Judging Interface

AwardKit provides different interfaces depending on the voting method you've configured. Judges and audience voters each get an experience optimized for their role.

Judge experience

When judges click their voting link, they see a dashboard with their progress and the list of entries to review. The dashboard layout adapts to the voting method.

Score Criteria

Dashboard

The judge dashboard shows progress stats at the top (total entries, in progress, completed) and a searchable list of entries below. A "Judging Guidelines" sidebar reminds judges of the scoring process and what good evidence looks like for each criterion.

Each entry row shows the entry name, entrant or team members, and a progress indicator (for example "0/4" criteria scored). Click any entry to open the scoring interface.

Scoring an entry

The scoring page uses a split layout: entry details on the left, scoring controls on the right.

The left side shows the entry's description, video preview (if any), custom form responses, and category badges. The right side shows one card per criterion with:

• Criterion name and description so judges know what to evaluate
• A slider from 0 to the max score (5, 10, or 100, depending on the scale you configured) that judges drag to set their score
• A score display showing the current value
• Weight badge (when criteria have non-uniform weights) so judges understand relative importance

A status bar at the top tracks save status and completion percentage. Scores auto-save as judges move sliders, so there's no submit button to forget. A summary card on the left shows the entry's running Score and an All criteria rated badge once every criterion is in.

The criteria a judge sees are the ones for the category they're scoring: a category's own rubric if it has one, otherwise the default rubric.

Multi-category entries

When a work is entered in more than one category, the judge scores it once per category, against that category's rubric. The summary card then shows an Average Score headline with a per-category breakdown, so the judge can see at a glance which categories they've finished and which still need scores. Each category's score is independent and feeds that category's leaderboard on its own.

Top Picks

Dashboard

The Top Picks dashboard replaces score-based progress with pick-based stats: total entries, picks used (for example "3/3"), and completion status.

At the top, a "Your Top Picks" section shows the judge's current selections with colored rank badges: gold for 1st, silver for 2nd, bronze for 3rd. Judges can use the arrow buttons next to each pick to reorder their rankings, or click the rank badge to move a pick to a different position.

Below that, the full entry list lets judges browse and select their favorites. Click any entry to view its details.

Viewing an entry

Clicking an entry opens a detail sheet that slides in from the right. It shows the entry's description, video, custom form responses, entrants, and category badges.

At the bottom of the sheet, judges can select or remove the entry from their picks. If all pick slots are full, the button shows "All picks used" and the judge needs to remove a pick before selecting a new one.

Common features

Both voting methods share these judge experience features:

• No account needed: Judges access everything through their unique voting link
• Auto-save: Scores and picks save automatically. No submit button required.
• Written feedback: Judges can leave optional written feedback on each entry. Feedback appears in the expanded results view and CSV exports.
• Resume anytime: Judges can close the browser and come back later. Their link stays active until voting closes.
• Search and filter: Judges can search entries by name, description, or entrant

Declaring a conflict of interest

A judge who has a relationship with an entry can recuse themselves from it. On the entry, they click Declare a conflict of interest, give a short reason, and confirm.

Once recused:

• The judge's view becomes read-only for that entry, and any score they'd entered is excluded from the results (it's set aside, not deleted, so it returns if they undo the recusal).
• Because judging is per category, a recusal is scoped to the work in that category: a judge conflicted in one category can still score the same work in an unrelated one.
• The recusal is recorded with its reason for your audit trail. Organizers see every recusal in a Conflicts of interest card on the Judging page, exportable as CSV.

The judge can Undo recusal at any time while judging is open, which restores their access and re-includes any score.

Audience voting

Audience voting lets anyone with a link vote on entries. It uses the same voting method you configured for judges (Score Criteria or Top Picks). This is separate from judge scoring and ideal for "People's Choice" awards or community engagement.

How it works

1. Turn on public voting in the Scoring section on the Judging page (set per round on multi-round programs)
2. Toggle Voting Open
3. Share the Audience Voting Link with your community, social followers, or members
4. Voters evaluate entries using the same method as judges (sliders for Score Criteria, or pick-and-rank for Top Picks)
5. No account needed for voters

The audience voting interface mirrors the judge experience: browse entries, click to view details, and submit evaluations.

Audience stats

The Audience Voting card on the Judging page shows three key metrics:

• Voters: Total number of people who voted
• Total Votes: Total votes cast across all entries
• Completed: How many voters finished their ballot