Judging at D&AD

D&AD Awards are judged by the world’s best creative minds.

Our Jury Presidents and Judges are the people setting the standard for creative excellence: the thinkers, makers, leaders and craft specialists behind outstanding work. They are creative practitioners with the experience, instinct and rigour to judge ideas, craft and impact on a global stage.

At its core, D&AD has always been judged by creatives. That means our juries are made up of people who understand what it takes to make exceptional work, from the spark of the idea to the detail of the execution. They know the difference between work that is well made, work that moves the industry forward and work that deserves a Pencil.

D&AD also brings together judges with a broader range of expertise in categories such as PR, Media, Gaming & Virtual Worlds, Impact and Brand Transformation. In these areas, experience across strategy, planning, marketing, public relations, entrepreneurship and within the NGO sector plays a vital role in judging the work.

Judges may be established industry leaders, award-winning practitioners, rising stars, creative game changers, previous D&AD judges or with significant other judging experience, peer-nominated talent or people who have been recognised by the industry in a significant fashion as ones to watch.

Jury Presidents are invited to lead the room. They bring significant global judging experience and a strong understanding of the standards, processes and responsibilities involved in facilitating a jury. Working closely with D&AD, they help uphold the integrity of the Awards and the rigour of the judging process.

D&AD ultimately aims to have the strongest and most representative minds within the room to discuss and judge the work.

Every D&AD jury is carefully curated.

We build judging rooms with the right mix of creative expertise, professional experience, discipline knowledge, global perspective and fresh thinking. The aim is simple: to make sure every piece of work is judged fairly, rigorously and by people who deeply understand the category and creative excellence in that field.

Potential judges are identified in a number of ways. This includes industry nominations, recommendations from past D&AD Jury Presidents and Judges, research into the people behind award-winning work at D&AD and other respected awards platforms, and extensive ongoing research into the people making outstanding creative work around the world.

One thing is consistent: we do not extend judging invitations without a strong rationale. The integrity of D&AD Awards depends on the people judging them, so every invitation must be rooted in creative credibility, relevant expertise and the value that person will bring to the jury room.

When selecting Jury Presidents and Judges, we consider:

• Creative excellence and professional achievements
• Relevant discipline and craft expertise
• Current or recent contribution to the industry
• Judging experience, both at D&AD and at other reputable local, regional and global awards shows
• Global and regional perspective
• The balance of skills, backgrounds and viewpoints in the room

We take an inclusive and equitable approach to jury selection. D&AD is committed to opening up judging opportunities for people who have historically been underrepresented in the creative industries, while ensuring every jury has the right balance of skills and experience to judge the work properly.

Most D&AD juries are made up of approximately seven judges, but jury sizes may flex where additional expertise, regional representation or specific perspective is needed to judge the work effectively.

Know someone who should be in the room? It could be you. It could be another creative leader or colleague, a brilliant maker, a rising star, or someone whose perspective the industry needs more of.

You can register your interest to be considered as a D&AD Judge, or nominate someone else you believe would bring valuable creative expertise and perspective to a jury via this form.

Please note that submitting a nomination or registering your interest does not guarantee a judging place. We receive a high volume of recommendations each year, so we are not able to respond to every nomination individually. However, every recommendation will be reviewed and kept in mind as part of our ongoing jury selection process. If we would like to extend an invitation, the D&AD team will contact the relevant person directly.