Award Programs

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Deadline to submit: December 2, 2024

Note: You will need to create an account in Submittable. This allows you to save drafts and track your award submissions.

MBNA encourages monument builder members to submit their best design projects and communications campaigns for MBNA’s two Awards Programs—Aspire and Design. The projects are judged by a group of leading industry professionals. MBNA recognizes the award winners at our annual conference and with features in MBNews—MBNA’s monthly magazine.  

Aspire Award

MBNA’s Aspire Awards recognize monument builder companies, manufacturer-wholesalers, and supplier-bronze companies that have drawn favorable attention to their companies, and in turn, to the industry through their specialized marketing and/or public relations campaigns.

Any publicity your company has received during the contest year is eligible. This includes coverage by print, broadcast, and/or social media of community projects, community outreach, company volunteer days, acquisitions, anniversaries, testimonial letters, etc.—in short, any recognition that reflects favorably on your company and the industry!

Aspire project must have been initiated in 2024.

Design Awards

MBNA members from across North America submit their best works for the MBNA Design Awards contest. A panel of leading monument industry professionals will evaluate the submissions for proportion, balance, and the story the monument conveys.

All MBNA Retailer members are eligible to enter the Design Awards contest. All entries must be finished monuments that fall into one of nine categories:

1. Monument by Size
Monuments will be divided into small, medium and large based on the field of entries. Monuments will be evaluated with monuments of like size. Three awards will be given – Small, Medium and Large
2. Flat Marker
3. Cremation Memorial
4. Sculpture
5. Hand Etched
6. Machine Etched
7. Public/Civic Monument
8. Conceptual Memorial
9. Garden Art/Non-Cemetery Memorial

Retailer members may enter as many categories as they wish, and they also are allowed to submit more than one entry in a given category.

People’s Choice Award:
All Design Award entries are also eligible for the People’s Choice Award. The People’s Choice Award is voted on by MBNA’s entire membership.

*Note: For all submissions, all designs must originate from an MBNA member firm. Retailer members submitting entries in the contest represent and warrant to MBNA that no materials used in or in connection with the monuments in their entries infringe the trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of any other party.

MBNews Covers:

All Design Award entries will also be considered for an MBNews cover in the upcoming year.