Evaluation & Judging

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 Judges’ Choice 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 2021 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.

Starting 2021, the Best of the Best Judges’ Choice Award will replace the People’s Choice Award at the IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards.

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 Canadian artist. Winners of an Award of Merit will receive a decorative plaque. 

All IABC/Toronto OVATION winners will be recognized at the 2021 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards celebration and have their winning entry (or entries) included in 2021 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 2021 OVATION Award logo in their print and online marketing materials, in addition to their email signature.

Notification of Winners & Awards Celebration

• Mid to late April 2021: All 2021 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards entrants will receive a one-page evaluation with scores and brief 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, 2021. 
• Wednesday, May 26, 2021: The 2021 IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards celebration will be held online, live-to-air from Arcadian Court. Winners of the Best of the Best Judges’ Choice Award and Awards of Distinction will be announced. Winners will be posted on the website toronto.iabc.com following the celebration.

Call for Judges

For more than 35 years, the International Association of Business Communicators Toronto (IABC/Toronto) has celebrated professionals for their talent and creative brilliance through the prestigious OVATION Awards program. 

The IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards offers the GTA communications profession an opportunity to present its best work. It celebrates and promotes excellence from the communications profession and fosters a greater appreciation of it.

Each year, senior IABC communicators volunteer their time to review and evaluate hundreds of outstanding award submissions from leading organizations across the GTA. It is one of the exclusive benefits of an IABC membership that provides professional development and networking opportunities. 

As we prepare for another record year of award submissions, we are looking for GTA’s top communicators to serve on our panel of judges. Our judges are critical and highly valued for their role and leadership. They not only evaluate submissions, but they also provide insightful feedback that helps our entrants develop as communications practitioners. 

We are currently accepting applications from senior communicators who would like to join our panel of esteemed judges.

What you need 

• IABC/Toronto membership in good standing
• 10 or more years of experience as a communications professional 
• Accreditation in communications is a plus 
  • For example:
    • Communication Management Professional (CMP)
    • Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP)
    • Accredited Business Communicator (ABC)
• A passion for continuing to develop professionally and network with some of the best communicators in the GTA

What we need

• Your LinkedIn profile 
• Commitment to complete our mandatory IABC/Toronto OVATION Award webinar training
• Commitment to complete and reconcile evaluations within the stipulated timelines

How to apply

Please complete a brief application form for consideration. 

Apply Now

We thank all applicants for their interest. Those selected to join the judging panel will be contacted by the IABC/Toronto OVATION Awards Judging Committee directly.