Short answer: Contest awards are decided by the organiser and, for plaques and trophies, often by sponsors. Certificates are commonly given for the top places in a country or category, and plaques and other prizes follow the conditions set by the sponsor. Because the conditions, the deadlines and even the existence of an award can change from year to year, always read the current rules and the results page of the contest you entered.
Who decides about awards
A contest is run by an organiser, often a club, a society or a magazine. The organiser writes the rules, collects the logs, checks them and publishes the results. The awards usually appear in the rules in a section on certificates and plaques. Some are issued by the organiser, and others are donated by sponsors, who may set their own conditions: a plaque for the best result in a given country, a trophy for a certain category or a prize drawn among the participants.
This means that an award is not the same in every contest. Do not assume that what you know from one event applies to another. The article on category overlays gives an example of how a single word can mean different things in different rules, and awards are the same.
Certificates
A certificate is the most common award. Many contests offer certificates for the top positions in each country, each continent or each category, and sometimes for a minimum number of QSOs or points. The rules usually state how many certificates are given and on what basis. In some contests, a certificate is available to every entrant who submits a log, and in others only to the winners.
Certificates may be issued in electronic form that you download or print yourself, or sent on paper. Some organisers charge for paper certificates or postage, others do not. Read the rules for the details, and look for a date by which you must claim the certificate. It is easy to miss an announcement and lose the chance. The page that shows the results is usually also the place where the certificates are published.
Plaques and trophies
Plaques and trophies are usually given for the highest places in a category, sometimes with a long list of divisions. They may be sponsored by clubs, companies or individuals, often in memory of someone. The conditions can be strict: a minimum number of QSOs, a given category, a station in a given region or a log submitted by a certain date. Some plaques are sent to the winners at the organiser’s expense, others require the winner to pay the postage. The rules, or a message from the sponsor, will tell you.
Sponsors may change from year to year, and some awards disappear. A plaque that was offered last year may not exist now. If you are aiming for a specific prize, check that it is still in the rules for this year. If the rules are unclear, write to the organiser well before the contest, not after the results.
How you qualify
To qualify for an award, three things are generally needed: you must be in the right category, your log must be valid and on time, and your result must be high enough. The first depends on the way you operate and what you wrote in the header of your log, as described in the Cabrillo header guide and in power categories and honesty. The second depends on the file format, the deadline and the contest rules. The third depends on your score after checking, which can be lower than your claimed score, as the article on claimed versus final score explains.
Some awards require a minimum number of hours of operation or a specific activity, for example a station on a given band. Others depend on the number of countries. Find out the exact conditions before the contest, so that you can plan to meet them. If you discover them afterwards, it may be too late.
Submitting the log on time
Every award depends on a valid log submitted before the deadline. The deadline is part of the rules, and it differs between contests. Some are 48 hours after the end, others are many days. Check the current rules, and plan the check and the submission with time to spare. The article on log deadlines offers a routine to avoid missing one. The contests page of Contest Analyzer shows the log deadline for each supported contest, a convenient reminder but not a replacement for the organiser’s rules.
Before submission, clean the log. A corrected Cabrillo with fewer errors reduces the difference between claimed and final scores, which matters when places are close. Contest Analyzer checks every callsign and every zone against official license databases and several independent reference sources and shows only the few QSOs worth a second look. You can edit them in the report and download a corrected file. Serial numbers are not checked, and dupes are not errors.
Reading the results page
After the results are published, read them carefully. Look for your callsign in the right category and country. Check the claimed and final scores if both are shown, the number of QSOs and the number of multipliers. If your result is far below the claimed score, read the log checking report if the organiser provides one, as described in log checking reports. If you think there is a mistake, write to the organiser politely and with details. Most corrections are possible only in a short period after the publication.
Look at the list of awards, and check the instructions for claiming them. Some are sent automatically, others must be requested. Make a note in your calendar. Keep a copy of the results page, since it can change.
Awards and good sportsmanship
Awards are a pleasant part of the contest, but they are not the only reason to take part. Many operators never win anything and continue to enjoy the activity. Do not choose your category or your claimed score in order to win a prize you do not deserve. The category must describe the way you operated. A small award won honestly is worth more than a larger one that is questioned. Congratulate the winners, learn from their soapboxes, and use your own statistics to plan a better result next time.
Planning for an award
If a particular certificate or plaque is your aim, work backwards from the conditions. Write down the category, the minimum requirements, the deadline and the likely level of the winning score. The level can be estimated from the published results of earlier years, which many organisers keep online. Compare the top results in your category and country with your own earlier logs. If the gap is large, set a smaller aim for this year, such as a personal best, and treat the award as a long-term goal.
Your statistics will show where you can gain. The rate by hour, the band spread, the multipliers and the breaks all show how close you are to the level needed. The article on setting realistic contest goals from last year’s statistics describes the method. A plan with figures is more useful than a vague hope of winning.
Awards for activity and for clubs
Not all awards go to the highest scores. Some contests give recognition for the greatest number of QSOs by an entrant in a small country, for the best result from a club, for the first log received, for a youngest or oldest participant, or for a particularly clean log. Club competitions often add the scores of members, and, as the article on writing the club name right in Cabrillo shows, the spelling of the club name in the header can decide whether your score is counted. Ask your club whether it takes part and how the name should be written.
Some organisers also publish lists of all participants, with their claimed and final scores. Being on that list is a small award of its own: a record that you took part. Many operators collect these records as a diary of their activity over the years. If you take part in the same contest every year, the list becomes a convenient timeline.
When the conditions of an award are unclear, ask early and keep the answer. A short message to the organiser before the contest costs almost nothing, and the reply can be saved with your notes. If the organiser changes the rules later, you can point to what you were told.
Finally, keep your expectations balanced. An award is a pleasant result of good preparation, but the preparation itself is the part you control. A clean log, an honest category and a well-planned operation give you the best chance, and they also give you a result that you can be proud of whether or not a certificate arrives.
Related reading
- How to Submit a Contest Log: Upload or E-mail
- Posting Your Claimed Score and Soapbox After a Contest
- Assisted vs Unassisted Categories: Choosing the Right One
The bottom line
Awards are defined by the organiser and the sponsors, and they change. Read the current rules, qualify in the right category with a valid log on time, keep your claimed score honest and check the results page for claim instructions.
FAQ
Do all contests give certificates?
No. Some do, some give them only for top places, and some offer none. Check the current rules.
Who pays for plaques?
It depends on the sponsor and the organiser. The rules usually say who pays for postage.
Can I claim an award later?
Sometimes only within a limited time. Look for a claim date in the rules or on the results page.
What if I think the result is wrong?
Write to the organiser soon, politely and with the details of your log and the claimed result.
