Sparrow On The B&T Awards Live Judging: It’s A Day Of Inspiration

Over my 40+ year career, I have judged heaps of award shows both here and abroad. It is incredibly time-consuming and after doing it so many times, I still underestimate the time it’s going to take.

Normally the deadline for round one online judging is looming and here I am on a Saturday arvo ploughing through award entries. However, every time I always learn something, marvel at the innovation or the pure inspiration of great work.

Last week I spent a full day from 8am till 5;30pm at the B&T Awards Agency of the Year live judging with a group of clients/consultants in the final stage of live presentations. Live judging, although time-consuming, really elevates the rigor of the awards and adds a vital extra layer of evaluation. By the end of the day, my mind was exploding. Yet, it was also incredibly invigorating and inspiring.

Judging Agency of the Year is a real privilege but it also comes with real responsibility. You’re required to give total engagement and attention, asking the right questions and encouraging the agency presenters to showcase their best work in a positive and safe environment. It is also a privilege to sit alongside CMOs and be part of the conversation about strategic decisions, effectiveness, and ROI. Some of the consultants ask the tough questions in a very respectful way around commercial success and specific metrics used. The live Q&A is always robust and insightful with the judge’s seeking clarity and that little extra gem that may just decide the winner.

All the agencies brought their A game, at this level the presenters are truly first-class. I was super impressed with the quality of work and the passion and commitment to the craft of all the presenters and agencies. All agencies also demonstrated their focus on people and culture. It was refreshing not to just see the fluffy stuff such as Summer Fridays, birthday days off, parties, and so on, but a real commitment to improving NPS scores, mental health first aid, percentage of revenue committed to training/development, TRR scores, Best Places to Work surveys, etc. It is always intriguing how different agencies can approach exactly the same brief and interpret it in different ways with various styles and personalities.

During the judging day at the breaks, it was awesome to feel the energy, buzz, and creativity as 101 presenting agency teams, and 50+ judges in nine rooms gathered to judge the best agencies in the country. I cannot stress enough the calibre of the work with quality case studies and the strength and breadth in the agency’s body of work that drives client growth.

All the judges signed NDAs so I won’t be giving anything away except to say in the categories I judged any of the top three agencies could win. We do not see the other judges’ scores or know the final winners. Regardless, on the night I will be very proud of the actual winners.

My top 3 takeaways:

The work at this level truly drives client growth and business success.
Our industry is in great shape with the talent and leadership of these Agency Of The Year shortlisted agencies.
The depth of strategic thinking for clients’ business is first class plus as well as selling client products we are helping behavioural change around vital world issues.

See you at the Horden Pavilion on Friday, 24 November for the big night when all will be revealed … can’t wait! Grab your tickets now!

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My top 3 takeaways:

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