You’ve got to
stand for something.
Advertising has no shortage of shiny trophies for its agencies and the students hoping to join them. The Backbone Awards flip the script. We are the first student-to-industry award celebrating good work that does good work. Minerva students choose the nominees. Students nationwide decide the winners.
Minerva students launched the Backbone Awards in 2022 in response to a Young Ones brief. Today, the Backbone Awards stand as the nation’s only student-to-industry award and teaching resource focused on social responsibility in advertising. Minerva students select the shortlist of nominees. Students across the country vote to decide the winners.
Each year one Bronze Backbone (our highest honor) and one Aluminum Backbone are awarded. Trophies are mailed to the winners, except when the agency is based in New York. In that case, Backbone Awards are hand-delivered by Minerva students in May.
Eligibility
The Backbone Awards recognize noteworthy advertising work that supports social responsibility efforts.
General Criteria
- Entries must demonstrate meaningful work that puts a stake in the ground and takes real responsibility for social, cultural, or environmental issues.
- The agency office responsible must be based in the United States.
Entries are tagged by type (Corporate, Nonprofit, Advocacy, or Institutional) when nominated.
Important Dates
- December 1 – Shortlist of nominees announced and voting opens
- January 31 – Voting closes
- February 3 – Winners announced
Note: If dates fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the action takes place the following Monday.
Categories
In our first few years, the definition was more open-ended, and we accepted work from for-profit brands, nonprofits, NGOs, advocacy groups, and institutions without identifying their differences. Starting in 2025, we make those distinctions explicit. All work is judged through the same lens of creativity and impact, but for transparency and clarity, each entry is identified as falling into one of four categories:
Corporate
Campaigns for for-profit companies that use their platforms, budgets, and influence to promote a positive societal impact.
Nonprofit
Campaigns created for U.S.-based charities and foundations that use advertising to advance their organizational missions.
Advocacy
Campaigns for advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on global or policy-driven issues that mobilize large-scale cultural change.
Institutional
Campaigns for universities, media outlets, cultural institutions, or hybrids that support education, culture, or public discourse.
2024 Backbone Award Winners
Bronze Backbone
Aluminium Backbone
Because they’re all good work doing good work, here are the rest of the 2024 Backbone Award nominees:
Winners Archive
2023 Winners
2022 Winners
