OFFICIAL RULES FOR URBANE MAGAZINE’S
WOMEN OF WORTH & MEN OF MERIT RECOGNITION
The 2024 “Women of Worth” Recognitions (the “Recognitions”) nomination time period begins at 12:00 A.M. Central Standard Time (CST) on May 1, 2024, and ends at 11:59 P.M. Central Standard Time (CST) on June 1, 2024.
The 2024 “Men of Merit” Recognitions (the “Recognitions”) nomination time period begins at 12:00 A.M. Central Standard Time (CST) on July 1, 2024, and ends at 11:59 P.M. Central Standard Time (CST) on August 1, 2024.
Each Recognition consists of two phases – nomination and judging. By participating, nominees agree to be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of the judges and/or Sponsor, which are binding and final on all matters relating to this Program. The Program is subject to all applicable federal, state, territorial, and local laws for the purposes of this Program, the Sponsor’s computer will be the official timekeeper of the Program.
ELIGIBILITY: Nominees must be a (1) woman biologically assigned to the female sex at birth for the “Women of Worth” Recognition and a man biologically assigned to the male sex at birth for the “Men of Merit” Recognition, (2) Black, (3) Arkansas-based or have a strong connection to Arkansas, i.e., family, work, resident, ministry, etc., (4) a legal resident of the United States, (5) at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Additionally, she must either (a) have a verifiable record and demonstration of exemplary service within a/the community at large, (b) be an inspiration to others, and (c) consistently exhibit exceptional leadership and commitment to her cause.
HOW TO ENTER:
For Women of Worth Recognition, complete the nomination form, and go to https://form.jotform.com/theurbanemag/urbane-magazines-women-of-worth.
For Men of Merit Recognition, complete the nomination form, and go to https://form.jotform.com/theurbanemag/urbane-magazines-men-of-merit.
Follow the directions provided to complete and submit the nomination form (“Submission”). All nominations must be received by 11:59 PM CST on June 1, 2024 for the Women of Worth Recognitions and August 1, 2024 for the Men of Merit Recognitions, to be eligible. By submitting a Nomination, Nominator acknowledges and agrees that Sponsor may obtain many Nominations in connection with this Program and/or other Programs staged and/or promoted by the Sponsor, and that such Nominations may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to other Nominations submitted in connection with this Program and/or other Programs sponsored by the Sponsor or submitted for other reasons or other materials developed by the Sponsor.
Nominees waive any and all claims Nominator may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any Submission and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the entrant may be similar to his/her Submission, or that any compensation is due to entrant in connection with such Submission or other works used by Sponsor.
LIMIT: There is no limit as to the number of nominations submitted per Nominator; however, each nomination must be for a different Nominee and each nomination must be substantially different from any other nomination submitted by such Nominator, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
In case of multiple Submissions for the same nominee, only the first nomination received will be accepted. Multiple nominations for one nominee, by one or multiple nominators, will not increase the chances of a nominee being selected as a finalist in this program.
SELECTION OF HONOREES: Honoree selection will take place in three (3) phases in the respective Recognitions:
1.) Initial Judging Phase: In June 2024 and August 2024, the committee panel from URBANE Magazine will select Nominees (collective “Candidates”) from among the eligible nominations received based on the following criteria:
2.) Judging Phase II: In June 2024 and August 2024, the judging committee from URBANE Magazine will select the top qualifying and eligible Honorees (collectively “Semi-Finalists”) based on the criteria stated above. Also, the judging committee from URBANE Magazine will select the top eight (8) Honorees (collectively “Finalists”) and two (2) alternates using the criteria stated above.
3.) Judging Phase III: The eight (8) Finalists selected will be notified by telephone on or about July 1, 2024 and September 1, 2024. Finalists must sign and return the required release forms and must commit to a photo shoot in July 2024 and September 2024, to be considered a “Honoree.” An alternate Finalist may be selected, if the notification letter is returned as undeliverable, if a potential Finalist cannot be contacted, or if a finalist cannot comply and commit to the remaining process. In the event that a selected Honoree declines to accept, an alternate Honoree may be selected.
OWNERSHIP OF SUBMISSIONS: Acceptance of nomination constitutes Nominee’s consent to give Sponsor and its affiliates a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative works from, and display such nominations in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes in perpetuity. If requested, the entrant Honoree will sign any documentation that may be required for the Sponsor or its designees to make use of the non-exclusive rights the entrant is granting to use the nomination. Released Parties (as defined below) are not responsible for lost, late, stolen, damaged, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, garbled, delayed, or misdirected Submissions; all of which will be void.
