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The 2025 Ken W. Purdy Awards are for specific pieces of automotive-related work or a body of work produced in calendar year 2024. Entries are accepted until March 31, 2025 in the following categories:
WRITING, SHORT- AND LONG-FORM — A story or group of stories, or a single book or multiple volumes published in print or digital formats by recognized media outlets or channels. The judges’ primary focus for this award will be on the quality of the writing and its relation to Ken Purdy’s creativity and standards of excellence.
VIDEO/AUDIO CONTENT — A single film/video or multiple examples, a television/radio broadcast or multiple examples, or a single podcast or multiple examples available via recognized media outlets or channels normally employed by digital content creators.
PHOTOGRAPHY — Still photography published in print or digital formats (books, magazines, websites, etc.) by recognized media outlets or channels. The judges will focus on the artistic value of the work in conveying automotive-related messages.
RULES:
Entrants are eligible even if they are not IMPA members, but they must be nominated by members in good standing. Entries must be in English and developed for (and widely available to) the general public on any automotive subject, including – but not limited to – cars, SUVs, trucks, off-road vehicles, motorcycles, electric vehicles, hengineering or design. Content creators must be professionals who earn their living through one of the three categories above. Judges will determine eligibility of entries based on the reputation and audience size of the media outlets where they have appeared.
Judging:
Entries are judged by IMPA members: 1) currently employed as an editor, senior editor or section editor at a recognized print, video/audio or digital outlet; 2) currently serving as a professional reporter, videographer, recognized influencer or freelance writer/author; and 3) currently employed in an automotive-related public relations capacity. At IMPA’s discretion, journalism or communications educators from accredited collegesor universities may be added to the roster of judges.
ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY MARCH 31, 2025. THERE WILL BE A $25 FEE PER ENTRANT. AFTER YOU SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY, YOU WILL RECEIVE AN INVOICE. ONCE IMPA RECEIVES YOUR PAYMENT, YOUR ENTRY WILL BE ACTIVATED.
Please note that entries are strongly preferred in digital rather than print format so they may be shared with the judges simultaneously. Entrants agree to permit IMPA to publish at its discretion representative samples of winning entries in publicizing the awards program. Any entries containing non-working links or incomplete information, or those received after the deadline, will be automatically rejected.
You must send the requested contents on the entry form, including one or more live links to examples of your work, to purdyawards@gmail.com with the following in the e-mail subject line: Ken Purdy Awards Entry. The body of the e-mail must contain all of the information requested on the form or it will be rejected.
If you must send a print entry, please notify us first at purdyawards@gmail.com so we can determine if digital versions exist to facilitate judging. Authors wishing to retrieve their print entries must supply return postage and must collect them no later than 30 days after announcement of the winners. Entries not retrieved after that date will become the property of IMPA and, if appropriate, offered to recognized automotive research organizations.