Take part and win!
The SAE Awards recognize outstanding talent in creative media, showcasing the best projects from SAE students and alumni worldwide.This prestigious competition offers a platform to gain industry recognition and connect with professionals.
Deadline 01 July 2026
YOUR CHANCE TO WIN
The SAE Awards crystal trophySAE Alumni Awards crystal trophy / SAE Student Awards trophy
Get a VIP invitation to the Awards Ceremony in Frankfurt/Germany*!
Honour and glory for yourself and your SAE campus!
*only for GSAN participants. Check the details with your Alumni chapter president before participating.
CATEGORIES
What can be submitted:
Recording, mixing and/or mastering of a music track (focus: audio engineering quality).
Requirements:
1 track (final mix/master).
WAV (48 kHz preferred, 24-bit). Max 6 min.
Optional extra material:
Artwork (JPG/PNG), short “session breakdown” (PDF), screenshots of DAW/session, short making-of clip (MP4).
AI:
AI allowed as a tool (e.g., restoration, stem separation, assistant plugins). Disclosure required (tools + what they did). No unlicensed AI vocals/samples. No impersonation of real artists without rights/consent.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Composition/arrangement/production of a commercially relevant music track (focus: creative and production value).
Requirements:
1 track.
WAV (48 kHz preferred, 24-bit). Max 6 min.
Optional extra material:
Lyrics sheet (PDF), score (PDF), artwork, making-of (MP4).
AI:
AI allowed for ideation, arrangement, sound design etc.
Disclosure required (tools + which parts). If generative AI created melodies/lyrics/voices, submit proof of rights/licensing + confirmation you can publish excerpts.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Non-music audio projects: audio drama, podcast feature, commercial, film sound, sound design, sonic branding, libraries, etc. No music productions as main content.
Requirements:
1 audio piece (final).
WAV (48 kHz, 24-bit). Max 10 min (if longer: provide 10 min excerpt + optional link to full).
Optional extra material:
Script (PDF), cue sheet (PDF), screenshots/session notes, artwork.
AI:
AI allowed for noise reduction, dialogue cleanup, transcription, some sound design. Disclosure required. AI voices only with explicit rights/consent and no impersonation of real people.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Documentary, factual, report, interview, non-fiction formats (incl. branded documentary).
Requirements:
1 film.
MP4 (H.264), HD/Full HD. Max 15 min (if longer: 15 min excerpt + optional full link/password).
Optional extra material:
Artwork, press kit (PDF), short statement (PDF).
AI:
AI allowed for subtitling, translation, cleanup, post support. Disclosure required. AI-generated faces/voices of real people require consent; no misleading synthetic representations presented as factual.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Narrative film, short film, series episode, music video, fiction commercials.
Requirements:
1 film.
MP4 (H.264), HD/Full HD. Max 15 min (if longer: excerpt + optional full link/password).
Optional extra material:
Artwork, script (PDF), BTS/making-of (MP4).
AI:
AI allowed as a tool; disclosure required. If AI generated major story elements/characters/visuals, clarify authorship and rights. No deepfake of real actors without consent.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Visual effects work for film/TV/ads or VFX breakdown (compositing, CG integration, simulations, tracking, etc.).
Requirements:
VFX reel + breakdown.
MP4 HD. Reel max 3 min + breakdown max 3 min (can be the same file).
Optional extra material:
Project stills (JPG/PNG), node graphs/screenshots, short tech notes (PDF).
AI:
AI allowed for roto/cleanup/upscaling etc.; disclosure required. If AI-generated assets are used, confirm rights and list tools.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Stop motion, CGI, claymation, 2D/hand-drawn, motion animation narratives or shorts.
Requirements:
1 animation film.
MP4 HD. Max 10 min (if longer: excerpt + optional full link/password).
Optional extra material:
Making-of (MP4), artwork, styleframes, storyboard (PDF).
AI:
AI allowed (e.g., assistance, inbetweening, cleanup) with disclosure. AI character voice must be licensed/consented; no impersonation.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
A single standout 3D asset (character/creature/prop/vehicle/environment module) ready for real-time or offline rendering.
Requirements:
Turntable/video + renders + brief documentation.
Turntable MP4 (60–120s) + 4–8 renders (PNG/JPG) + PDF (1–2 pages: specs, polycount, textures, pipeline).
Optional extra material:
Source file (FBX/OBJ/BLEND), texture sets (PNG/TIF), wireframe renders.
AI:
AI allowed for concepting/textures if rights are clear; disclosure required (e.g., generative textures). Don’t submit assets that replicate protected IP/characters.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Photography, concept art, illustration, design, graphics, posters, UX/UI boards, etc.
Requirements:
Final work + short description.
PDF (max 20 pages) or PNG/JPG set or MP4 (if motion).
Optional extra material:
Screencast making-of (MP4), sketches/WIPs, photo shoot BTS.
AI:
AI allowed with mandatory labeling: which images/parts are AI-generated vs human-made, tools used, and proof of usage rights. No “style cloning” of living artists without permission.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Complete game project or playable demo (incl. interactive experiences) showcasing visuals + gameplay.