AWARDS: The eight (8) honorees will be recognized across all of URBANE Magazine’s digital platforms, as well as mentioned in a section feature in a coordinated issue of URBANE Magazine. Honorees will receive a discounted advertorial rate for the section feature and have the opportunity to pay for or find sponsorship for a full-page feature, which will include a photo shoot. Gratuities, lodging, transportation, miscellaneous expenses, beautification, wardrobe, and all other costs and expenses are the sole responsibility of the honoree. Logistics are disseminated to honorees only. All Honorees will receive statewide, and potential national, recognition for their services, activities, cause, mission, and volunteer efforts, and a platform to share their stories.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: By participating, each Nominator (and nominee, if not same) agrees:
By submitting a completed nomination form, Nominator represents and warrants to the Sponsor that:
By accepting the title of Honoree and the Award attached, Honorees agree to complete specific action items including but not limited to:
MISCELLANEOUS: Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered, or garbled Submissions or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Program, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Program, the processing or judging of Submissions, the announcement of the prize(s), the incorrect uploading of the photo or in any Program-related materials.
Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Program. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to any person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Program or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Program or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified, and all associated Submissions will be void.
Should any portion of the Program be, in Sponsor’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or entry of Submissions, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Program and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential winner[s] from all eligible, non-suspect Submissions received prior to action taken using the judging procedure outlined above. Submissions for any technical problems, malfunctions of computer systems, servers, providers, hardware/software, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission or any combination thereof. Released Parties are not responsible for any unauthorized third-party use of any Submission.
CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
ARBITRATION: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Promotion, participant agrees that:
PUBLICITY: Nominees agree to the use of their name, photograph, city and state of residence, likeness, photos, essays, and other information provided by Nominators in the for programming, advertising, publicity and promotional purposes in any and all media, now or hereafter known, worldwide and on the Internet, and in perpetuity by Sponsor and its designees, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) to Nominator or Nominee additional consents from Nominator or any third party and without prior notice, approval or inspection, and to execute specific consent to such use if asked to do so. By participating, Nominator and Nominee also agrees not to release any publicity or other materials on their own or through someone else regarding their participation in the Program without the prior consent of the Sponsor, which it may withhold in its sole discretion.
SPONSOR: URBANE Magazine
ADMINISTRATOR: URBANE Magazine affiliate
These rules can be changed and/or updated as needed without consent or notification to the nominator, the nominee, the semi-finalists, and the finalists at the digression of URBANE Magazine and its affiliates.
The 2024 “Men of Merit” Recognitions (the “Recognitions”) nomination time period begins at 12:00 A.M. Central Standard Time (CST) on July 1, 2024, and ends at 11:59 P.M. Central Standard Time (CST) on August 1, 2024.
Each Recognition consists of two phases – nomination and judging. By participating, nominees agree to be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of the judges and/or Sponsor, which are binding and final on all matters relating to this Program. The Program is subject to all applicable federal, state, territorial, and local laws for the purposes of this Program, the Sponsor’s computer will be the official timekeeper of the Program.
ELIGIBILITY: Nominees must be a (1) woman biologically assigned to the female sex at birth for the “Women of Worth” Recognition and a man biologically assigned to the male sex at birth for the “Men of Merit” Recognition, (2) Black, (3) Arkansas-based or have a strong connection to Arkansas, i.e., family, work, resident, ministry, etc., (4) a legal resident of the United States, (5) at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Additionally, she must either (a) have a verifiable record and demonstration of exemplary service within a/the community at large, (b) be an inspiration to others, and (c) consistently exhibit exceptional leadership and commitment to her cause.
- Nominators may nominate themselves or other parties.
- Nominees must be aware they are being nominated as a “Women of Worth” and/or “Men of Merit” participant prior to the Sponsor’s official notification in order to be considered for the program. It is recommended that Nominators obtain the permission of a nominee before nominating them.
- A substantial portion (to be determined by Sponsor in its absolute discretion) of Nominee’s volunteer or paid nonprofit activities and achievements must be of at least six (6) months duration and should be ongoing.
- A Nominee, upon request, must be able to supply up to three (3) references who can be contacted via email and/or phone to verify the scope and extent of the Nominee’s activities. References should be persons familiar with the services, efforts, and activities for which the nomination is made and should not include the Nominee, Nominator, or any person related to the Nominee. Nominee's efforts, activities, and services, whether volunteer, paid, or paid nonprofit, must occur in Arkansas and/or the United States primarily benefitting Arkansas. The foregoing as well as all eligibility determinations relating to Nominees shall be at the sole discretion of Sponsor.
