Submission Information
The 2026 Sandie Awards competition offers multiple opportunities to win a Sandie Award.
Open to agencies, consultancies, corporations, educational institutions, nonprofits, and college students, the Sandie Awards recognizes the best marketing work in the Greater San Diego area produced during 2025.
Eligibility
All work entered in the 2026 Sandie Awards competition must have been produced between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025, and created by or for a San Diego-based company.
Submission of entries acknowledges the right of AMA San Diego to use them for publication, exhibition, and marketing of the Sandie Awards. The Sandie Awards committee reserves the right to move applicants to the category best suited through the lens of the judging criteria and rubric.
Entries Must
- Meet all eligibility and deadline requirements
- Include a complete entry submission form (with category selected)
- Include properly formatted creative support
- Conform to defined submission requirements
- Conform to all copyright laws*
- Include proof of payment
*Copyright infringement and/or plagiarism (be it intentional or unintentional) will result in the disqualification and, if applicable, removal of awards from any entry deemed in violation. All entry fees will be forfeited.
Deadlines & Fees
Entry deadline will be announced Spring 2026
With the exception of the “Package of 3 Entries”, 1-2 entries are considered separate entries.
| Spring 2026 | AMA Member | Non-Member |
|---|---|---|
| Single Entry | $125 | $150 |
| Package of 3 Entries | $349 | $399 |
| Marketer of the Year | $125/entry | $150/entry |
| Agency of the Year | $125/entry | $150/entry |
| Trailblazer | $125/entry | $150/entry |
| Student AMA San Diego is proud to sponsor ALL Student entries. Limit (2) per student. | FREE | FREE |
Payment must be made to complete submission. Fees are non-refundable.
Become a Member and Save
Become a member today to take advantage of our AMA Member discounts!
Entry Submission Guidelines
- Contact information is required (please ensure company or agency name are spelled as how it should appear formally when announced and/or published)
- All criteria questions (above) are required to be complete and 500 words or less.
- The same entry can be submitted in a maximum of Two (2) categories as long it meets the criteria and objectives of the categories.
- A company, agency, or student can submit a maximum of Three (3) entries per category.
- There is the ability to “Save and Continue Submission Later” and an email will automatically be sent from info@sdama.org with a link to access the incomplete application. Please check your spam folder if you don’t see this email in your inbox. This link will expire midnight on the date provided in the email. Email info@sdama.org to troubleshoot further. (Note: It is highly encouraged to first create a separate Word doc with answers for reference and as a backup.)
- In the case of a tie, an additional judge will score the campaigns for a tie breaker result.
- Campaigns must earn a minimum of 70 points to earn an award.
It is not guaranteed that all categories will recognize a winner. Only submissions that provide solid results and exemplify the qualities of great marketing will be considered for finalist placement. Finalists will be announced prior to the event.
Creative Submission Do’s and Dont’s
There are two areas in the submission form that require digital files: Campaign Elements and Campaign Display Graphic.
The campaign elements should be digital files that complement the submission and support the campaign objective.
The campaign display graphic is a single digital file to showcase submission work during the awards ceremony. This can be a static graphic or motion with a maximum of 30 seconds.
No pdfs please. Files that do not follow the creative requirements will not be included in the entry for judges’ review.
See a Sample Submission & Nomination Form (PDF)
Do’s
- When including attachments, all files uploaded must be in one of the following formats:
- MS Word(.doc/ .docx/ .rtf)
- MPEG-4
- QuickTime
- .txt
- MP3
- Uploading .DVD format is also acceptable, but we cannot accept a physical DVD.
- Uploaded examples and images are limited to 8.5” x 11”.
- Please keep file size under 50MB
- Provide URLs for website entries. For websites that require password access, please create a guest user account login for the purpose of Sandie Awards judging.
Dont’s
- For campaign display graphic – please limit video files to < 30 seconds.
- Do not place artwork images into a PPT.
- Do not place additional company logo(s) into the artwork file.
- Do not submit files that will attempt to install a program on the judging computers. Executable files cannot be judged and will be disqualified without reimbursement of entry fees.
- Do not send more than one option for your campaign display graphic. This graphic or video will be used for publication and presentation of the submission campaign.
Judging Criteria
Entries for each category are evaluated and scored by a panel of judges against four key criteria. All answers are required and must be less than 500 words.
Challenges & Objectives (0-10 points)
What was the core problem the entry needed to solve or address? What was/were the objective(s) to address the situation or challenge? What was the creative objective and vision of the project? This should be a specific, quantifiable and descriptive statement. Judges will score on how clearly the challenge and vision are stated and whether the objectives are sound, clear, and measurable.
Strategic & Tactics (0-25 points)
Describe the strategic process behind this project/initiative and what tactics or actions were taken to achieve the objectives. How was the vision brought to life? Judges will score how well the strategy and tactics relate to achieving the objectives.
Results (0-35 points)
How was the success of the entry evaluated? What were the results? What measurable results did this entry achieve? Did it achieve the entry’s objective(s)? It’s extremely important to describe the results in measurable terms to demonstrate the entry’s objective(s) were achieved. If quantifiable metrics are not applicable, describe how the results were transformative and qualifiable. Judges will score on how effective the entry was in producing results that directly tie into the objective(s).
Campaign Elements (0-30 points)
Include digital files of the work to be judged along with your entry. If your entry wins, a single image of your entry campaign elements will be displayed at the awards ceremony. Judges will score campaign elements and creative work of all digital files submitted.
The Sandie Awards showcase the best marketing San Diego has to offer. This year, we celebrate top local talent through an unforgettable evening of entertainment and awards. Learn more about the Sandie Awards.
We have categories for agencies, in-house teams, NPOs, and students. Any San Diego business is eligible to enter.
There’s a Sandie for every specialty—from branding to experiential marketing, SEO, and more. See the full list of categories.
A single campaign may only be entered twice and must meet the requirements of both categories.
Choose your categories, fill out your application, share samples of your work, hit submit, and then kick back & let the awards roll in! View submission details.
Yes. Please see section above entitled “Deadlines and Fees” for more information.
Entries for each category are evaluated and scored by a panel of judges against four key criteria. Please see Judging Criteria for more details.
Judges are recruited form outside San Diego and Orange County for an unbiased judging process. The judging team is selected from marketing professionals across the country for a greater diversity of perspectives. A number of judges may belong to board of directors of non San Diego chapters of the American Marketing Association.
The 2025 Sandie Awards will be hosted at the iconic Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley. Please see Awards Event for more information.
In addition to bragging rights, a Sandie will help grow your brand and fast track your career by providing valuable social proof to wow potential clients and the esteem of your fellow San Diego marketers.