What Happens After You Submit Your World of 8 Billion Video?
Congratulations! You just submitted your video for the World of 8 Billion contest. Many students have asked us about the process for selecting the winners. In this blog, we will give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what happens after you submit your video.
Judging the Contest
After the March deadline passes, our team and a select group of judges, including a diverse panel of educators and topic experts on global issues, watch every single video submitted by students from all over the world! The judges use the judging rubric to determine the winning videos.
The top 18 videos are selected as the winners from the thousands of entries we receive each year. For each of the three global topics, one first-place and one second-place video are awarded for both middle and high school. Additionally, two high school videos are given honorable mentions for each global topic.
We also recognize global finalists and award state and regional honors!
Winners, Finalists, Honors, and their Awards
The top 18 winners will receive a certificate, a letter with judges’ feedback, and a cash prize, all mailed by the middle of June. The winning videos for each global topic in high school will receive $1,200 for first place, $600 for second place, and $300 for an honorable mention. Winning videos for each global topic in middle school are awarded $600 for first place and $300 for second place.
Videos that were chosen as global finalists for each topic will be awarded a $80 prize for high school and a $50 prize for middle school. They will also receive a certificate and a letter with judges’ feedback that will be mailed by the middle of June.
In addition, we also award $25 prizes to submissions that earn state honors in the U.S. or regional honors globally. State and regional honorees also receive a certificate, which will be emailed with their prize by the end of June.
Time to Celebrate!
The top 18 winners are each featured on their own winner page on the World of 8 Billion website. Visitors can read bios of the student filmmakers and watch their winning video. We also announce and share the top winning videos on our Population Education social media channels and with the press. Often, students are recognized by local media and appear on local TV channels or in news articles.
Global finalists, and state and regional honorees, will have their video titles, names, and schools recognized on the World of 8 Billion website as well. They will receive a press template they can share with their school to get the word out about their winning videos.
Stay Tuned
If you’re one of the student filmmakers: make sure to check your email between March and May for updates on your video’s status. You will be able to see the complete list of winners, including the winning videos, on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026.
And if you didn’t submit a video this year, consider joining the fun next year. The student competition is an annual event. Visit the World of 8 Billion website at the beginning of September to learn about the new global topics and start creating your videos!
