Since 1949, the Wilbur Awards have been presented annually to recognize excellence in the communication of religious issues, values, and themes in public secular media.
The Wilbur Award is named in honor of Marvin C. Wilbur, a pioneer in the field of religious public relations. Each coveted Wilbur stained glass trophy is individually hand-crafted—an eloquent thank-you for excellent work! Winners are acknowledged in person at our annual convention, through media releases and on the RCC website.
The competition is judged by religion communications professionals from across the United States. Basic criteria apply in the evaluation of each entry. The ultimate criterion is excellence, the hallmark of RCC and the Wilbur Awards.
After the Wilbur Awards Ceremony, all entrants receive judges’ ballots, with scores and comments on their entry.
Awards Granted
The Wilbur Award is the top honor provided by the Religion Communicators Council. It is reserved for the most outstanding entries each year.
The Award of Excellence is the next level of recognition provided by the Religion Communicators Council. It is for entries deemed to be of excellent quality and unquestionably worthy of recognition.
The Award of Merit is the final level of recognition provided by Religion Communicators Council, for work deemed meritorious and worthy of acknowledgment.
Rules and Criteria
Who May Enter
Any individual, group, organization or agency working in secular (non-religious) media may submit entries for the Wilbur Awards.
“Media” is construed broadly; see our Classes and Categories page for details.
“Secular media” includes so-called “mainstream media,” such as holdings of Comcast/NBC, Disney, Fox/News Corp., Paramount/Viacom, or Warner Bros./Discovery, as well as Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc. If your print media organization is owned or controlled by Digital First Media, Gannett, McClatchy, Raycom, etc., you would be eligible for the Wilburs. If you are broadcasting on a station owned by Cox Enterprises, Cumulus Media, iHeartMedia, etc., you would be eligible for the Wilburs. If your work is published by Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Penguin/Random House, Simon and Schuster, etc., the Wilburs are for you. If you are distributed or published as an independent author, filmmaker or journalist, and you are not distributed or published for or on behalf of a faith group, faith-affiliated group, and/or a faith-adjacent group, you are eligible for the Wilburs.
What is not “secular media”? For purposes of the Wilburs, the evaluation is not so much about the content as it is about the distributor, originator, or publisher. “Non-secular media” for purposes of RCC awards would include any broadcast or publication that is issued by a religious organization, religion-based organization, or religious-adjacent organization. If your organization was founded by a particular faith group, focuses on a particular faith, or prefers a particular faith, consider joining RCC and entering the DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards (“DHMA”). If your publication or broadcast favors a particular faith group or can be depended on to espouse views consistent with a particular faith, consider the DHMA. If you have any sort of alliance with or allegiance to a faith group, or if there is a faith group about which you would not likely publish bad news even if it were covered broadly, you may wish to consider the DHMA.
Language
Work may be entered in any language. However, non-English works must include an English translation. Audio and Audio-visual productions may include a written transcript. The Wilbur committee may at its discretion select non-English entries for special recognition or a Wilbur Award, even when there is another Wilbur winner in the same class.
Eligible Work
Entries must be focused on religious issues or themes, or on the activities of people of faith. Positive values and uplifting themes are encouraged, as are works that raise awareness of religious discrimination, persecution, hate crimes and the like. Works which disparage or ridicule religion or any faith group will not be judged, returned or refunded.
Publication
Each entry must have been broadcast or published through a non-religious medium of general circulation. Its first broadcast or publication must have been in 2025.
For our purposes, a work is “published” when it is first available to the general public or its intended audience.
Self-published and distributed works are acceptable.
Format and Deadline
All materials, including books, must be submitted electronically. See this list of what to submit.
All entries and payments must be received by the deadline: January 31, 2026.
Classes and Categories
See our description of Classes and Categories. The same work may be entered in multiple classes/categories if applicable; each entry requires a separate submission.
Choose the category you believe is most applicable. If your work fits in multiple categories (such as, a print magazine that also has an online version), choose the version you want the judges to view. You may also submit both versions (print and online) separately.
The awards committee and judging panel may, in their discretion, combine categories or move an entry to another class and category they believe is more suitable.
Copyright
By submitting a work, you certify you have the authority to, and do, grant RCC a non-exclusive license to publish, display and perform all or a portion of your work in the context of its annual awards ceremony. This is expected to be broadcast live and/or online during the event and may be made available to members or the general public for later viewing online.
Judging Criteria
Judges will determine scores in their own discretion based on applicable points of this list:
- Concept
- Quality of Writing
- Quality of Artwork
- Quality of Production
- Overall Quality