All categories are adjudicated by a carefully selected jury of three industry professionals. Judges must have substantial work experience relevant to the category being judged, as well as meeting one or more of the following criteria:
- Currently or previously employed in the periodical industry
- Currently or previously employed in a related field, including but not limited to journalism professors at the post-secondary level, individuals working as freelance writers, photographers, illustrators and editorial designers
- Possessing experience as a judge in a comparable awards program
- Have expertise as a past winner or finalist in a comparable awards program
Judges in all categories receive written instructions and an explanation of the judging process and the scoring procedure. Judges are responsible for the selection of finalists by first working individually to evaluate and score the entries. In the event that no clear Gold and Silver winner emerges from the aggregated scores, judges proceed to a second round, via a moderated conference call, to determine finalists and silver and gold winners. The judges’ decision is final.
Digital Categories
Judges assess overall experience, content, structure, navigation, visual design, functionality and interactivity.
Integrated Categories
Cover: Judges assess entries for graphic elements and cover line content, that they reinforce each other through literal or subtextual means, as well as overall creativity.
Infographic: Judges assess entries for overall impact and creativity, and that the text and visual elements support overall understanding of the information presented.
Written Categories
Judges evaluate entries in the context of the intended audience and give weight to the following: writing style and engaging voice, content, creativity and originality, engagement and overall impact.
Visual Categories
Judges evaluate entries in the context of the intended audience and assess image/graphic elements, text and how well they work together, as well as overall layout, originality, creativity and impact.
Conflict of Interest
A judge shall be considered ineligible to adjudicate a panel in which: his/her/their name appears on the masthead of the magazine entered in that category; is entered as a writer or other contributor in that category.
Category Review
AMPA reviews its award categories annually. Stakeholders are welcome to provide feedback on the clarity of category descriptions, relevance, and omissions.
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