Sports programming will be included in the next round of the Rockie Awards at the Banff festival. The fest and its newly minted awards boss Georges Leclere said on Friday at MIPCOM that submissions will be accepted for the new "best sports program" prize.

"With the surge of sports related programming this past year around the 2008 Summer Olympics, it was important to create a category that would recognize excellence in this area," said Leclere in a release.

The fest will hand out 21 Rockies when it reconvenes in June. Other categories include best environmental program and best Canadian program. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 16.