Skip to main content

Rookie Awards

Finalist Voting

This phase is focused on reviewing Finalists and selecting the winners. All entries in this round have already performed at a high level during the initial judging.

This phase is focused on reviewing Finalists and selecting the winners. All entries in this round have already performed at a high level during the initial judging. Your role now is to help refine the rankings and identify the most outstanding submissions in each category.

If you haven't done so already, please make sure you have read the following articles:

Understanding the Brief
As a judge for the Rookie Awards, your role is to evaluate entries against the contest’s core objective: identifying emerging talent that is ready to step into entry-level roles in the creative media industry. The submissions you review should reflect a professional standard, much like a job application, showcasing
The Rookies - Help & ResourcesAndrew McDonald
The Judge’s Mindset
As a judge for the Rookie Awards, your evaluations play a key role in recognising and encouraging emerging talent. To ensure a fair and balanced approach, it’s important to adopt the right mindset when reviewing entries. Remember: These Are Junior Artists The entrants you are reviewing are not seasoned
The Rookies - Help & ResourcesAndrew McDonald
How to Score Entries
To start judging, please follow these steps to visit the Judges dashboard, select a contest, and start scoring entries. 1. Log in to your account using the credentials provided. 2. Go to the Judges Dashboard. 3. On the dashboard, you’ll see a list of contests assigned to you, along
The Rookies - Help & ResourcesAndrew McDonald

Step 1: Score All Finalists

Begin by reviewing and scoring all Finalists in your assigned category. These entries have already been filtered for quality, you’re now judging within the top tier.

Important:
Please do not assign scores below 6/10 in this round. These are already high-performing entries. Scoring below this threshold will negatively impact their ranking and is not appropriate at this stage.

Use the full upper range to express your evaluation:

  • Lower scores (6–7.0) = Solid work, but not as competitive relative to the group
  • Mid-range (7.5–8.5) = Strong, well-rounded, and polished
  • High scores (9.0–10) = Truly standout work deserving serious consideration for the top spot

Step 2: Select Your Top 5

Once all Finalists have been scored, you'll be prompted to submit your Top 5 picks, in ranked order.

Points are assigned as follows:

  • 1st place = 5 points
  • 2nd place = 4 points
  • 3rd place = 3 points
  • 4th place = 2 points
  • 5th place = 1 point

These selections will be combined across all judges to determine final results.

Choose based on overall impact, quality, and industry readiness. Your top pick should be the entry you believe deserves to win above all others.

Judging Reminders

  • You’re reviewing only the best, be thoughtful and consistent
  • Avoid rewarding style over execution, focus on technical skills, creative skills, range of work, presentation and employability
  • Presentation, polish, and intent still matter at this level
  • Trust your judgment, the differences will be small, but meaningful

If you encounter any issues or need support during the process, please use the yellow live chat button located bottom-right of each judging page.

Thanks again for your time and expertise, your decisions directly shape the outcome of the awards.