- Employees, Board and Committee members of URBANE Magazine (“Sponsor” and “Administrator”) or their respective affiliates, parent companies and subsidiaries, distributors, sales representatives, advertising and promotion agencies, and the immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each of the foregoing are not eligible.
- Potential nominees are subject to verification of eligibility and identity per these Official Rules, which may include a background check and completion of any documentation required of the nominee and honoree by Sponsor to complete such background check, the results of which must be completely satisfactory as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
- Potential nominees must commit to the usage of their likenesses being used for URBANE Magazine’s promotional purpose without consent, compensation, or notification in order to be considered an “Honoree.”
HOW TO ENTER:
For Women of Worth Recognition, complete the nomination form, and go to https://form.jotform.com/theurbanemag/urbane-magazines-women-of-worth.
For Men of Merit Recognition, complete the nomination form, and go to https://form.jotform.com/theurbanemag/urbane-magazines-men-of-merit.
Follow the directions provided to complete and submit the nomination form (“Submission”). All nominations must be received by 11:59 PM CST on June 1, 2024 for the Women of Worth Recognitions and August 1, 2024 for the Men of Merit Recognitions, to be eligible. By submitting a Nomination, Nominator acknowledges and agrees that Sponsor may obtain many Nominations in connection with this Program and/or other Programs staged and/or promoted by the Sponsor, and that such Nominations may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to other Nominations submitted in connection with this Program and/or other Programs sponsored by the Sponsor or submitted for other reasons or other materials developed by the Sponsor.
Nominees waive any and all claims Nominator may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any Submission and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the entrant may be similar to his/her Submission, or that any compensation is due to entrant in connection with such Submission or other works used by Sponsor.
LIMIT: There is no limit as to the number of nominations submitted per Nominator; however, each nomination must be for a different Nominee and each nomination must be substantially different from any other nomination submitted by such Nominator, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
In case of multiple Submissions for the same nominee, only the first nomination received will be accepted. Multiple nominations for one nominee, by one or multiple nominators, will not increase the chances of a nominee being selected as a finalist in this program.
SELECTION OF HONOREES: Honoree selection will take place in three (3) phases in the respective Recognitions:
1.) Initial Judging Phase: In June 2024 and August 2024, the committee panel from URBANE Magazine will select Nominees (collective “Candidates”) from among the eligible nominations received based on the following criteria:
- Community Needs, Innovative Solutions, and Industry Impact
- Extraordinary Passion
- Positive Representation
- Miscellaneous
2.) Judging Phase II: In June 2024 and August 2024, the judging committee from URBANE Magazine will select the top qualifying and eligible Honorees (collectively “Semi-Finalists”) based on the criteria stated above. Also, the judging committee from URBANE Magazine will select the top eight (8) Honorees (collectively “Finalists”) and two (2) alternates using the criteria stated above.
3.) Judging Phase III: The eight (8) Finalists selected will be notified by telephone on or about July 1, 2024 and September 1, 2024. Finalists must sign and return the required release forms and must commit to a photo shoot in July 2024 and September 2024, to be considered a “Honoree.” An alternate Finalist may be selected, if the notification letter is returned as undeliverable, if a potential Finalist cannot be contacted, or if a finalist cannot comply and commit to the remaining process. In the event that a selected Honoree declines to accept, an alternate Honoree may be selected.
OWNERSHIP OF SUBMISSIONS: Acceptance of nomination constitutes Nominee’s consent to give Sponsor and its affiliates a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, create derivative works from, and display such nominations in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes in perpetuity. If requested, the entrant Honoree will sign any documentation that may be required for the Sponsor or its designees to make use of the non-exclusive rights the entrant is granting to use the nomination. Released Parties (as defined below) are not responsible for lost, late, stolen, damaged, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, garbled, delayed, or misdirected Submissions; all of which will be void.
