Automotive Heritage Awards

AUTO HERITAGE MEDIA AWARDS honoring journalists, editors, producers, photographers and others who produce stories focused on automotive history, culture, and aesthetics. Entries will be from print, web, audio, video, any combination or any other platform. It’s the story-telling we’ll honor.

• Car Culture
• Automotive Travel or Adventure
• Personality Profile
• Facility – Museum, Race Track, Proving Grounds, etc.
• Marque Specific
• Heritage Motorsport
• Automotive Heritage Book
• Audio or Video
• Heritage Innovation
• Blog or Column

Entries must be original work that was printed, streamed, posted, or in any way released for public consumption during the CALENDAR YEAR 2020. Entries can only be entered in a single category, chosen by the entrant. Entries must relate to the topic of automotive heritage, and while the organizers intent is to be inclusive, the entries should cover subject matter that is at least 20 years old. Stories should be available online until at least early July to be accessed by the judges. Books or other entries not online can be entered by making arrangements with the organizers at the “Contact Us” link on this site. Entrants have an opportunity to describe their entry during the submission process, and we encourage that. If the organizers deem an entry ineligible for any reason it will be returned with a refund of the entry fee.

Entry Fee

The early entry fee is $50. The “Blog or Column” category requires 5 selections or examples and that constitutes one entry. For this current year’s awards submission guidelines, please visit the Journalism Awards project page.

Submitting Entries

Entries will only be accepted on the website via the online form. This website is secured with 256-bit encryption behind a secure socket layer, all entry fees must be submitted on the website at the time of entry submission. Certain file types accepted as follows:

• For print and blog work: .pdf, link.
• For video work: .mp4, .mpg/.mpeg.
• For audio work: .mp3
• Links to any submissions are accepted.
• Hard-Copy Books may be submitted through Mail or physical shipping. We’ll contact you with an address after your entry is submitted and entry fee has been paid.

The Trustees at the National Automotive History Collection of the Detroit Public Library created this award more than a decade ago. Veteran Ford PR guy, prolific author, and NAHC Trustee, Mike Davis, along with others on the Board, created this award to speculate on what we might see at car shows 25 years in the future

An NAHC committee comes up with eligible vehicles – new during the previous calendar year, costing less than $100,000 and available in the U.S. The NAHC members choose the winner.

Automakers tease the public with concept vehicles at motor shows around the world. Sometimes it is something destined for production, though probably a bit declawed for the market. Some are wild, crazy and on the edge of reality. Some don’t even have powertrains. Those are called “design exercises” and will not be part of this category. Typically, vehicle of the year competitions set calendar year parameters that don’t reflect the reality of the fall-through-spring show season. Ours will cover the auto show season.

We will identify concept vehicles presented at the past season’s shows – cars, trucks, CUVs, SUVs, or mixed genre –  introduced at the major motor shows in the U.S. during the previous calendar year.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, historically presented by the International Automotive Media Competition, had honored a person within the broad definition of automotive journalism. This new version will narrow the focus to those whose are substantially involved in covering the stories and subjects related to antique, classic and collectible automobiles, automotive history and culture and related topics. Jurors for this award will be former winners, as much as possible.

Nominations will be received through this Website and should include a brief biography, list of accomplishments and accolades earned over his/her career. Nominator should explain why this person should receive the award. Self-nominations are welcome. No fee is required for the nomination.