The 2026–27 process
- 01
Nov 2, 2026 – Feb 19, 2027
Submissions & eligibility review
Entries are checked by the MMA team against the eligibility rules. Work must have been released commercially between January 1 and December 31, 2025. Incomplete or ineligible entries are removed before judging.
- 02
Feb 22 – Mar 19, 2027
Round one: independent scoring
Each eligible entry is scored online by at least three jurors working independently, without seeing each other's scores. The highest-scoring entries in each category form the shortlist.
- 03
Mar 30, 2027
Nominations announced
The shortlisted nominees in every category are published on the website.
- 04
Mar 31 – Apr 23, 2027
Final round: scoring & deliberation
The category jury re-scores every nominee, then deliberates. Where scores are tied, the category chair leads a final discussion and a re-vote among the jurors.
- 05
May 20, 2027
Winners revealed, New York City
Winners are announced at the ceremony and published on the website the same night.
Scoring rubric
Jurors score each criterion from 1 to 10. Scores are weighted as below to produce a total out of 100.
Impact & results
Measurable outcomes: audience growth, streams, chart and press performance, revenue or cultural reach.
Craft & execution
Quality of the work itself: production, creative, strategy and how well it was delivered.
Innovation
Originality, new approaches, and ideas that move the category forward.
Presentation
Clarity and evidence in the submission: case study, links and supporting material.
Category fit
How well the entry matches the definition of the category it was entered in.
Integrity & conflicts of interest
- ✓Jurors declare any professional, financial or personal connection to an entrant and are removed from scoring that entry.
- ✓No juror scores work from their own company, its clients or its direct competitors.
- ✓Round-one scoring is independent; jurors don't see each other's scores until deliberation.
- ✓MMA staff administer the process but don't vote.
- ✓Sponsorship, partnership or entry volume has no influence on results.
- ✓Individual scores and jury deliberations are confidential. Only nominees and winners are published.