The ASME NEXT Awards were established by the American Society of Magazine Editors in 2015 to support the development of print and digital media by honoring outstanding achievement by early-career journalists. Any full-time or freelance writer, photographer, illustrator, editor, social-media journalist, graphic designer or photo editor is eligible for nomination.

Rules and Eligibility: Eligible candidates must be under the age of 30 on December 31, 2026. Candidates must be nominated or endorsed by an ASME member. No publication may nominate more than two candidates. Five honorees are chosen annually by a panel of judges consisting of leading editors, art directors and photo editors selected by ASME.

Nomination packages must include:
• A PDF of the nominee’s résumé
• A video statement by the nominee explaining why the nominee is pursuing a career in magazines or websites — video statements are limited to two minutes and should be recorded on a mobile device
• A nomination statement by an ASME member or an editor, art director or photo editor associated with a magazine or website edited by an ASME member — nomination statements are limited to 300 words
• No more than 10 examples of the nominee’s work from any time in the nominee’s career — examples may be submitted as PDFs of print content or links to digital content
• Explanatory statements describing the nominee’s role in the creation of each example of work — explanatory statements are limited to 100 words

Instructions, Processing Fee and Deadline

See the online nomination form before preparing submissions.

For assistance, or to submit content published after the nomination deadline, email asme@asme.media or call 212.872.3737.

Nomination Packages Containing Print Content require the submission of PDFs of each example of work. Each example must be uploaded as a single PDF in correct page order. Advertisements may be included. Pages in editorial spreads should be shown together. Barcodes should be removed from covers. High-resolution files are preferred. Hard copies of print issues are not required or accepted.

Nomination Packages Containing Digital Content require the submission of web links or app-specific instructions for each example of work. Usernames and passwords enabling judges to access content free of charge must be included. Submissions that do not include usernames and passwords or contain error-prone credentials may be deemed ineligible. Promotional codes in lieu of usernames and passwords are not acceptable.

Processing Fee: $95

Nomination Deadline: 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 19, 2026

Download the Call for Nominations
Create an Account | Submit a Nomination

For more information, email asme@asme.media or call 212.872.3737