Establishing Winners, Nominees and Official Honorees
Webby Award Nominees and Winners are selected by members of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences from the best work entered through the Call for Entries. Evaluated against a number of criteria, the work undergoes a rigorous process to win the coveted Webby Award.
TIER I: ROUND 1 JUDGING
How Work is Judged
Associate Members of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences independently inspect the thousands of entries submitted during the Call for Entries, rating each one based on its respective judging criteria. Every entry is evaluated by multiple Associate Academy Members. The top entries are then included on category-specific shortlists and further evaluated by Executive Members of the Academy.
Description of Associate Academy Members
Associate Academy Members are former Webby Winners, Nominees, and other industry experts. As such, they have demonstrable expertise in the categories they review. In order to be accepted to the Associate Academy, members must first submit applications and be verified as experts and leaders in their peer groups. If accepted, Associate Academy members are then tasked with reviewing a specific set of entries that is germane to their expertise. All members are barred from judging any entry with which they have a personal or professional affiliation or any other conflict of interest. The Academy regularly inspects the work of each Academy Member for fairness and accuracy, and verifies Members’ qualifications and level of expertise for judging in Round-1.
TIER II: ESTABLISH NOMINEES AND WINNERS – FINAL JUDGING
Nominees and Winners are Chosen
Executive Academy members with category-specific expertise further evaluate the shortlisted entries based on the appropriate Website, Interactive Advertising & Media, Film & Video, Mobile Sites & Apps, or Social criteria, and eventually cast ballots to determine Webby Honorees, Nominees, and Winners. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson of any individual category casts the tie-breaking vote. Executive Academy members may not vote in any category in which they have a conflict of interest.
Due to the fact that only five (5) nominees, including one (1) winner, can be chosen for each category, other entries that are worthy of recognition are eligible to receive special commendation from the Academy as Official Honorees. No more than 15% of entries can receive the Official Honoree distinction.
Description of Executive Academy Members
Members of The Executive Academy are visionaries, evangelists, and luminaries who have catalyzed great achievements on the Internet or have demonstrated extraordinary talent in a traditional medium. These experts faithfully represent the past and future of new media; they represent the voice of the respective industries, from advertising and film to science sports.
DISCLOSURE
We understand that conflicts of interest are a potential threat, and we take these conflicts very seriously. We do everything in our power to minimize occurrences of conflicts while ensuring that the best work is recognized.
The Webby Awards does not influence the judges in any way. We select a diverse body of judges who we feel are objective, respected, and knowledgeable in their category. The Nominees and Winners are entirely in the hands of these Academy Members, who select and vote on the entries through an independent process.
Judges may not vote for any entry with which they have a conflict of interest; such situations are closely monitored and policed accordingly.
CONSULTATION
Consulting for the voting process of The Webby Awards, Round 1 and Final Judging is provided by The Center for Election Science.
