W I L L R O G E R S M E D A L L I O N A W A R D
W I L L R O G E R S
M E D A L L I O N A W A R D C O N T E S T I N F O
Categories
Cowboy Poetry-Recorded (cd)
Cowboy Poetry-Written (books only; we do not have a category for individual poems)
Western Fiction - Traditional (Pre-1900)
Western Fiction - Modern (Post-1900)
Western Nonfiction
Western Biography & Memoir
Western Romance
Western Mystery
Western Fiction - Young Readers
Western Fiction-Young Readers/Illustrated
Western Nonfiction - Young Readers
Western Nonfiction-Young Readers/ Illustrated
Inspirational Western Fiction
Western Photographic Essays
Western Cookbooks
Western Graphic Novels/ Illustrations, Visual Humor & Iconic Images
Western Fiction Short Stories (an individual fiction short story published in a magazine or as a single short story included in a collection of short stories)
Western Humor- Written
Western Film - Drama
Western Film - Documentary
Western Short Non-Fiction (an article or essay
on the American West, appearing in a printed publication and with a word count between
1,000-5,000 words)
Judging Criteria
The Will Rogers Medallion Award recognizes excellence in Western literature and media. The quality of each entry is judged based on content and artistic presentation.
*All works must represent an accurate reflection of Western Americana, or cowboy and ranch life, historical or contemporary. Historical accuracy is crucial where applicable.
*The work must remain consistent with the values and the language embodied in the works of award namesake, Will Rogers, one of America's most beloved humorists and writers; in other words, innuendo is fine, but neither graphic sex scenes nor graphic language is in our code.
*Books must have been published during the year prior to that of the award ceremony (must have a copyright date of 2022 for the 2023 awards). We can not accept later editions or reprints of a book published prior to the previous year.
*Books are judged on their literary quality as well as cover and interior art. All visual arts will be judged based on their visual quality of the same criteria.
*Proper editing and formatting are paramount. Before submitting your book, please ensure that spelling, formatting (alignments, spacing, readable fonts, indentions, chapter headings, etc.), and grammar are correct and visually pleasing.
*All books must have an ISBN. Self-published works are accepted, but we advise self-publishers to give themselves a publisher name (not "self" or "amazon").
The Will Rogers Medallion Award recognizes excellence in Western literature and media. The quality of each entry is judged based on content and artistic presentation.
All works must represent an accurate reflection of Western Americana, or cowboy and ranch life, historical or contemporary. Historical accuracy is crucial where applicable. Books are judged on their literary quality as well as cover art. All visual arts will be judged based on their visual quality of the same criteria.
All books must have an ISBN. Self published works are accepted.
Books that are eBook originals or exclusive must be submitted in a printed copy. No electronic copies will be accepted in any format.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions for the 2023 Will Rogers Medallion Award Contest are now open; deadline is a postmark of March 15, 2023. Submit five (5) copies of the published work (for documentaries: please include copies of both the script and DVDs), a completed entry form, along with a $45 entry fee (checks payable to Will Rogers Medallion Award):
Laurie Cockerell
5313 Santa Marie Ave.
Fort Worth, Tx 76114
If you have trouble printing or viewing the contest entry form from this site (see "entry form" under Contest Information tab) or have any questions about the contest, please contact us: