Wilmer C. Fields Awards
Baptist Communicators Association members are invited to submit their work to the 61st Annual BCA Awards Competition.
The competition is designed to encourage professional excellence among association members and to recognize those members who have done exemplary work. Each year the awards are presented at the annual workshop. The competition is named in memory of BCA lifetime member and former vice president of public relations for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, Wilmer C. Fields.
2025 Student Awards Submission Site
Professional Competition
The competition includes individual Baptist communicators who were members in good standing and who paid their membership dues the previous year by December 31 (More Information). All entries in the competition must have been produced or published during 2024. Each member submitting an entry must have designed, directed, written, photographed, edited, recorded or created the entry. There is no limit to the number of entries. Entries that fail to conform to category requirements will be disqualified from competition. Entries submitted by non-BCA members and entries where non-BCA members completed the majority of the work will be disqualified. Work completed by students is only eligible for the professional competition if the project was used in a professional capacity and under the direction of professional staff. The student also must hold a student membership in BCA. Student publications or class projects should be submitted in the student competition. Judges have the right to move an entry from the submitted category to a more appropriate category.
Student Competition
Students sponsored by BCA members in good standing (paid their membership dues by April 30, 2025 - More Information) at Baptist colleges, universities or seminaries may enter this competition. All entries in the competition must have been produced or published from May 2024 through May 2025. Each student listed in the Credits line of the entry must have designed, directed, written, photographed, edited, videotaped or created the entry. There is no limit to the number of entries. Entries that fail to conform to category requirements will be disqualified from competition. Work completed by students is only eligible for the professional competition if the project was used in a professional capacity and under the direction of professional staff. Student publications or class projects should be submitted in the student competition. Judges have the right to move an entry from a submitted category into a more appropriate category.
NOTE: The Student Competition has been moved to a stand-alone comeptition with a deadline of May 23, 2025. Awards will be presented in an online ceremony after the Fall Forum in September/October 2025
Timelines
2025 Professional Timeline
- 2025 Call For Entries Distributed - December 2025
ALL submissions should be entered online at the BCA Awards Submission site. Supporting files for all Divisions should be uploaded online. Supporting files for Public Relations/Development, Design and Overall Publication Divisions can be mailed in to:
Kathleen Sparks
International Mission Board
3806 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23230 - Mail-in Submission Deadline - January 31, 2025
Optional postal deliveries for Public Relations/Development, Design and Overall Publication Divisions must be postmarked by January 31, 2025. - Digital Submission Deadline - January 31, 2025
Online submissions for all Divisions should be completed by midnight EST on January 31, 2025. - Submissions Distributed to Judges - February 2025
Judges will judge each entry. - Award Judging - February-March 2025
Judges will choose the winners. - Award Notices Sent Out - March 2025
If you are an award winner, you will receive an email notification confirming it. - Awards Presented - April 22, 2025
Award recipients and Grand Prize winners will be honored during the awards presentation in San Antonio. - Awards Added to Website/Social Media - May 2025
Awards are added to the BCA website and become part of BCA history. Winners are featured on our Facebook page.
2025 Student Timeline
- 2025 Call For Entries Distributed - April 2025
ALL submissions should be entered online at the BCA Awards Submission site. Supporting files for all Divisions should be uploaded online. Supporting files for Public Relations/Development, Design and Overall Publication Divisions can be mailed in to:
Illinois Baptist State Association
c/o Lisa Misner
3085 Stevenson Drive
Springfield, IL 62703 - Mail-in Submission Deadline - May 23, 2025
Optional postal deliveries for Public Relations/Development, Design and Overall Publication Divisions must be postmarked by May 23, 2025. - Digital Submission Deadline - May 23, 2025
Online submissions for all Divisions should be completed by midnight EST on May 23, 2025. - Submissions Distributed to Judges - June 2025
Judges will judge each entry. - Award Judging - June-July 2025
Judges will choose the winners. - Award Notices Sent Out - August 2025
If you are an award winner, the awards submitter will receive an email notification confirming it. - Awards Presented - September/October 2025
Award recipients will be honored during the online awards presentation, and trophies and certificates will be mailed to the organization's award coordinator. - Awards Added to Website/Social Media - October 2025
Awards are added to the BCA website and become part of BCA history. Winners are featured on our Facebook page.