Requirements:
Trailer + playable build.
Trailer MP4 HD (60–120s). Playable: .exe (Windows) preferred + readme (PDF/TXT).
Optional extra material:
Gameplay capture, art bible (PDF), build notes, controller mapping.
AI:
AI allowed (e.g., NPC writing support, asset assistance) with disclosure. If AI assets are used, confirm licensing. No ripped/derivative IP.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Programming excellence within a game: systems, tools, gameplay mechanics, optimization, shaders, networking, AI, etc.
Requirements:
Demo video + code access.
Demo MP4 (2–5 min). Code: Git repo link or zipped source + build instructions (PDF).
Optional extra material:
Profiling results, architecture diagram (PDF), unit tests, documentation.
AI:
AI coding assistants allowed, but disclosure required (tools + scope). Key requirement: submitter understands & can explain the code; include a short “what I built” statement.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Non-game tech: software, app, website/platform, data/ML project, creative tech, tools/plugins, etc.
Requirements:
Documentation + demo.
Demo MP4 HD (2–5 min) + PDF (1–3 pages: purpose, tech stack, how to run/test). Optional: link to live site/app.
Optional extra material:
Repo link, screenshots, API docs, user guide.
AI:
AI/ML projects explicitly welcome: define data source, model approach, and evaluation at a high level. Disclose any generative AI components and confirm rights/privacy compliance (no personal data uploads).
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Marketing concepts/campaigns, social media strategy, content plan, brand activation, account creation, performance storytelling.
Requirements:
Case video + short deck.
Case video MP4 (2–3 min). Deck PDF (max 10 slides/pages).
Optional extra material:
Screenshots/analytics (PDF), creative assets, content samples.
AI:
AI allowed (copy, visuals, automation) with disclosure. Must state what is AI-generated, and confirm usage rights for generated visuals/voices/music.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Voice acting performance, ADR, character voices, audio book excerpts, foley & performance-driven sound work.
Requirements:
Audio reel + context.
WAV (48 kHz/24-bit). 2–5 min reel (or up to 3 scenes).
Optional extra material:
Script excerpt (PDF), character notes, short BTS (MP4), session screenshots.
AI:
AI voice generation only if the performer is the submitter and there’s explicit consent and rights. Disclosure required. No cloning/impersonation of real voices without permission.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
A novel technical approach, prototype, pipeline, tool, workflow innovation, hardware+software setup, or R&D outcome with clear impact.
Requirements:
Demo + documentation.
Demo MP4 HD (2–4 min) + PDF (2–4 pages: problem, solution, novelty, impact, limitations).
Optional extra material:
Repo, schematics, diagrams, test results, user feedback.
AI:
AI projects fit here too: describe what’s new, how it was validated, and any risk/ethics notes. Disclose model/tool usage and confirm rights/privacy.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
What can be submitted:
Music business concepts, start-ups, event formats, business plans, monetization strategies, management cases.
Requirements:
Pitch + short explanation.
Pitch deck PDF (max 12 slides/pages) + MP4 pitch/video (2–4 min).
Optional extra material:
Budget/forecast (PDF/XLSX), market research summary, branding materials.
AI:
AI allowed for research support, copy, deck visuals with disclosure. Any AI-generated claims must be fact-checked; do not submit confidential or personal data.
Important
It’s not allowed to submit a production from previous years
The SAE Awards are open to all SAE students and SAE Alumni.
Submit your project as Lead Creator / Lead Contributor (your contribution represents the main part of the work).
You can submit one project per person per category, and the same project may be submitted to multiple categories.
Projects must be no older than 12 months at the time of submission.
The deadline for entries is 01 July 2026.
Submitting via Google Forms is the preferred option this year.
If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the registration form and email the completed form to awards@sae.edu along with a cloud link to your project.
We will email you confirming that we have received your entry and that it has been entered into the competition.
The judges will consider the technical, creative and overall quality of your work in relation to your role(s) in the project.
It is necessary to send us the registartion form so that we can understand your role in the project.
Registration
Submissions are being collected via Google Forms this year. If you don’t have a Google account, please download and complete the registration form first, then email it to awards@sae.edu together with a cloud link to your project.
We will email you to confirm that we have received your entry and that it has been entered into the competition.
Submissions
Projects can be submitted in multiple categories within the same SAE Awards year. However, once a project has been entered into the SAE Awards, it cannot be resubmitted in future years.
This ensures that the competition remains fair and highlights new and innovative work each year.
Submissions will be judged on quality, not quantity. The judges will consider the technical, creative and overall quality of your work in relation to your role(s) in the project.
SAE students: current students from SAE campuses worldwide who participate in the contest. (please ask at your campus if you can participate)
SAE Alumni: current alumni from SAE Alumni Chapter worldwide who take part in the contest and
support it. (please ask your chapter president if you participate)
Good luck with your submission! 🚀
Registration Form
Submitting via Google Forms is the preferred option this year.If you don’t have a Google account, you can download the registration form here and email the completed form to
awards@sae.edu
along with a cloud link to your project.
The SAE Awards ceremony will take place at the SAE Awards Gala on 04th November 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Corporate SAE Alumni Members
