Inside the human-first practices that power both the Shorty Awards and the Shorty Impact Awards
At the heart of the Shorty Awards is a simple but uncompromising standard: we recognize work that is original, intentional, and created with purpose. Whether it’s a viral campaign, a culture-shifting initiative, or a movement for social change, every submission is evaluated through a fair, transparent, and integrity-driven process.
Our internal practices are designed to maintain the credibility of our programs (i.e. the Shorty Awards and the Shorty Impact Awards) and the trust of the global creative community. Here's how we ensure that standard across both awards:
Expertise from Every Angle
Our judging process is built on the belief that great work deserves to be seen through many lenses. That’s why our jury is composed of professionals with diverse backgrounds, not only in gender, race, and ethnicity, but also in subject-matter expertise, lived experiences, and career paths. This includes a balanced mix of senior marketers, creatives, and strategists from brands, agencies, and nonprofits of all sizes, representing regional markets around the world.
All entries are evaluated by this jury of professionals who bring deep expertise across industries and disciplines. Every set of scores is then verified by our internal team to ensure they accurately reflect juror evaluations and meet our published eligibility requirements and judging criteria. This review is procedural, not editorial, and safeguards the integrity and consistency of the process.
This combination of diverse perspectives and procedural oversight ensures that exceptional work rises to the top, not just in terms of numbers, but in meaningful, culturally relevant ways.
Intention at the Core
At the heart of both award programs is intention.
In the Shorty Awards, intention is reflected in how work is evaluated across creativity, execution, relevance, originality, and contribution to culture or community.
For the Shorty Impact Awards, this intention is expressed through purpose: submissions are considered based on the impact they create and the causes they serve. Production value or polish alone isn’t enough, what matters most is impact.
Transparency by Design
We believe credibility is built on transparency. That’s why we publish all entries, not just finalists and winners, on our website and all case studies are fully accessible to the public without any paywall. This means every piece of work submitted is visible not only to our jury, but to anyone who wants to explore it to ensure transparency, greater accessibility and visibility, as well as a permanent record of the creativity and impact shared with us.
This level of openness promotes trust in the selection process and serves as a valuable learning tool for future entrants, jurors, and industry professionals alike.
AI Uses for Entries
As AI becomes an increasingly common tool in the creative landscape, we embrace its thoughtful use. Entrants are welcome to submit AI-assisted work, provided its involvement is transparently disclosed when it plays a significant role in the creative process. This disclosure is not punitive, it’s a matter of fairness and honesty.
Integrity Over Everything
We’ll never pressure people to submit. In fact, we often advise against entering if we feel a project isn’t quite ready or doesn’t align with our show’s mission. Our 1:1 free consultations exist to help entrants find the right fit.
Both the Shorty Awards and the Shorty Impact Awards are highly curated programs that prioritize the quality of entries over the quantity of submissions, because recognition should be earned, not bought.
We believe awards have the power to elevate industries, shape culture, and celebrate the people pushing creativity forward. That responsibility doesn’t just live in who we honor, but how we operate.
From our judging process to our public-facing commitments, we hold ourselves to the same standard we ask of our entrants: lead with purpose, act with integrity, and always put people first.
