The Television Academy Foundation today announced submissions are open for its 46th College Television Awards, which rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges and universities nationwide and the establishment of the “Vin Di Bona Trailblazer Award for Nonfiction Series” for the spring 2027 ceremony.
The deadline for entries is Oct. 15, 2026, at 5 p.m. (PDT) through the TelevisionAcademy.com/CTA/submit portal. Criteria for the awards reflects industry standards of excellence, imagination and innovation across categories. Nominations will be announced Nov. 19, 2026.
New for the 2027 awards program is the “Trailblazer Award for Nonfiction Series,” a $10,000 award sponsored by Emmy Award-winning television producer, director and media entrepreneur Vin Di Bona, whose career has helped shape modern entertainment television. Best known as the creator and executive producer of America’s Funniest Home Videos, he is widely regarded as a pioneer of reality-based and user-generated programming, transforming home videos into one of the longest-running and most successful primetime entertainment franchises in television history.
Emulating the Emmy Awards selection process, Television Academy members judge College Television Awards entries. Awards and over $40,000 in cash prizes will be presented by television stars at a red carpet ceremony in Hollywood to winning teams in nine categories: Animation Series; Comedy Series (for undergraduate students); Commercial, PSA or Promo; Drama Series (for undergraduate students); News; Vin Di Bona Trailblazer Award for Nonfiction Series; Scripted Series (for graduate students); Sports; and the Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Award.
The $10,000 Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Award recognizes either a student-produced program focused on people with disabilities or emerging artists with disabilities and is underwritten by the Loreen Arbus Foundation. In addition, the Seymour Bricker Humanitarian Award, a $4,000 cash prize, is presented to each year’s College Television Award-winning project judged to best highlight a humanitarian concern.
“Each year the Foundation presents the College Television Awards to spotlight rising talent in content creation and showcase their work to industry professionals in Hollywood,” said Tina Perry, chair of the Television Academy Foundation. “This access and visibility to the industry often helps launch careers. We encourage students nationwide to submit their work for consideration.”
Prominent College Television Awards alumni include CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen, Shrek 5 director Brad Ableson, Bridgerton orchestrator Benjamin Hoff, Family Feud editor Pierre Dwyer, Maya and the Three executive producer Jorge R. Gutierrez and CBS Mornings producer Catherine Cannon.
The program also includes exclusive opportunities for all participating nominees to network and connect with industry executives over three days of professional development events with top entertainment industry talent and executives prior to the awards ceremony at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California. College Television Award winners may also have the opportunity to participate as collegiate fellows and screen their projects at SeriesFest 2027, in Denver, Colorado. In addition, nominees and winners of the 46th College Television Awards automatically become members of the Television Academy Foundation’s alumni family, gaining access to year-round networking opportunities, events and professional-development resources.
The deadline for entries is Oct. 15; application fee is $25. Detailed submission guidelines, rules, eligibility criteria and category descriptions are available online. For more information, applicants can also view the College Television Awards Information Session.
The 2027 College Television Awards is supported by philanthropists and corporate partners including The Loreen Arbus Foundation and Vin Di Bona.
Download the press release here.
Contact:
Jane Sparango
breakwhitelight for the Television Academy Foundation
jane@breakwhitelight.com
310.339.1214
