include: The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet, Filthy Rich & Homeless, Who Are You Calling Fat?
- A factual program or series that highlights lifestyle topics such as home renovation, interior design, food, garden, health, dating, fashion or travel.
- Ineligible: Any factual program with a competition or game element should be entered into the Competition Series & Game Shows category.
- Ineligible: Talk or interview shows should be entered into the Comedy & Variety category.
- Recent winners include: Employable Me, Love on the Spectrum
- A program or series featuring light docu-reality fare, including celebreality and 'soap opera'-styled situations, where characters are followed in a 'fly on the wall' manner. Please see the Docuseries description for clarity of the appropriate category your entry should be submitted for.
- Note: Competition series or game shows should be entered in the Competition Series & Game Shows category.
- Recent winners include: Running Wild with Bear Grylls, House of Ho
Scripted
- An animated series for audiences 13 and up where the depiction of characters and settings is primarily (more than 65%) in the form of traditional, computer, 2D, 3D, motion graphics, and/or stop-motion animation.
- Should have recurring principal characters and a minimum of 6 parts
- Duration: 21-60 minutes of content per episode.
- A continuing narrative with recurring principal characters and a focus on comedic elements that have a minimum of six parts. Entries can include sitcoms and dramedies.
- Duration: 21-60 minutes of content per episode.
- Comedies presented in less than 6 parts should be submitted in the Limited Series category.
- Ineligible: Sketch comedies, standup or parodies should be entered in the Comedy & Variety category.
- Recent winners include: We Are Lady Parts, The Flight Attendant, Fleabag, Barry
- A non-English language continuing narrative with recurring principal characters and a focus on comedic elements that have a minimum of 6 parts. Entries can include sitcoms and dramedies.
- Duration: 21-60 minutes of content per episode.
- Comedies presented in less than 6 parts should be submitted in the Limited Series category.
- Ineligible: Sketch and stand-up comedy and should be entered in the Comedy & Variety category.
- Recent winners include: Countrymen, El Presidente, Mytho
- A continuing narrative with recurring principal characters and a focus on dramatic elements that has a minimum of 6 parts.
- Duration: 21-90 minutes of content per episode.
- Note: Drama series presented in fewer than 6 parts should be entered in the Limited Series category.
- Recent winners include: Vigil, Killing Eve, Gentleman Jack, Bodyguard
- A non-English language continuing narrative with recurring principal characters and a focus on dramatic elements that has a minimum of 6 parts.
- Duration: 21-90 minutes of content per episode.
- Note: Drama series presented in fewer than 6 parts should be entered in the Limited Series category.
- Recent winners include: Kamikaze, Caliphate, Giri/Haji
- A narrative fictional presentation that tells a complete story in 2 to 12 episodes.
- May have some recurring elements and even casts of repertory players, but story arcs must be resolved within the season and not extend over subsequent seasons. Each new season must cover a completely new story with no knowledge of what happened in the previous season.
- Recent winners include: Landscapers, I May Destroy You, Chernobyl, Sharp Objects, Big Little Lies
- A fiction program or series of digital files that users can download and listen to.
- Ineligible: Video-based content
- All entries must include one MP3 file for judging.
- Recent winners include: The Orchard, Hindsight, This Sounds Serious
- A narrative fictional presentation that premiered on a streaming or television platform. Films that also had a theatrical run are eligible.
- Must have aired in one part and not divided into multiple episodes.
- Duration: 60-200 minutes.
- Recent winners include: Help, Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse, Elizabeth is Missing
- A short form presentation that premiered on a streaming or television platform. Films that also had a theatrical run are eligible.
- Duration: 20 minutes or less
- Fiction, non-fiction and animated films are eligible to enter this category.
- Ineligible: Films created for advertisements, trailers, scene compilations from feature-length films, or any unaired episodes of an established television series
- A short form, fictional drama or comedy series.
- Series should have at least 3 episodes that are all under 20 minutes in length.
- Recent winners include: @IAmSophieScholl, Staged, Lost in Traplanta
Rogers' Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content
- Celebrating the best in Canadian-created entertainment video content, this award serves to foster Canadian-grown talent and invest in future content development from independent Canadian producers.
- A CAD$25,000 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of this award from the Rogers Group of Funds.
- All submissions from independent Canadian producers are automatically entered to be eligible for the prize. Please refer to the Eligibility page for more details.
- Each qualifying project's first-round score is entered into the Rogers Prize contender's pool and the highest score is considered the winner. In the event of a tie, contending entrants will be submitted to the Grand Jury for final selection.
Prix Francophone
- Awarded to the jury’s highest-scoring French-language video submission.
- All French-language submissions to the Rockies contend for this award, in addition to the category in which they are submitted.
- To qualify as a French-language submission, 75% of the content must be in French.
- Each project’s first-round score is entered into the Rockies Francophone Prize contender’s pool and the highest score is considered the winner. In the event of a tie contending entrants will be submitted to the Grand Jury for final selection.
Emerging Talent Prize
- Awarded to a short fiction series, non-fiction series or short film video submission that was not funded by a streamer or network.
- Short video submissions that meet the above criteria contend for this award, in addition to the category in which they are submitted.
- Each project’s first-round score is entered into the Rockies Emerging Talent contender’s pool and the Rockies team will take those scores into consideration to determine the winner.
