Being a judge for the CMA Awards is a position of real responsibility. The Awards are well established, highly competitive and taken seriously by entrants. Over many years we’ve built a process that provides a rigorously fair level playing field for all.
A fully client-side panel (from 2025)
As part of our 25th-anniversary governance review, the CMA Awards judging panel is now entirely client-side. This change strengthens independence and removes any perceived conflicts of interest. We consulted agency judges from our sponsors in advance and they were supportive of the move.
Our judges are experienced in-house marketers from across the construction and built-environment sector, including several former CMA Awards winners.
Category panels and workload
- Judges do not assess every entry.
- Each category is decided by a panel of three judges.
- Individual judges typically contribute to two or three categories (around 25 entries in total), depending on entry volumes and conflicts.
Conflicts of interest
Judges must not sit on a category panel if:
- they or their employer are involved in an entry in that category;
- an entrant has requested they be excluded;
- they have a close or recent association with any people or organisations behind an entry;
- there is any perceived conflict that could compromise independence.
Where a conflict exists, that judge will not be assigned to the panel. If a conflict emerges during the meeting, the judge will be excluded from that discussion (in virtual meetings, placed in a waiting room) and will not participate in scoring or decisions for that category.
All judges agree to our confidentiality and conduct terms before accessing entries.
How scoring works
- Independent review – Judges read entries and score against the published criteria for that category, adding brief comments to support their scores.
- Consistency check – Before submitting, judges run a quick “reality check” across their scores to ensure consistency.
- Panel discussion – The three judges meet (online) to compare views, agree a shortlist and select a winner. If consensus cannot be reached, the CMA Awards chair facilitates further discussion and, if required, makes a final determination based on the criteria.
Interview-based categories
Some categories include a finalist interview stage. Shortlisted teams meet the panel online. Judges ask a mix of common questions (to enable fair comparison) and category-specific questions. The final decision is based on the entry plus the interview.
Confidentiality and fairness
Throughout, entries are handled confidentially and used only for judging. The CMA Awards team oversees the timetable, panel composition and exclusions to ensure a process that is transparent, independent and fair.
If you would like more information on the judging process, please contact us.
