Evaluation 

Senior communications practitioners are recruited to serve as judges. A minimum of two judges will use IABC Gold Quill criteria and score sheets to evaluate each entry. Winning entries must meet clearly stated objectives, show originality, and demonstrate results based on measured outcomes. 

IABC’s Seven-Point Global Scale of Excellence is the standard by which each entry is scored, creating a level-playing field. Diversity and context are celebrated and understood.  Entries do not compete with each other. Rather, entries are scored vis-a-vis the rubrics and standards. Most importantly, you will also learn through the scores and comments of distinguished communicators who have volunteered as judges.

We will once again use Award Force as our online award system. This system aligns with IABC Gold Quill Awards and IABC Canada’s Silver Leaf Awards, making it easier for you to scale up and submit the same entry across all IABC award programs to gain national and international recognition.

Scoring Details 

Judges score both your work plan (Divisions 1, 2 and 3) or online entry form (Division 4) and your work sample. 

• For Communication Management entries, the work plan and work sample are each worth 50% of the score. 
• For Communication Skills entries, final scores are based equally on:
  • Strategic alignment, 
  • Professional standards of execution for the category
  • Creativity, resourcefulness or innovation. 

There are two levels of IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards: 

1. Award of Excellence 
2. Award of Merit 

The level of award depends on your total score: 

• A total score of 5.25 to 5.74 is required to win an Award of Merit
• A final score of 5.75 to 7 is required to win an Award of Excellence

There is no limit to the number of awards that can be presented in each category. 

Awards of Distinction

These six awards celebrate exceptional IABC/Toronto OVATION winners. 

• For each Award of Excellence won, a winner receives three (3) points
• For each Award of Merit won, the winner receives one (1) point
• The entrant with the highest point total in its Awards of Distinction category wins the award

In the event of a tie, the total scores of each IABC/Toronto OVATION entry will be calculated and the entrant/organization with the highest average will be the winner.

All entrants are considered for one of the following Awards of Distinction: 

• Boutique Agency of the Year (Five or fewer employees) 
• Small Agency of the Year (Six to 20 employees) 
• Mid-Size Agency of the Year (21 to 50 employees) 
• Large Agency of the Year (51 or more employees) 
• Corporate Communication Department of the Year 
• Not-for-Profit Communication Department of the Year 

Best of the Best Award

Recommended by evaluators and reviewed by the IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards Committee, the Best of the Best Judges’ Choice Award winner represents the very best entry seen in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The winner will be announced at the 2023 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards celebration and will receive a special trophy.

If you do not want to be considered for the Best of the Best Judges’ Choice Award, please select “No” during the online submission process. There is no cost associated with this award.

Winners’ Recognitions 

Winners of an Award of Excellence will receive a one-of-a-kind IABC/Toronto OVATION statue, hand-crafted in glass by a local Canadian artist. Winners of an Award of Merit will receive a decorative plaque. 

All IABC/Toronto OVATION winners will be recognized at the 2023 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards celebration and have their winning entry (or entries) included in 2023 IABC/Toronto’s OVATION Awards Winning Entries Booklet (with entrant’s permission).

In addition, winners will be included in marketing materials , acknowledged through social media channels and will also have permission to use IABC Toronto’s official 2023 OVATION Award logo in their print and online marketing materials, in addition to their email signature.

Notification of Winners & Awards Celebration

• Early April: All 2023 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards entrants will receive a one-page evaluation with scores and comments from our judges for each entry submitted. The email will be sent to the person and email address listed as the main contact on the IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards online entry system. It is the responsibility of the entrant to follow up with IABC/Toronto at toronto-info@iabc.to if results have not been received by April 30, 2023.
• May 4, 2023: The 2023 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards celebration will be held in person at the iconic Arcadian Court in downtown Toronto. Winners of the Best of the Best Judges’ Choice Award and Awards of Distinction will be announced. Winners will be posted on the website iabc.com following the celebration.