REGISTER FOR THE CONTEST HERE!
WHAT IS IT? A contest for short audio pieces based on this year’s Theme (which will be announced when contest kicks off Nov. 9th).
WHO CAN ENTER? Everyone! Journalists, comedians, seasoned producers, students, podcasters, neighbors, and anyone with a story. Open to teams or individuals of all skill levels.
WHERE IS IT HAPPENING? Everywhere! The contest is hosted by XRAY.FM (KXRY) in Portland, OR, and open to humans around the country & world.
WHAT’S THE GOAL? To prompt media-makers to explore their communities and/or themselves and spread ideas that need to be spread.
THIS YEAR’S THEME: WHAT NOW?
What Are We Looking For?
A 4-6 minute piece that falls into one (or more) of the following genres. Prizes will be awarded for the best in each category:
Humor - anything that makes us laugh: funny interviews, mockumentaries, comedy routines, etc.
Documentary - nonfiction stories, character profiles, history, etc.
Abstract - fiction, non-traditional storytelling, creative sound design, etc.
Current Events - stories about what’s happening during the month of the contest, especially political and/or social justice stories.
Music - pieces about the world of making, performing, discovering, and/or spreading music
Pieces will be evaluated based on:
Production quality (editing, sound design, technical elements etc.)
Creativity
Embodiment of the Theme
Community Impact / Relevance
Judges will include media makers, community leaders, and esteemed storytellers and comedians.
What Are The Rules?
Pieces should be between 4 and 6 minutes.
Include the following credit at the end: “This piece was submitted by ______ for the XRAY FM Radio is Yours contest” (this credit does not apply to the total piece length)
If your piece contains explicit content or triggering subjects, please put an advisory message at the beginning. For any pieces that are not FCC appropriate (e.g., cursing - and that’s okay!), we may ask for an alternate clean version suitable for air.
LISTEN TO LAST YEAR'S FINALISTS HERE!
How To Register & Submit
Register for the contest on Eventbrite
Early registration before January 12th, 2017 is five dollars ($5).
After Jan. 12th, registration raises to ten dollars ($10) and is open until the contest ends.
Registration fees cover the expenses of putting on the contest, and hopefully incentivizes you to complete a piece. And c’mon, it’s the price of one drink!
HOW TO SUBMIT
Export your piece as an mp3 (128 kb/s quality or higher). Name the file ‘radioisyours2016_piecetitle’.
Attach your mp3 in an email to radioisyours@xray.fm. In the subject line put SUBMISSION: Piece Title. If your mp3 exceeds the attachment size limit, please provide a download link.
Include in the body of the email: Your name, your city/location, and the category that you are submitting your piece to. (note: your piece may blend into other categories, which is totally fine. The judges may even deem it better for a different category!)
DEADLINE: Pieces must be submitted by 11:59pm PST on Sunday January 15th.
QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? JOKES? Email Alex at radioisyours@xray.fm
PRIZES AND AWARDS
- One finalist will be chosen in each of the five contest categories: Humor, Documentary, Abstract, Current Events, and Music
- Each finalist will receive $250, VIP tickets to our XRAY Awards Show on Jan. 21, an XRAY T-Shirt, tote bag, and [REST OF PRIZES TBD]
- Also, a Best-In-Show piece will be chosen by our judges to receive an additional $250 (for a total of a $500 prize)
- All finalists will air on a special episode of XRAY.FM’s Radio Roulette
(Prizes still pending: several old iPhone headphone jacks, a $20 credit on Napster, a pack of blank VHS tapes, and a brand new Zune)
LISTEN TO LAST YEAR'S FINALISTS HERE!
Our Wonderful Panel of Judges (thus far):
Arwen Nicks is an award-winning radio producer who lives and works in the Northwest. She was the founding producer Sound Effect, is co-creator and co-host of the Sub Pop Podcast, she is launching a new show with member station KUOW in early 2017 that is "real weird and dark and maybe a terrible idea," and sometimes she will make a movie is she gets bored.
Shane Torres is a stand up comedian, writer, and actor. Shane made his late night debut on Conan just this year. You may have also seen him on Last Comic Standing or acting on IFC’s Comedy Bang Bang. Shane has appeared on popular podcast such as Savage Love and Comedy Bang Bang. He is the creator of the podcast radio show Help Wanted. Shane has also contributed writing to Paste Magazine, Laughspin, The Portland Mercury, and Nailed Magazine. He also hates writing bios.
Brendan Fancis Newnam works or the national public radio programs Marketplace,Marketplace Money and Weekend America. Before that, he was a freelance radio reporter and he freelanced domestically and abroad for various publications. He worked for three years as an associate producer for a local arts program at WRTI in Philadelphia and prior to that he was the staff researcher at the national public radio program Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He enjoys eating decadently, engaging in spirited debate and writing pop songs.
Mindy Nettifee is a writer living in Portland, Oregon where she hosts The Moth, produces for Back Fence PDX and performs monthly at The New Shit Show. Her most recent book is a collection of essays on writing called Glitter In The Blood out on Write Bloody Press.
Tyesha Snow is the managing director of an experimental audio studio inside the XOXO Festival’s physical space, Head of Product at MobileRQ, a user experience consultant, and creator of WhatPodcastsShouldIListenTo.com. She fell in love with the medium of audio at 8 years old when she visited the studios of Oregon Public Broadcasting. You can find her “Walking down the street laughing like a crazy person, crying like a baby."
Jenny Logan is a writer, musician, and attorney in Portland, Oregon. She co-founded XRAY.fm in 2012 and continues to serve as the station's board president. She holds a B.A. from the University of CA, a M.A. from New York University, and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School. She is a recipient of the New York City Teaching Fellowship, has clerked for the Hon. Ann Aiken in the U.S. District Court of Oregon, and plays in the bands Sunbathe, deathlist, and Summer Cannibals.
Gina Delvac is a radio and podcast producer covering business, tech, the economy, national politics, entertainment, arts, music and life in California. She produces the popular podcast Call Your Girlfriend and is a producer for public radio's Marketplace.
Jason Rouse is a writer and producer for Live Wire, the weekly radio variety show from Public Radio International. He has also appeared on Back Fence PDX, acts in various roles, and writes/directs sketch comedy shows.
Jim Brunberg is the founder and co-owner of Mississippi Studios & Revolution Hall in Portland, OR. He makes music for films, records, and radio shows and produced PRI's Live Wire for over 14 years. He also makes the podcast Roam Schooled with his twin daughters Vern and Dana (oh, and he won last year's contest!).
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RULES, ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
Entries must be no longer than 6 minutes (before required credit) and should be in English.
All costs related to the finished piece are the sole responsibility of the contestant.
Each individual/team must email their submission by Sunday January 15th, 2017 at 11:59pm PST. Only pieces that meet the deadline will be considered eligible for judging.
Your work - writing, editing, and mixing the piece - should occur between 11/15/16 and 01/15/17. Archival material may be included.
By submitting a work for entry into the Radio Is Yours Contest, producers retain their right to that work, and are encouraged to submit it elsewhere for broadcast. In addition, KRXY retains permission to broadcast the piece on-air or online for promotional or programming purposes and edit the piece for promotional or programming purposes, on-air or online.
In order to compete, at least one member of each team must be 18 or over.
A team may be comprised of an individual or a group of people.
KXRY full time Staff and Board of Directors are not eligible for prizes or awards.
All US contestants must be legal residents or legal visitors of the United States.
Void where prohibited or restricted by law or regulations.