AWARDS: The eight (8) honorees will be recognized across all of URBANE Magazine’s digital platforms, as well as mentioned in a section feature in a coordinated issue of URBANE Magazine. Honorees will receive a discounted advertorial rate for the section feature and have the opportunity to pay for or find sponsorship for a full-page feature, which will include a photo shoot. Gratuities, lodging, transportation, miscellaneous expenses, beautification, wardrobe, and all other costs and expenses are the sole responsibility of the honoree. Logistics are disseminated to honorees only. All Honorees will receive statewide, and potential national, recognition for their services, activities, cause, mission, and volunteer efforts, and a platform to share their stories.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: By participating, each Nominator (and nominee, if not same) agrees:
- to abide by these Official Rules and decisions of Sponsor and judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Program;
- to release, discharge, and hold harmless Sponsor, Administrator, its respective parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and Program agencies, and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents, and representatives of the forgoing (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind to persons, including death, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from Nominator’s and/or Nominee’s participation in the Program or any Program-related activity or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any awarded prize (including any travel or activity related thereto);
- that Nominators, Nominees, and Honorees agree to confirm the foregoing grants in writing upon Sponsor’s and/or Administrator’s request and to cooperate with Sponsor by executing any additional documents Sponsor deems necessary in its discretion to secure all rights needed for Sponsor to use nomination materials for advertising and/or promotional purposes;
- that the Honorees may be featured in follow-up promotional materials and activities of the Sponsor. Sponsor and Administrator reserve the right to modify and/or edit any nomination copy for press releases and for feature stories in publications. By participating in the Program, Nominators, and Nominees acknowledge and agree that publication of a nomination or story on the “Women of Worth” or “Men of Merit” webpage(s) or in any other media during the submission period in no way indicates that a nomination has been selected to receive an award;
- that the Nominator, Nominee, and Honoree may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability, and where legally permissible, Publicity Release;
- that Nominee may be disqualified (at the absolute discretion of the Sponsor) if any such documentation is not received within the time period requested in correspondence from the Sponsor or Administrator. The Award may be forfeited and an alternate Honoree selected, if the notification letter is returned as undeliverable or potential Honoree cannot be contacted. If a selected Honoree declines to accept an Award, an alternate Honoree may be selected. Sponsor reserves the right to award fewer than eight (8) Honoree Awards if the nominations received are not of acceptable quality or at Sponsor’s digression.
By submitting a completed nomination form, Nominator represents and warrants to the Sponsor that:
- any photographs submitted depict the Nominee only;
- Submission is Nominator’s original work;
- Nominator has obtained permission from the Nominee to submit Nominee’s name, story (and video, where applicable) in connection with this Award and to grant Sponsor and Administrator the right to use the entry as provided in these Rules;
- no nomination materials infringe upon or violate, nor will they infringe upon or violate, the rights of any third party. If nomination materials include likenesses of third parties or contain elements not owned by the Nominator and/or Nominee (such as, but not limited to, company or team logos), Nominator and/or Nominee must provide legal releases for such use in a form satisfactory to judges and Sponsor, or the affected nomination will be disqualified. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any nomination containing photographs and/or images of third parties or any third-party materials.
By accepting the title of Honoree and the Award attached, Honorees agree to complete specific action items including but not limited to:
- an article to be featured on the URBANE Magazine website, availability for a hometown video and photo shoot, diary Submissions to be featured on the “Women of Worth” and/or “Men of Merit” webpages, reporting metrics back to Administrator showing impact of award, best practices and poll questions that may be featured on the “Women of Worth” and/or “Men of Merit” webpages, the URBANE Magazine website, and social media postings supporting the Program and helping with the next year’s call for nominations.
MISCELLANEOUS: Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered, or garbled Submissions or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Program, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Program, the processing or judging of Submissions, the announcement of the prize(s), the incorrect uploading of the photo or in any Program-related materials.
Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Program. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to any person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Program or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Program or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified, and all associated Submissions will be void.
Should any portion of the Program be, in Sponsor’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or entry of Submissions, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Program and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential winner[s] from all eligible, non-suspect Submissions received prior to action taken using the judging procedure outlined above. Submissions for any technical problems, malfunctions of computer systems, servers, providers, hardware/software, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission or any combination thereof. Released Parties are not responsible for any unauthorized third-party use of any Submission.
CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROGRAM MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
ARBITRATION: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Promotion, participant agrees that:
- any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Promotion, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the participant;
- the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration;
- judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will the participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and the participant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential damages, or any other such indirect damages, including attorneys' fees, other than the participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with participating in this Promotion), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
PUBLICITY: Nominees agree to the use of their name, photograph, city and state of residence, likeness, photos, essays, and other information provided by Nominators in the for programming, advertising, publicity and promotional purposes in any and all media, now or hereafter known, worldwide and on the Internet, and in perpetuity by Sponsor and its designees, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) to Nominator or Nominee additional consents from Nominator or any third party and without prior notice, approval or inspection, and to execute specific consent to such use if asked to do so. By participating, Nominator and Nominee also agrees not to release any publicity or other materials on their own or through someone else regarding their participation in the Program without the prior consent of the Sponsor, which it may withhold in its sole discretion.
SPONSOR: URBANE Magazine
ADMINISTRATOR: URBANE Magazine affiliate
These rules can be changed and/or updated as needed without consent or notification to the nominator, the nominee, the semi-finalists, and the finalists at the digression of URBANE Magazine and its affiliates.
