In Award Force, a season represents a single award cycle.
For some programs, a season runs within a calendar year. Others may span multiple years. While seasons are optional, they are particularly useful for programs with defined entry and judging periods. Each season contains its own:
- Entry configuration
- Judging setup
- Entry and judging data
When a new season becomes active, the previous season is archived but remains accessible. Only one season can be active at a time.
Seasonal vs non-seasonal elements
Some platform elements are seasonal, meaning they can contain different content in each season. Updating these elements in a new season does not affect archived seasons. Other elements are non-seasonal and apply across all seasons. Updating these will affect both active and archived seasons. For example, entry fields are seasonal while content blocks are non-seasonal
For a complete breakdown, see the guide: What is seasonal in Award Force?
Create a new season
When creating a season, you can either copy an existing season or start with a blank configuration.
- In the Manage workspace, go to Settings > General > Seasons
- Click Create season
- Enter a clear season name
- Choose whether to copy an existing season or create a new one
- Select a season status
- Draft: visible only to managers and used for preparation
- Active: visible to all users, including entrants and judges
- Click Save
New season configuration checklist
After creating a new season, review the following areas to ensure your configuration reflects current program requirements.
| Location | Checklist |
Settings > General > Account |
Confirm the program name and domain, especially if dates are included. |
Settings > General > Theme |
Replace logos or branding from previous seasons. |
Settings > General > Content blocks |
Update rules, dates, links, and support information. |
Settings > Entries > Categories |
Add, remove, or update categories and descriptions. |
Settings > Entries > Tabs |
Confirm tabs are applied to the correct categories. |
Settings > Entries > Fields |
Update fields, conditions, and category assignments. |
Settings > Entries > Rounds |
Confirm entry round dates and times. |
Settings > Communications > Notifications |
Update notifications with current season information. |
Settings > Communications > Social |
Replace outdated branding or links. |
Settings > Users > Registration |
Confirm registration settings and authentication options. |
Settings > Users > Roles |
Confirm the entrant role is set as the default. |
Judging > Settings > Score sets |
Remove “copied from” text and review judging configuration. |
Editing a draft season
To edit a draft season:
- Use the season selector at the top of the dashboard
- Choose the draft season
- Configure the program as required
Archiving seasons
Seasons are archived automatically when a new season becomes active.
To activate a new season:
- In the Manage workspace, go to Settings > General > Seasons
- Click the season name
- Select Active
- Click Save
The previously active season will then be archived.
Access archived seasons
Archived seasons remain accessible for reporting or exporting data. Use the season selector at the top of most pages to switch between seasons.
For more information, see: Access previous year's data.
Using perpetual seasons
Some programs do not follow a strict seasonal cycle. For example, a new entry round may begin while judging for previous entries is still ongoing. In these cases, Award Force supports perpetual seasons using additional configuration tools.
See: Utilising perpetual seasons.
Good to know
- Seasons are optional but useful for programs with defined award cycles.
- Only one season can be active at any time.
- Draft seasons are visible only to managers.
- Copying a previous season can save significant configuration time.
- Existing users are non-seasonal and do not need to register again.
- Archived seasons remain fully accessible for reporting and exports.
Video overview